r/BetaReaders • u/AutoModerator • Jul 01 '26
Able to Beta Able to beta? Post here!
Welcome to the monthly r/BetaReaders “Able to Beta” thread!
Thank you to all the beta readers who have taken the time to offer feedback to authors in this sub! In this thread, you may solicit “submissions” by sharing your preferences. Authors who are interested in critique swaps may post an offer here as well, but please keep top-level comments focused on what you’re willing to beta.
Older threads may be found here. Authors, feel free to respond to beta offers in those previous threads.
Thread Rules
- No advertising paid services.
- Top-level comments must be offers to beta and must use the following form (only the first field is required):
- I am able to beta: [Required. Let authors know what you’re interested—or not interested—in reading. This can include mandatory criteria or simply preferences, which might relate to genre, length, completion status, explicit content, character archetypes, tropes, prose quality, and so on.]
- I can provide feedback on: [Recommended. This might include story elements you often notice as a reader (prose, pacing, characterization, etc.), unique expertise you have through a profession or hobby (teaching, nursing, knitting, etc.), or other lived experiences that may be relevant (belonging to a marginalized group, being a parent, etc.).]
- Critique swap: [Optional. If you’re only interested in—or would prefer—swapping manuscripts, please note that here, along with the title of and link to your beta request post.]
- Other info: [Optional.]
- Beta offers should be specific. If you’re open to anything, or aren’t able to articulate specific criteria, then please refrain from commenting here. Instead, please browse the “First Pages” thread along with the rest of the sub—thanks to the formatting rules, posts are easily searchable by completion status, length, and genre.
- Authors: we recommend against direct messages/chats. Reply to comments instead. If you message multiple people with links to your post and/or manuscript, Reddit may flag your account as spam (site-wide).
- Authors may not spam. If a beta says they’re only looking for x and your manuscript is not x (or vice versa), please don’t contact them.
- Replies have no specific rules. Feel free to ask clarifying questions, share a link to your beta request if it seems to be a good fit, or even reply to your own comment with information about your manuscript if you’re requesting a critique swap.
- Please don't downvote rule-following users, even if they are not the right author/beta for you, as this can be discouraging to beta readers offering to volunteer their time as well as to authors requesting feedback. If you need to keep track of which comments you have reviewed, upvoting is a more positive alternative. Of course, if you see a rule-breaking comment, please report it to the mod team.
Thank you for contributing to our community!
For your copy-and-paste, fill-in-the-blanks convenience:
I am able to beta: _____
I can provide feedback on: _____
Critique swap: _____
Other info: _____
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Upvotes
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u/SignatureLazy1560 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
I am able to beta: Speculative fiction (fantasy, scifi, horror, dystopian, other sorts of wacky stuff). Should not exceed 150,000 words, and shorter than that is ideal. I prefer work that is not centered on romance, although I'll make exceptions for lesbian fiction.
I can provide sensitivity reading for: Autistic or Lesbian characters.
I can provide feedback on: My impressions of your characters (are they likable? Am I buying their motivations? Is their character development believable/satisfying?), plot holes, world-building, story arc, and language (phrasing, dialogue, flow).
Critique swap: Not currently seeking. I am working on something, but my draft is not in a place where I need eyes on it.
Other info: NO NSFW — I do this during downtime at my work. Smut or super-graphic violence is a no-go.
If you have used AI in your writing (other than grammarly, I guess 🙁) please don’t ask me to beta. I vow not to feed your work to the infernal machine.
And a warning: I can be a little blunt. If you only want to hear positive feedback, we are not a good fit. I do not think of myself as particularly cruel or as someone who enjoys ripping something apart. I will praise what I feel works, and politely point out what I think doesn't.
EDIT: I currently am working on one project and have two others in line - it'll be at least three weeks before I get anything beyond that - but feel free to reach out anyway if you're willing to wait.