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Beta Readers

I’m now at the stage of needing beta readers. I’ve just been for a wander around the Internet and now have a better idea of what a beta reader is in general and what I’m specifically looking for.

The term beta reader is an adaptation of the software term beta tester. This is the first external test of a piece of software and that’s what I’m looking for here. A small group of readers who will test out my novel and tell me if it works, in broad terms. I’ve been through it several times and have caught *most* of the typos, although some always escape. I’m not after a line by line edit as these are time consuming for both of us, and IMHO not worth it unless the editor is offering to sign a contract for representation or publication!

What I would appreciate would be some honest reviews. The kind of thing you might see on Amazon or Goodreads would be a good starting point. The point of the exercise is to see if the big things work. So things like is the voice consistent, are the characters believable, does the setting work, does the plot hold together are what I need to know. Of course, any typos, factual errors or inconsistencies will be gratefully received!

So, if you’d be willing to beta read, please get in touch to request a copy and let me know what format you’d like to read it in. Also, it is a 66,000 word novel so will need a bit of time to read and then feedback on. I’ve put all this information into a blog post as I keep in contact with different people in different ways. Please note that if I get lots of requests, I won’t send out to everyone. I’ll be trying to build a consensus from all the reviews so I don’t want to get swamped. Finally, thank you for reading this far, and especially if you offer to be a beta reader.

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