Beta Reader Group discussion

Greetings debut enthusiasts!

While my scholastic background holds a degree from an accredited university with a major in accounting and information systems and a minor in literature, my practical experience outside the curriculum incorporates over a dozen betaed novel-size manuscripts since 2021. I'm also an avid indie author. My interests in literature incorporate all genres of fiction within nonhistorical/nonerotica context.

For a more complete listing of my literary ganders please check out my profile. In the last four years alone, I've tackled everything from steam punk to epic and speculative dark fantasy and sci-fi, and everything in between. I garner satisfaction from helping young debut authors with novel ideas, who just need a bit of an extra push in the right direction. I don't mind helping out with minor edits, but I do prefer to read manuscripts that are fairly polished and tell a complete story.

I am looking for my next review gig for after I finish this last round of beta-ing. Please DM me if you have a fairly finished manuscript and tell me all about your novel and wonderful ideas.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT MY ITINERARY IS NOW FULL AND I CAN'T ACCEPT ANY MORE BETA PROJECTS, AT THE MOMENT. IF YOU HAVE WORK THAT'S NOT IN A RUSH TO BE READ YOU CAN STILL DM ME WITH A SHORT SYNOPSIS***

I sent you a DM with information about my manuscript. Thank you for your consideration!

Hello FantasyMaven, I have a historical adult fantasy that's currently on the query trenches and I just want to get more feedback since I'm still not getting any requests. Here's the query:

Chieftain Lapulapu’s two wives both desire the other’s death. Possibly his as well.

He marries his second wife, Alunsina, the princess of aghoys, earning him bountiful harvests through their power over nature. He accomplished what nobody else in their archipelago could to earn their favor. He vanquished his island of aswangs, humans they cursed into beasts for crimes against nature, now mutated beyond control. But rumors spread that Lapulapu harbors those few tamed aswangs who could shapeshift back into humans. Of course, the chieftain denies them.

That’s why he could almost cut his own tongue after discovering his first wife Mayari has been hiding, right on his bed, as an aswang. Her allies secretly lured most of those beasts who couldn’t shapeshift back to humans off the island, hence Alunsina’s favor. Lapulapu’s whole victory is a lie. But his marriage to Mayari is out of love, not politics. Otherwise, he’d have executed her already.

With the aghoys now entangled around him, Lapulapu is forced by Mayari to convince Alunsina to sacrifice their powers and gift aswangs their full humanity back. But Alunsina’s kind will never yield. They will bury not only Mayari, but also Lapulapu, for conspiring with her. Thrust between two warring factions, he bribes her, sustains her disguise, anything to conserve Alunsina’s blessings. But Mayari’s allies tease their presence by burning what Alunsina holds dear the most—nature itself—driving Lapulapu to seek an aghoy sympathetic to Mayari, if one even exists.

At the height of their conflict, a conquistador named Magellan drops anchor in a mission to colonize the islands. With his fateful arrival, Lapulapu must decide—whether he’s for humans, aghoys, aswangs, or the whole archipelago.

Here's my first three chapters so you could check if this is up your alley: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C...

Let me know if you are interested, thanks! You could also contact me on jamespvictor96@gmail.com since I have a hard time getting notifications here.

I have a beta read just starting for Out of the Ashes: Book #1 of the After the fall Series. While I have a ton of "existing" readers who are in the beta, I'm a little short on people who haven't read any of the other 20 stories based in Elan. And yeah, you don't (or shouldn't) have to know anything about those other books to read this new one.

Here is a bit about it:

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER THE WORLD ENDS?

Following the destruction of the capital city of Percepliquis, this question plagued every Imperial citizen, but the choices made by three simple people will change the future forever. One decided she didn’t deserve to die. Another resolved to be the ruler he was meant to be. And the third went in search of a nefarious, wizard called Esrahaddon.

Visit the world of Elan in the last days of the dying Novronian Empire. Witness the destruction and turmoil of a fading dream but stay because there is one last hope that is trying to crawl . . . out of the ashes.

In this debut novel, a devotee of the New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author Michael J. Sullivan proves why Michael was wise to trust a complete unknown with his cherished multi-series saga. Through this first book in the After the Fall series, you’ll learn the truth about the day Percepliquis fell and witness the birth of a new literary star.

If you are interested, you can sign up for the beta here:
https://michaeljsullivan.survey.fm/ou...

My name is Mary and I have a manuscript for a novel called "Mullo". I am looking for beta readers to read and critique it, and I saw your advertisement in a Goodreads "Beta Reader Group". I would describe "Mullo" as historical fiction, horror, romance (LGBT). It goes back and forth between a story that takes place in the past and one that takes place in the present. Here is a blurb I wrote for it:

"THEN
In 19th century Romania, death is always just around the corner. Zorya, a Roma healer woman, knows this well. But when a stranger unexpectedly calls on her expertise, she, her husband, and her children, find themselves in a place they were once forbidden from entering. But even as their life becomes more stable and prosperous, it may only take one tragedy for things to fall apart."

"NOW
Nick Alicea isn’t having a bad day. He’s having a bad life. Stuck in a dead-end job, drowning in debt, and haunted by a tragedy from his past, he's struggling. So, when a chance encounter leads to a friendship with Mirza Durvari, a quiet doctor with a mysterious illness, Nick’s life starts to seem a little less bleak. But even as their relationship becomes more intimate, Nick is forced to ask himself: Who is Mirza Durvari?"

The entire manuscript is 125,000 words. Let me know if you are interested in beta reading.

Looking forward to hearing from you..

~Mary

Hi Fantasy Maven,

I have a multi-genre short story collection you may enjoy. It's a quick read (about 70 pages). I'm looking for feedback by the end of September. If you want to sample the writing, you can do it here.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17...

If you want to sign up to beta read, please do it here:

https://forms.gle/fWsjcCsibauFv8dS6

Thanks,
Andy

I’d just like to attest to Fantasy Maven’s skills as a beta reader. I first contacted her on this very site a couple of years ago, seeking feedback on a 130k speculative fantasy novel my writing partner and I had just completed. Fantasy Maven deep-dived, chapter by chapter—not only giving spot-on line editing suggestions, but also offering hyper-detailed feedback, always personalized with her own witty flavor.
I can’t express enough how vital feedback like this is for a budding author. It’s not just an analytical “yes, this works / no, this doesn’t.” It’s a genuine back-and-forth between two people who care deeply about story and craft. When something shines, she lets you know. When you’re almost there but shooting yourself in the foot, she lets you know that too. And if there’s ever a disagreement about the function of a scene or a bit of prose, she’s exactly the kind of reader/editor you want: clear, thoughtful, and always up for a respectful, adult discussion.
Fantasy Maven helped shape an entire manuscript with us and is now helping on my second. More than that, she’s become an incredible friend—someone I feel constantly inspired to share my work with. If you’re looking for a beta reader of the highest caliber, look no further.

I knew from the first weeks of beta-ing I'd be looking forward to leaving a review, and I'm glad I got my opportunity. I fully vouch for FantasyMaven1.
We know when the Rohirrim arrive, that's one of the biggest "cavalry incoming" moments in the history of stories, yes? That's a little what the beta reading stage is supposed to feel like. And that's exactly what it feels like with Fantasy Maven. That's a person who greatly respects what she does as well as your own work, and it shows. I've never seen anyone do such in-depth analyses of scenes before. It's invaluable, as a writer, to have access to someone else's view of how your story unfolds, to see exactly what stuck and didn't, what information you can tinker a little more with -- or cut back on -- and practically know exactly how close to your original vision you are. It's neat. It's very neat. And Fantasy Maven's summaries appended to the chapters are a work of genius in this regard. Filled with amazing honesty, insight, likes as well as dislikes, they're the most formidable weapon a beta can supply you with. Add to that the numerous rereads and number of notes pages to rival your own book's count, you can tell by yourself that she means business. And wonderful business at that. I consider myself very lucky that our paths have crossed, and I have learned much from her. We all can. Anyway, that's the gist of it -- I fully recommend my friend, may she always have the strength to rescue fledgeling writers and be the pillar we so dearly need.
This is a genuine person (Not to mention her sense of humor is nothing short of delightful, shh.) with solid knowledge of style, the cogs and gears of a plot and, what stood out the most to me -- continuity. She has an absolute keen eye for all of those. So, if your manuscript ends up in FantasyMaven1's hands, it is in the safest of hands.
(She's a treasure, in a nutshell.)

Hello, around two years ago I was looking for a beta reader for my sci-fi/ fantasy YA novel. I'd never had one before and this was the first novel I had written in which i was ready for a beta reader. Maven has set the standard for what I expect a beta reader to act like. Shes professional but caters the critique to the intensity you're looking for. For example, I wanted a thorough read through of my book Tendon and that's exactly what I got. Maven isnt afraid to critique or encourage and is willing to listen to your own feedback on their feedback. For a free service its to the standard of a professional and something I think people would be happy to pay for, though its clear that Maven does it for the love of reading new stories from new authors.

I can honestly say I'm triple the writer I was after working with Maven and cannot wait to work with them again.

10/10 beta reader, couldn't imagine anyone better!

FantasyMaven1 wrote: "Greetings debut enthusiasts!

While my scholastic background holds a degree from an accredited university with a major in accounting and information systems and a minor in literature, my practical ..."

I highly recommend Fantasy Maven as a beta reader. You can expect detailed, actionable, and honest feedback that will improve your story and make you a better writer overall. In an age where most so-called beta readers are just scammers running AI and trying to get you to sign up for their Fiverr gig, FM was a breath of fresh air!

FantasyMaven1 wrote: "Greetings debut enthusiasts!

While my scholastic background holds a degree from an accredited university with a major in accounting and information systems and a minor in literature, my practical ..."

I had the pleasure of working FantasyMaven1 as a beta reader and I would say it was the best thing that happened to my books. I'm a first time indie author who had bad luck with the first editors I paid as once they published my work, I got reviews about the mistakes found so I had to take my book out of commission and try again. That is when I found FantasyMaven1 and I will admit that I first wasn't too sure as I never worked with a beta reader. But FantasyMaven1 was amazing and even more than that she was so detailed with her feedback but more than that she genuinely loved my work so it was like getting to hear the opinion of a editor that wanted me to succeed instead of wanting to get pay and a reader that enjoyed my work and was a fan of my writing.

It was an amazing experience and as I reevaluate my writing journey I will always be grateful that I found her because made me a better writer.