beta reading

Ann is currently CLOSED to requests for her beta reading service.

Are you a writer seeking feedback for your already-edited poetry or fiction? If so, Ann offers a beta reading service.

A quality beta read should provide a writer with feedback from the perspective of their desired readership for a book that is already edited, but still in the revision phase.

A single beta read is never enough. Every manuscript (or poem) that a writer wishes to publish should be read by multiple beta readers in order for the writer to identify common areas of concern that may need reworking before submission to literary agents or publishers. Obtaining honest feedback can be tricky because family and friends (even writer friends) know that honesty sometimes hurts, and they don’t want to hurt the feelings of someone close to them. Enter the beta reading service.

What type of beta reader is Ann? In one word: thorough. She provides positive, yet constructive, feedback from the perspective of a reader. Beta reading is not an editorial service; however, Ann naturally brings her editorial expertise to any reading that she does. (It’s part of who she is.) Ann’s feedback typically includes information such as:

• what she loved while reading
• what didn’t work well for her while reading
• content or themes that she felt were underdeveloped or unnecessary
• anything that might be perceived as insensitive within today’s sociocultural climate
• repetitive errors in mechanics that she noticed while reading
• words or phrases that repeated themselves too often for her taste as a reader

Additionally, Ann may provide general suggestions to consider as next steps to help fix some of what she felt were problem areas. In the end, writers must rely on themselves to identify what does or doesn’t need fixing, but sometimes outside suggestions help get ideas and decisions percolating.

Ann is seeking to expand her experience in providing beta feedback, which is why this service is currently free. She finds beta reading to be an extremely rewarding and educational experience. It is one of her favorite writerly things to do!