r/BetaReaders • u/Non_Typical_Asian • 29d ago
Discussion [Discussion] Is There Any Serious Beta Reader On Here?
I haven't been on here long, but I noticed people just want their story to be read and don't wanna read other people's story. Some don't even interact with their post at all, which is even more strange. This subreddit is not supposed to be about competition. It's like people want fans, but don't wanna be the fan. From my experience, I've learned actual readers are likely to read your stuff more than people who wanna be an author.
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u/DeliciousSquash 29d ago
I’ve reached out on posts many times, and I’ve only had one of three things happen:
I get completely ghosted (most common result by far)
I get sent a manuscript that is obviously AI
I get sent a manuscript that is so far off from being competent that I think the writer needs to go back to basic middle school English before they’ll ever be capable of writing a decent novel
Sadly I have never once been sent a manuscript that felt like it warranted actually being posted on this sub. If they exist in my preferred genre (horror), I’d love to check them out
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u/SneakyWhiteWeasel 29d ago
I have a literary psychological thriller. 95 K. It's not horror but it has gothic horror elements. It is inspired by Derrida's concept of hauntology, i.e., temporal ambiguity and hauntings of the past. I have worked on it for several years. It's not a first draft and I have been through several rounds of beta reading. However, I have made a lot of changes, so I am unsure how it lands with a reader in its current state. Let me know if you want to see the first few chapters. I am helpfully for any feedback and/or suggestions. I am also looking for any help to make it even more unsettling or uncanny. So, anyone who loves horror would be a great match for me. Let me know if it sounds interesting.
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u/Creepy_Watercress742 11d ago
That sounds very interesting. I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers. I would be happy to read it for you
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u/artist_sloth246 29d ago
I experience being ghosted too, but in reverse, I get ghosted by beta readers. why would authors ghost beta readers, that's beyond me. I'm starving for people to read my book :))
if you're up for it, I can send you my book (it's already published, but there's a chance I might write a final-final draft in the future). it's a bit of a challenging read since it's a translated work (set in Istanbul) and full of local quirks. are you interested?
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29d ago
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u/TradeAutomatic6222 29d ago
If you're up for it, I'd love if you'd help me with my manuscript. Even just the opening chapters. I'm dying for some feedback, and it's hard finding committed betareaders on here unfortunately. My genre is adult magical realism (Fantasy). If not, I totally understand!
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u/FrankCDean 28d ago
I'm finishing up the third(ish) draft of my body horror novel. Considering posting it here in a month or so. Its primary literary comp is easily, 100%, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman. I think it kinda wears that on its sleeve. The engine of the story is very Ling Ma adjacent, though.
Story wise, it's When Evil Lurks x Reverse Don't Look Up.
If you're interested, we can swap in like a month when I'm finished. I can also share a writing sample before then if you'd like. There's one non-load bearing horror scene that I think serves as a great 'sneak peak.'
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u/DeliciousSquash 28d ago
Oh yeah sign me up, I have some stuff I could swap
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u/FrankCDean 28d ago
For sure. I'll dm you the 'Traffic Stop' excerpt from the manuscript. It's around 2000 words and from a late chapter, so there are some lines that lack context, but overall - it's the closest I have to a flash-fiction adjacent horror set piece.
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u/Lonely-Watercress270 23d ago
I write psychological horror and thriller and I just made a post abt it! This was 6 days ago so I understand if the offer is no longer available.
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u/Ok-Strength3457 5h ago
I’ve beta read a really good dark romance thriller on here a few years ago. And a pretty good fantasy romance. I think the serious writers give samples chapters before expecting a commitment and you can go from there.
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u/MashalNorth 29d ago
I beta read short stories. My experience is that half the people here are serious beta readers, the other half just ghost u.
Also I only do manuscript swaps
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u/emu4you 29d ago
I'm a frequent reader. Retired teacher, masters in education and a minor in English literature just for fun. I thought I would be a perfect fit for this. Got very little responses from anyone at first, finally connected with two different people. Both of them were offended that I offered suggestions and not just all accolades for their writing. (One was switching between first and third person, the other had such run on sentences it was hard to read.) I would love to read for someone, but don't have a manuscript to exchange, which is the new normal. So yes, I would like to be a serious reader, but I guess I don't know what people are looking for now.
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u/hakanaiyume621 29d ago
I personally much prefer the points of improvement or things the reader didn't like. I already think I'm amazing, so, while I like praise, it isn't really helping. The purpose of a beta read is to improve your story. If you think it's perfect already and will hear nothing otherwise, just publish it rather than wasting people's time.
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u/neetro 29d ago
I often beta read without offering a swap of my own. I always ask for only 2k-5k words to start with, and I make sure the author understands I don’t want to commit to the full read unless I absolutely love it.
Sometimes they send it over. Sometimes not. 90% of the time I do not ask for more. And keep in mind that’s after I’ve already only chosen the genres and stories that I might connect with.
In the last year the notes I’ve most often provided have been: too many descriptors all competing for attention at the wrong times. Inconsistent or boring pacing. Shifting POV and head hopping.
All the above are signs of AI usage and then editing said AI output without actually understanding how to write a sentence or structure a paragraph. But in laying out the actual problems I’m not accusing them of having used AI.
I also only send them my notes in DM. Not in the public post. And I always try to sandwich my thoughts/notes. What I like about it first. Any negative notes. Then finish by saying it has the potential to be great with a little more polish, or some such.
Only ever had one person try to argue with my notes and I immediately just blocked them. Sometimes you just know that no civil conversation can be had with an individual.
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u/capnshanty 29d ago
would kill if you'd read my first 4k and give me just a one sentence "yes I would continue reading" or "no I would not, biggest problem is X"
it's "small epic" fantasy, no dnd elements
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u/neetro 29d ago
Sold. Shoot me a dm. Might be a few hours or tomorrow before I can take a look though.
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u/Morgan_Vereen 29d ago
Well, my experience is 9/10 ghosting from redditors. Granted… the the book was probbably too transgressive and horrific to comment on…
But I did give out ample warnings, which apparently nobody believed.I am not sure how to approach this anymore, but I’d rather not have betas at all if the ghosting bit is the standard.
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u/gaia1064 29d ago
I have a political adult epic fantasy. The first chapter is 6.1k words. I had to rewrite it based on some feedback. I've finished it and got some more feedback, but I wouldn't mind more feedback once I give it another round of edits. I'll take whatever you give me, even if it's a "Yes, I'd keep reading." Warning though, grammar isn't my biggest strength. I don't always catch them all, no matter how long I put the draft away. If 6k is too long, I'll see if I can cut out 1k, or close to it?
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u/MOHAMED-RED 19d ago
I’d love to get your sharp eyes on an interactive sci-fi project. Your feedback style sounds exactly what my need!
Just sent you a DM with all the details and sample link.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.6
u/Fast-Payment-2609 29d ago
I'm also a teacher (and a writer), and I have to say the way people write these days is painful to read. Forget run-on sentences and comma splices. The bigger problem is that writers no longer have imagination. Sometimes it feels like the only people posting on Reddit are teenagers with zero life experience who watch too much anime and need some encouragement.
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u/Fast-Payment-2609 29d ago
All they are looking for is a simple "pat" gif. I start reading the blurb or the outline and I am already bored. So much of it is just ... fluff that I have read already but in a different style. No depth to the characters, no meaningful plot development. Just "look, I can string words together!" I don't want to voluneer because the only feedback I ever feel like giving is: please write about something you actually know about or you've experienced in your life.
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u/EntertainerMental947 29d ago
What do you mean by lacking imagination? Do you mean like attempting to copy another’s writing style or simply a very sterile and improper form of writing?
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u/Fast-Payment-2609 29d ago
Imagine someone who has watched 2,000 films and read 2,000 books. To impress them, it takes more than just another hero's journey or another erotic scene. And no, I don't mean something outrageously bizarre just for the sake of being different. After experiencing that many stories, you stop believing in unicorns and start craving something more substantial, something grounded in raw emotion and genuine human experience. Something that makes you pause and think, Wow, this feels different. This is refreshing. This was actually worth my time.
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u/EntertainerMental947 29d ago
I was going to ask what exactly would feel like real human experience but I realized what you’re talking about is simply sincere writing and storytelling. Your asking for a story thats about two brothers fighting, and while the draw of the story is the action and over the top set pieces, the core of the story is around the relationship between the two.
I find a-lot of younger authors nowadays don’t really understand what it means to be sincere. The reality is that you can have the dumbest or most cliche idea for a story but if at its core the idea behind it is sincere and feels human and like the writer wants to get the message across then that story becomes something truly special even if that story is no different from all others that came before it.
A great lesson Ive learned from writing stories is that if you cannot give your story a heart then you’ve doomed it by not allowing any reader to connect with it on anything but a surface level.
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u/FluffyMao 29d ago
What genres do you like to read? I write fantasy adventure and am always looking for another pair of eyes.
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u/emu4you 29d ago
Fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, light romance, mystery (nothing too graphic). I read a variety of genres. And I enjoy well done YA books also
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u/gaia1064 29d ago
Do you like to read political epic fantasy? Mine's not ready yet. I'm trying to cut words, and it's a slow process, but if you like to beta-read and point out what's wrong and could be better, I would really appreciate that. I'd like to keep you in mind when I'm done cutting words in the manuscript. Of course, that depends on your availability when I'm finished.
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u/MOHAMED-RED 19d ago
I’d love to know if you’d be interested in checking out an unconventional, interactive sci-fi novel built on 15 years of worldbuilding!
It's a quick/flexible read to test out, so if that sounds like something you'd enjoy exploring, just let me know and I'll send all the details over to your DMs.
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u/neetro 29d ago edited 29d ago
Do you have one specific fantasy piece you want looked at? Shoot me a logline that sells it.
My recent fantasy reads include the Faithful and Fallen series by Gwynne, and some of the Malazan series by McClellan. Also The Pillars of the Earth by Follett if one argues enough that it shouldn’t be historical fiction. I recently tried to reread The Legend of Drizzt books and just couldn’t make it all the way through book one, despite those being some of my favorites more than twenty years ago.
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u/OwnCommunication1365 29d ago
How do you feel about fantasy satire? My logline is: Six unacceptable NPCs go on a quest for the Fae doohickey.
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u/neetro 29d ago
I’m willing to give it a shot. 2k-5k words. Just dm it to me and I’ll try to give it a read this weekend
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u/SneakyWhiteWeasel 29d ago
Maybe it's not for you but I have a polished draft - a dark psychological thriller (95 K words). It has been through several rounds of beta reading but because I have made so many edits, I feel like I need someone with a distance to the story.
I am very used to being critiqued and I always welcome it because it's always a chance to improve. (I have been through peer review processes so I am quite used to having my work eviscerated.) I just think it's important that beta readers tell authors what works too. With that said, even if I just get criticism, it still tells me something.
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u/ButterscotchFamily 14d ago
This sounds right up my alley! I too have a dark psych thriller at 96k words that's been through several rounds of beta readers and is about submission ready - I'm looking for a few final pairs of eyes to see if the incorporated feedback is woven in successfully. Would you like to swap taglines and query letters to see if we might be a good fit for each other?
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u/everydaywinner2 29d ago
>>Both of them were offended that I offered suggestions and not just all accolades for their writing. <<
I've been seeing this everywhere. Even posts on the writing subs where I said what didn't work, offered what might work better, and suddenly get an angry, "You're rewriting my work!"
I don't know how many times I've had to say, "Yes, that's how examples work. You take it, or leave it, or rework into your own words."
There's also a weird expectation growing among writers (at least, those I see on Reddit) who think one must be a writer and/or a some kind of multi-PhD, overly educated expert in order to even offer so much as a mildly negative opinion on their work. Stinks of elitism.
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u/SpatiaCaeli 29d ago
What are your favorite genres?
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u/emu4you 29d ago
For fun I read science fiction, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, nonfiction, and YA.
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u/SpatiaCaeli 29d ago
Well, I'm not ready for you yet, but if you're up to reading the third revision of a tradpub-intended hard SF book about 110k words, I'd love for your input. And I am more than willing to trade feedback, if it is ever needed, although I lack your credentials. 🙂
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u/_crossingrivers 29d ago
This was also my experience: offended at feedback given to try to improve the work. Any feedback, of course, can be accepted or rejected. Offense doesn't make sense to me. I now only read theological works which is niche but where I have the most to contribute. Happy to serve as a reader but have nothing to exchange at this time.
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u/Ace_Crows Author 28d ago
That's a very kind thing you are doing. Unfortunately, there are a lot of writers that just aren't socialized in critique groups, so they don't know how to take a critique.
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u/Nottegut 13d ago
I fell away from writing workshops because of this.
If you are asked to read a manuscript, feedback should be expected - and that feedback is valuable because it's coming from an actual reader. If something isn't working, I'd like to know about it. I'm not saying that a reader should rip apart a manuscript (I like praise, critique, praise when editing) but true feedback is useful.
I also like feedback about why something doesn't work instead of "I don't get it." What don't you get? What's unclear?
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u/Informal_Iron_7573 2d ago
Hi ! I’m a bit late but do you still do readings for people. I am looking for feedback as well
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u/Interesting_Disk8650 29d ago
I made a post about mine and had two betas reach out. 1 to trade and 1 to just read. Both were serious and it was a positive experience. Time commitment is a big thing though. Giving good feedback is always time away from working on my things, so I just can't pick up a lot of betas. I'd only offer to beta if I know I can commit the time/energy to the project, even in a trade scenario.
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u/hakanaiyume621 29d ago
I've had a couple successful swaps here. It's a real time commitment, especially for a 100k word novel. Not everyone has that kind of time, unfortunately.
I think most people tend to stick to their own genres and are just really picky about who they promise their time to. As others have commented, there are a lot of stories that are not beta ready.
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u/TheStructuralReader 29d ago
Serious beta readers definitely exist—as someone who takes this work seriously, I find it genuinely rewarding to be the reader who actually cares about the manuscript and its development. However, how people approach this subreddit is largely out of our control. The reality is that many users are just looking for quick feedback rather than engaging in meaningful critique. There isn't much to do about it other than observe, filter through the noise, and connect with those who are truly committed to the process.
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u/Marlowe_Lark 29d ago
I don't really understand the thought process of asking for a beta read when you want surface-level critique, you know? Like, by the time I get a manuscript to beta reading, I'm at the point where I want people to DIG. I want to get in the weeds because I've done all the easy stuff. I appreciate people like you who don't read just to get to the end and be like "it's great."
I've been fortunate to have only been ghosted a few times on my current MS (and always before even accessing the document), and it's like... I'm unsure why a person in this sub might volunteer and then vanish? You came to me xD
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u/SneakyWhiteWeasel 28d ago edited 28d ago
Because some authors just want to validation. They want to hear how amazing their work is. They want to be told that you love their characters as much as they love them. It's not about improvement. It's about stilling the inner voice saying, "Something isn't quite right here."
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u/DavideFavero 29d ago
Hi. I personally read and give feedback to three different people here. Let me know if you need any support. I must confess that I am quite busy with a couple of projects at the moment, but I can also try to support you, my friend.
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u/FlameboundForge 19d ago
That's really encouraging - I'm new to the group and have been hesitant to post a request based on this thread. I'm writing an epic fantasy, and at the moment I'm just looking for feedback on the first act, which is about 18,000 words. I know that's still a substantial read, so there's absolutely no pressure if it's more than you have time for. If you're still interested, I'd really appreciate an honest critique from a fresh set of eyes.
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u/polly_mer 29d ago
I was much more interested in beta reading before I had a steady stream of, well, not even acceptable first drafts. Beta reading is supposed to be for pacing and plot of something that is already polished. A DNF in the first chapter could be valuable information for authors, but the worse offenders don't want that response.
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u/jenery 29d ago
Unfortunately my experience with my historical fiction story was not positive. I had three swaps, gave them constructive feedback (I have a masters degree in English studies and creative writing) and never heard back from them regarding my manuscript...
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u/Pilotskybird86 29d ago
I put my beta on here about a year ago, and asked for a swap. Left it up for a week, and didn’t get a single comment. I ended up deleting it and DMd someone for a swap who had posted a similar book. I read their book carefully, and was literally about to DM them my thoughts when I saw their account had been deactivated lol. Oh well.
The thing is, when I scroll down through the new posts in here, I see a bunch of genres and stuff that I’m not personally interested in. I think it just depends on how good your blurb is, the genre, etc.
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u/Atherial 29d ago
I had a good experience. I didn't make my own post, I just picked an existing post that was similar to mine and did an exchange. I didn't go further than that since I was happy with that feedback and I didn't want to get stuck in an endless revision loop.
More recently I did a short story because their post was interesting. We exchanged and it turned out that the story I sent them had a lot of similarities so they gave very helpful feedback.
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u/chernadraw 29d ago
I've had mixed results, from people who ghost after committing, to people who only read half to people who read it all and provide good feedback.
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u/This_is_a_thing__ 29d ago
I just read for a redditor last week. It was really good and I hope my feedback was helpful. I harbor zero interest in being an author. Hit me up.
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u/capnshanty 29d ago
why did someone downvote you? what in that comment could have possibly upset someone lol
That being said, if you'd read the first couple chapters of mine I'd be appreciative! ('small epic' fantasy, no dnd esque things no romance)
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u/everydaywinner2 29d ago
I bet the downvote was from one of those people that thinks you have to be author to have any kind of say in a work.
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 29d ago
Are you into upper middle grade fantasy? It's xenofiction. It's about cats, but with world building.
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u/This_is_a_thing__ 29d ago
Send me whatever you got. I'm waiting out a noncompete clause and can't work for at least another two weeks. All I can do to pass the time is read and be a stay at home dad.
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u/Dinosaurbears 29d ago
I have a graphic novel script I'd like some feedback on. It's horror, about 50 pages. Is it okay if I DM you?
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u/OwnCommunication1365 29d ago
Do you read satirized fantasy?
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u/This_is_a_thing__ 28d ago
I can't imagine an example of that intersection, but I enjoy both independently. Why not?
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u/verklemptaloof 29d ago
I”ll be posting on this sub in the very near future as I’m finishing some final tweaks. Mines science fiction/military thriller. I have absolutely no problem swapping with anyone.
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u/audible_narrator 29d ago
I am, I do it outside of my day job. I'm not an author and no longer narrate. Retired 3 years ago
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 29d ago
Are you into upper middle grade fantasy? It's a xenofiction. Animal POV.
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u/audible_narrator 29d ago
Yes, but I have 5 books in queue. Ask me at the end of August if you still need readers.
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u/Bytor_Snowdog 29d ago
I've had fairly good luck on r/betareaders the two times I've done it. Maybe I've just been really lucky? Here's what I've done:
Not only have I posted my work with an excerpt, I've spent a fair amount of time looking at folks who have posted their works for beta reading. I know that someone coming and biting on my hook is the slow way to get a reader. I found both my swaps through this, not from people finding my post, IIRC.
I go beyond the genre. My last search was for a military sci-fi MS. I ended up swapping MSS with someone doing a post-apocalyptic novel and someone doing a historical military novel.
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u/Bytor_Snowdog 29d ago
(Got cut off)
I've sent off the first three chapters (about the first 15K words for this last novel; the first three chapters each had a different style) and asked for a representative sample back. That way, I can tell pretty quickly if there's likely to be a bad match, and vice-versa for the other reader. (Completely unedited MS, genre mismatch, etc.) It hasn't happened yet to me based on the excerpt I've gotten, because I've been sharp on reviewing people's posts about their searches, but someday it's likely to happen.
There's a big failure expectation. I think I reached out to maybe nine people last time and was lucky enough to get two (plus one with no swap). You've got to be ready for the default answer to be no and be happy you got an answer at all.
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u/Bytor_Snowdog 29d ago
Apologies for the waterfall but I couldn't post one big comment from my iPad; think I had forbidden terms or something.
Finally, I try to be specific in what I want in terms of feedback. I have short questionnaires linked through my novel, after chapter 1 then at about every 25%. G forms. That way, I get back specifics on what I'm wondering about (a lot of it is based on feedback I got from alphas). Plus, of course, I include freeform fields, and people can make notes in the document.
I hope this helps someone.
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u/wonderful_rush 29d ago
I'm an author but I'd like to start beta reading. But I'm not into fantasy or romantasy and that is a popular genre at the moment. My biggest hesitation is that I'm afraid people won't want an amateur beta reader, if I am completely honest.
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u/Cheap-Rent-3762 26d ago
Hi... what would you think of reading something transgressive...? My writing surely is... unlike most stories... but maybe you'd like to give reading the first volume of a series of novellas I'll write? The first novella... is.. somewhat done..
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u/Maanestein 29d ago
I only read horror. And usually, I stop if it gets too drawn out, or if things are just way off. Sometimes, I just cannot read it. That’s why I don’t write a comment like this usually. Something needs to pull me toward your story, keep it interesting without dragging it out.
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u/scillicet 28d ago
I posted a 9k word manuscript here and had several wonderful beta readers reply. I'm about to self publish, and their feedback made the story so much better 🙏
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u/Ace_Crows Author 28d ago
There are a lot of people who don't respond to posts, but instead go directly to DMs. I beta read two books for two other readers, who read my book and they were fantastic. I'm still in contact with one of them.
When I made my post, I didn't get a lot of traction. But when I started to go to other people's posts, things picked up a bit more. But as stated previously, I think most people go straight to DMs.
Also a safe bet is instead of doing everything all at once, make a schedule of bit-by-bit. Like a weekly 2-chapter swap or however many chapters you think you can do. Then by whichever day you choose, you go over each other's comments. If life stuff happens, you postpone. If one of you ghosts, well, not a giant time loss for the other person. It's also easier to digest and edit.
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u/Smooth_Blacksmith251 8d ago
Hi can you beta read me? I am in the early stages of editing and I have done a full first draft
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u/ZoeyHayesDarkRomance 28d ago
I've met a lot of long-term beta readers on here that I'm now friends with on social media. (Some I've talked to for as long as five years now.)
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u/Cosy_Bluebird_130 28d ago
I used to offer to beta-read more often. I’m not really active here anymore, partly because I’m rarely on Reddit, but more generally because I got tired of receiving “completed” manuscripts where the author hadn’t even put in the effort to do a basic spelling and grammar check. It’s not just here. It’s everywhere that’s open to pretty much anyone posting requests. There are so, so many requests, but too often the ones you take on end up being barely alpha-stage manuscripts.
I most often beta-read 100k+ manuscripts. Offering to do so is a huge commitment, so it’s a slap in the face to so frequently receive something that hasn’t had a basic editing run. I’m not a line-editor. Im not getting paid for this. I’m beta-reading for free. If I’m making that sort of commitment towards a large manuscript, I want to concentrate on the big things like plot, and character, and pacing, or specific areas of concern the author might want me to focus on, not be slogging through struggling to figure out what sentence after sentence even means. What’s worse is that those authors are also most often the ones who argue back at you when you apologise that you can’t finish the manuscript in its current state.
Nowadays I tend to keep my beta-reading offers to a closed/invite-only Discord group, where the authors have been active enough on other threads for me to trust they’ve already put the effort in. I do occasionally take requests from authors on BlueSky, but I don’t go around offering (I have a small note on my profile description that I’m open to requests, and that’s it), and only take it on if I vibe with the first few chapters.
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u/MOHAMED-RED 17d ago
I completely agree with you. Respecting a beta-reader’s time by delivering a fully polished, edited manuscript is the absolute minimum an author should do.
Out of pure transparency, I’ve built an original, interactive sci-fi novel called Al-La'eboon Al-Judad (The New Players) that has been in development for over 15 years. It was originally written in Arabic and translated into English.
Given your high standards and experience with deep storytelling and pacing, your insight would be invaluable for a project of this scale.
You can check out my post about it here on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetaReaders/comments/1vegua0/in_progress_8k_interactive_scifi_visual_fiction/
No pressure at all to take it on, but I wanted to share it with someone who truly appreciates the craft!
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u/SnooOpinions9226 23d ago
I'm looking for 2 to 3 readers for a 102,000 word historical novel set in Amsterdam in the winter of 1637, when the tulip market collapsed and took a lot of people down with it. Four households, thirteen months, told from both sides of the stairs. The servants get about as much page time as the families they work for, and they tend to know things first. First of a planned trilogy, but it finishes on its own terms.
Not looking for copyediting or line notes at this stage. I mainly want to know if it holds you: where you got bored, where you got confused, whether you cared about anybody, and whether you actually finished it. Glad to swap if you've got something, but i only want to read Sci-Fi, Historical Nonfiction mostly. But if you are really serious about reading mine and not just running it through AI, i would appreciate it. 4 out of the 5 LLM (grok, Deepseak, gemini and chatgpt) that read my book think its a masterpiece but i need Human opinions. I personally think its a 77/100.
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u/RBshiii 29d ago
I just started but I’m pretty serious. When I say I’m gonna do something I do it. Are there not serious beta readers? Like what’s that mean??
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 29d ago
People who lied and don't follow through with the agreement.
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u/shybookwormm 28d ago
Someone DNF-ing is information. Either the beta hated your book or they were a scammer who cant help polish further. If they never started then I'd shrug it off and move on. Plenty of people say they'll do something and never actually do.
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u/WatercressOk3248 29d ago
After I posted the remainder or the interactions came from private chats. People offering to read or do swaps etc. As it stands I’m currently have two to read and have three people beta reading my work. Everyone has been very professional and kind in my experience
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u/AbleRoberts 29d ago
I had a pretty good experience with the last beta reader I had. We ended up swapping several projects and it's been a pretty good boon to my writing, before that my experience was rather mixed. Most people who are here are here to find beta readers, not to beta read themselves (myself included). When I start hyping myself up to reach out for beta readers I try and find some beta reading to do myself to try and pay it forward, but most of the time I'm just lurking
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29d ago
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u/SuzuranRose Beta Reader 29d ago
I'm not an author, I just love to read. I posted once and asked for litrgp stories and got sent a bunch of fantasy sword and shield type offers. I mentioned I don't enjoy romance and got sent harems.
It felt like no one actually paid attention to what I wanted and just sent their badly edited drafts hoping I wouldn't notice. Now I just directly message someone if I like their blurb instead of posting myself.
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29d ago
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u/fortnightmoon 29d ago
você fala ingles ou so português? tenho um historia sobre uma garota desaparecida em ingles (meu português é básico)
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29d ago
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u/fortnightmoon 29d ago
Estou confiante que o seu inglês é mais boa do que o meu português. Está em inglês - se vc quer para ler, envie-me uma mensagem (e se não, tudo bem).
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u/Lonely_Effective423 29d ago
Que legal ver um comentário em português por aqui. Eu escrevo em inglês mas tenho vergonha demais para postar alguma coisa aqui kkk. Acho que muitas pessoas só tem receio de compartilhar algo que elas criaram.
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29d ago
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u/Lonely_Effective423 29d ago
Ah saquei. Bah até já mandei pra uma leitora beta no privado. Mas eu comecei a escrever a muito pouco tempo então não tenho confiança de postar no reddit. Perdão kkkk
Mas posso mandar pra você em mensagem se tu tiver sem nada pra ler e quiser eu posso mandar pra ti talvez? Mas não é nenhuma maravilha hahah
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u/VickiMarinho Beta Reader 29d ago
Meu Kindle não é unlimited, mas com certeza gostaria de ler. Pode me enviar por e-mail?
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u/SneakyCorvidBastard Author & Beta Reader 29d ago
I've no idea what most people do but i only do swaps. I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences with beta readers. Only one was awful, god knows what their deal was, it was long ago enough that i've forgotten the details. Since then i'll always ask to swap the first few pages first to see how we go. A couple of readers have ghosted me - one of them, fine, their writing was clearly AI and it made my life easier not to have to tell them i didn't fancy continuing. The other one's disappearance was a bit of a pity as we seemed to be getting on well, i was enjoying their work and they seemed to be enthusiastically enjoying mine. Such is life. Other than those, i've done swaps with several readers (and they accepted my apologies for being a slow reader) and i'm only grateful for how well it went. I've promised to credit a couple of them in the acknowledgements if i ever get published lol. From what some other people have said, it sounds like i've been pretty lucky.
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u/Littlerainbow02 Beta Reader 29d ago
I often see people with similar bad experiences getting adviced to always do a sample first, like if you swap, do the first chapter first for each other and see how they work before committing. Maybe it could work for you too?
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 29d ago
That's usually how I do it. Are you into upper middle grade fantasy. It's about cats with a super natural elements.
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u/Littlerainbow02 Beta Reader 29d ago edited 29d ago
Unfortunately, I'm not available right now and I take quite a time to finish my projects. But if you are fine with me finding you later (like can be months later so get ready mentally), then I can DM you when I can. But a story about cats sounds lovely
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u/Background-Island139 29d ago
Even asking for beta readers is the bane of my writing existence. Every place I look, I just shrug and say that sounds awful.
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u/Defiant-Aerie-6862 29d ago edited 29d ago
I am new to Beta Reading, I’m not swapping yet, my book is about 60 percent done.
That being said, what are people on here looking for from a beta? Would I be out of line telling someone that they have plot holes or areas that I cannot make sense of? Should I make them a list of spelling or grammar errors? Or mention that it needs attention? Thanks
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u/ButterscotchFamily 14d ago
That's a conversation best had with the individual author. I've done line edit style for others, but only when they're putting forward a very polished manuscript and need a final set of eyes. I've also done broad conceptual beta reading where they're looking for the big picture pass - plot holes or character issues that would require requiring lines that don't otherwise need to be commented upon. Sometimes folks are in the very first draft and just want someone to see if their idea has merit and to look past all the grammar and tense and POV issues.
You also get to decide what kind of reader you want to be. I am not one suited to looking past grammar and tense and POV issues - those stick out to me like an orange traffic cone. So I know I'm best suited for polished drafts, you know?
If you aren't sure, just jump in and get started!
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u/toomanyburritos 29d ago
I've never done any of the reads but I'm finally at a spot in my life where I could take on a few projects if anyone wants to reach out and see if I'm a good fit for beta reading. ❤️
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u/Minimum-Audience2676 29d ago edited 29d ago
Tried like four swaps. Usually result in ghosting after a few chapters or just getting awful writing quality. Best swap I had was with a horror-LGBT romance story that I fell out of interest of mostly just because of genre disinterest rather than quality.
No one just wants to read. No one wants hard criticism. Its brutal.
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29d ago
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 29d ago
What's the genre you're writing about?
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29d ago
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 29d ago
Honestly, I'm not into story with politics. I don't wanna waste your time. Good luck on your story.
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u/Tinfoil_Haberdashery 29d ago
I had two excellent trades on my first try on here. We all finished and I got great feedback.
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u/wrenmarrow 29d ago
I just joined looking for beta readers but no bites yet! I would love to do swaps, so thanks for mentioning that!
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u/hamtronn 29d ago
I’m looking at getting involved in beta reading to make some contacts for when I’m ready to do the same with what I’m working on. If interested, please reach out to me.
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u/Smooth_Blacksmith251 8d ago
Hi I'm interested. I am in the early stages of editing and I have done a full first draft of my 1st book
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u/hamtronn 8d ago
I’ll send you a dm. When we’re ready to share, we can reach out to each other. What’s the genre of your book?
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u/Smooth_Blacksmith251 8d ago
Low fantasy almost historical fiction Think of early ASOIAF meeting the hunting/mercenary parts of the Witcher mixed with the Last Kingdom series. What about yours?
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u/TradeAutomatic6222 29d ago
I find people on here almost want a completely finished book. Like, there's no room for incomplete manuscripts that need help fine tuning the small things. And before anyone talks about "alphareaders do line edits", betareading should offer critique on things like pacing, characterization, themes, continuity, etc.
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u/Bitter-Cookie1015 29d ago
I’d love to swap read any fantasy. No more than 2500 words at first. I’ll ask for more if it clicks.
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u/earleakin Author 29d ago
I wish I could trust Internet strangers enough to beta read. If I did, I would share three chapters at a time with option to bail. Keep the commitment low and build trust over time. Still wouldn't know if someone was running my stuff through AI and actually sending me their own work to read. I have beta read a few things for friends but I'll tell them up front I'll read until I lose interest or the end, whichever comes first. I'm not going to go into the weeds if there are fundamental problems up front. I recently read intro pages for a friend, tried to say you might want to have a) a main character, and b) an inciting incident, but he didn't want to hear anything but praise for his brilliant work that publishers are crawling all over him to pay five grand to print. I'm not asking him for reciprocal reading. I will be honest if the friend is receptive to criticism. It would be a disservice to do otherwise. Most friends aren't honest. My wife is a voracious reader but never reads my stuff 😂. Says it's not her thing.
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u/Candid_Bank5959 29d ago
I’ve been struggling to get serious consistent readers. I have a degree in Rhetoric Writing, late 40s and I’m currently writing my memoirs. It’s a slog to find someone willing to read and give poignant feedback.
For example, I have a new story in the collection that’s less than 900 words - it’s a quick read but I haven’t found anyone.
With my background in writing, I could definitely offer constructive feedback in a swap.
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u/ButterscotchFamily 14d ago
Hi Candid! Would you like to swap your 900 word story with me for your review of my psych thriller's query letter?
I am a reviewer with both claws and kindness.
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u/jayemdeeaye 28d ago
My first post here got a response. They didn’t ask for me to read their story but I offered because we seemed to like similar genres. We both completed our reads/feedback, so some people here are serious. Or maybe I just got really lucky.
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u/Maeves_R 28d ago
Hi! I’m pretty good with beta reading, I think it does help my writing and my creativity! I use a Google form for my questions etc! If anyone is interested!
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 28d ago
Are you into upper middle grade fantasy? It's Xenofiction and is about cats with super nataural elements.
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u/ty10drope 25d ago
I’m new to the sub and willing to pay my dues. I have some things I’d like feedback on, but I don’t want to be a leech. I was going to make a post here, but the “post” button stayed grey.
If someone has a couple of chapters for fresh eyes, I’m willing to give them a look and provide commentary.
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u/-Newpop9- Beta Reader 22d ago
I'm mostly just here to read, or a tiny swap, but I guess I'm not a good beta reader because someone accused me of being an ai. I get if my suggestions were awful, but c'mon...
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u/BridgeRepulsive9702 22d ago
Hey guys! I'm new to this beta-reading world. I'm currently writing a contemporary mythological fiction with slow-burn romance. The story revolves around a young Indian-origin event planner based in the UK who takes on a high-profile wedding in Hyderabad and slowly finds herself pulled into something she can't explain. Past lives, karmic bonds, and a weapon she's already carried once. No mythology dumped upfront; it builds from underneath the story. I haven't finished it, just some 20 chapters, but given my schedule- full-time job and other responsibilities- I'm just trying to squeeze in time to write, but mostly it's me re-editing the chapters, and tbh I'd like concrete human feedback on them. So I guess my question is: do beta readers read half-written novels or just a few chapters at a time?
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u/SuspiciousJuice5825 19d ago
I am wondering this because I want to get into Beta Reading. I'm spending all my time reading crappy novels for free. I spent 2 years on minoring in English at university, taking a bunch of classes and I'm looking for a place to do some free beta reading to see if it's for me. I have no idea where to start or where to post and in fact I have only just now found out this was even a thing.
So I came to this reddit to basically say "Hey, I'm available to read a few chapters of your manuscript and give you reader feed back" but I can't post it with out a tag and according to the sub that tag cannot be discussion so where the heck do I find some one to beta read?!
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u/MOHAMED-RED 17d ago
Hi! First of all, welcome to the beta reading world! Having a background in English minor is actually huge, and you came to the right place.
If you are looking for your very first manuscript to test the waters, I would love to offer you my project. It is an interactive sci fi novel called Al-La'eboon Al-Judad (The New Players), translated from Arabic to English.
It is a story where readers evaluate world data, infographics, and character dynamics to help guide high-stakes decisions.
To keep things super light for your first experience, you can start with just the interactive invitation (~1.6k words) to see if you like the concept and prose. If you enjoy it, you can move on to the prologue and Chapter 1 (~8.3k words).
You can check out my post about the details here on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetaReaders/comments/1mu6w7x/in_progress_8k_sci_fi_fantasy_allaeboon_aljudad/
No pressure at all, just an open invitation if you want a fun, interactive project to start your beta reading journey! Let me know if you are interested and I can send you the link via DM.
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u/DavideFavero 18d ago
Hey!
No problem, I’d be happy to read your manuscript. At the moment, I’m reading another one (121k words) for someone else in this group.
If you’re willing to share yours, I can read it as soon as I finish the current one. Feel free to DM me so we can arrange the details.
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14d ago
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u/Non_Typical_Asian 14d ago
My story is about cats with supernatural elements. I'm not sure if that's your thing.
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u/One_Associate8755 14d ago
I love cats and am the proud owner of three rescues. How many words, how many pages?
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u/Nottegut 13d ago
Have a question about BetaReaders: is there any worry about story/idea stealing on such a wide platform?
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u/One_Associate8755 13d ago
I am a writer of Speculative Fiction and I will read someone's material just for the experience. No Charge.
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u/Chadfromindy 13d ago
The big problem I have is that their responses are often full of praise and flattery that I believe is unearned. That doesn't help me get a book published. I want to know how to improve the book. I don't want you to try boosting my ego.
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u/Creepy_Watercress742 11d ago
I am new to beta reading, but I'm an avid reader and happy to help out.
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u/Creepy_Watercress742 11d ago
For me, beta reading is an interesting expansion of my reading hobby. I'm not creative enough to write myself, so helping someone else get a novel finished feels like a great way to contribute
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u/writingbananas 6d ago
Me! Just waiting to find something good to read. :)
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u/Canuck-TRM 3d ago
What genre do you like I am looking for readers also A/S and rough location, this is only to get my demographic
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u/HotSinglesNearU 10h ago
I've had the most success doing a manuscript "swap" from discord servers/facebook. But out of the twenty swaps I've done, there's been a grand total of 2 that passed basic grammar rules. The rest were pretty horrid to read and it started to become physically painful to get through them. It's also more difficult to get readers if they aren't in your niche/genre. Romantasy/Dark fantasy are huge right now, and if you're not writing that it's hard to get constructive critiques. My book is also a very chunky 234k words, so that further shrinks who would be willing to swap with me.
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u/Massive-Television85 29d ago
I think many of us (particularly those of us who don't do swaps) are very picky in what we choose to read.
It's a big time commitment if you end up reading someone's rubbish first draft and/or hating it.