Beta readers are an invaluable resource for indie authors. Because we are doing all the work ourselves we tend to get basically blind to what our story actually says.
​
See, we write the book. This is usually a rather messy and unedited version, which you couldn't pay us to let someone read. I won't say this is the easy part, but as an author it is actually the fun part. 

Then we go back and check the spelling and grammar, re-reading each line and correcting errors as we go.Next we go through and make sure we have the conversational aspect right. Gotta have the quotation marks, and make it clear who is speaking.After that we go through and put in chapter headings, which also requires another read through to know where the best place to separate the text is going to be.The next step is to go through and make sure all the spacing is right and the pages line up correctly. For example the Table of Contents page, created using the chapter headings shouldn't necessarily have a page number and the end of the table of contents shouldn't be at the top of the prologue page. There is a lot of formatting and spacing to go over.Finally when we think it's perfect we do another read through to make sure that we didn't miss anything. Guess what? We did and we will miss it again because we no longer see the actual words on the pages. We've breathed these words for weeks or months, we've been over them time and time again to make sure the story line lines up, to make sure all the ends are tied up neatly and we will so easily miss a typo such as tish. (this) Yep, it happens. Our fingers move faster than they should sometimes, we think ahead while we type and no matter how many times we may read over it, we see the word this as it should be because we know that is what is supposed to be in that space. 

This is why we need fresh eyes and interested readers. If an author asks you to beta read a book they are asking you to read their story and let them know what you think. But, they also want you to note any typos, any timeline errors, or stuff that just doesn't make sense. 

I am currently seeking beta- readers for my first Underbridge County book, Out of the Box. You don't have to be and English major to be a beta reader, you just have to be able to read and make notes of things that are so wrong they catch your attention and pull you out of the story or leave you with questions that aren't answered by the end of the book. If you are interested please shoot me an email mckoysd@gmail.com  the beta read for Out of the Box will be delivered to betas on April 2, and I need them back by midnight on April 10. The book goes live on Amazon on April 21. 
​