The photos I promised
And what's the deal with beta readers?
Hi writing family,
I promised heli-hike glacier photos a few weeks ago if I didn’t die on my wedding anniversary trip, and I didn’t!
Actually it was a lot more fun than I expected. If you ever get a chance to do something outside of your comfort zone I would highly recommend it.
Before I share the photos, a couple of writer-ish things:
I hope Nanowrimo went well for those of you doing that. I managed to finish my first romance novel during November.
After editing, I sent my first 3 chapters off to beta readers. Here’s how that went…
What are Beta readers?
This was my first experience with beta readers and WOW! I’m addicted.
Beta readers are not editors.
They are passionate readers who give you feedback on what your story is like from a reader’s point of view: plot holes, character inconsistencies, how enjoyable it was…
I hired five readers from Fiverr.
It was quite affordable and I gave a wide range of readers a try, from experienced to brand new with no reviews.
I also had three unpaid beta readers
I found these easily on a Facebook beta readers and critique partner groups. Goodreads also has a beta reader group.
What’s my verdict?
I loved it, but I did learn a few things:
Make sure your beta readers read and enjoy your genre. One of my free readers had never read a category romance, so she gave some irrelevant suggestions.
Ask questions and be specific about what you want. I prefer the readers to focus on the story overall, not the grammar and formatting. They aren’t editors.
The paid beta readers were the best overall because they gave reports and read in a short time frame. My favorites were actually readers with no reviews. I picked them because they loved romance and it ended up being a good call.
Get them to do a sample read (3 chapters) first. Then decide who you want to read your full manuscript.
It was amazing hearing direct feedback from the people who would buy the book.
Our audiences change depending on what we write.
And because you write it’s important to think about and get to know your audiences. Beta readers is one way to do that. I’ll definitely do it again.
P.S. My 11- and 15-year-old want me to mention they’re beta readers too, so if you write YA, middle grade, or children’s books, they’re happy to do you a deal. lol
Now for the photos (I really should have taken my hat off—I look like a snowman, but it was freezing!)
I’m having minor surgery this week, so I may be a bit quiet after that. I have some exciting things cooking for 2022 though, so I promise we’ll get back into it next year!
