Beta Reader Group discussion
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Ordinarily users are only allowed to bump once per month, but she has special permission to repost some reviews to help build back up her verification thread.
My most sincere apologies to Esther. Thanks everybody,
Lisa
Thank you, Liz.I appreciate this and the permission.
Trisha Lowe said‘I recently had the pleasure of working with Esther as a beta reader for my novel Do Unto Others, and I can confidently say that her feedback was invaluable. Her insight was not only thorough but also incredibly thoughtful. One of the things I appreciated most was how she provided notes after reading every two chapters. This gave me the unique opportunity to understand exactly what a reader might be thinking and feeling as the story unfolded. This was a perspective I simply couldn’t get as the writer since the complete vision of the story had already lived in my mind before I began writing. The information in this part of her report was crucial for me and truly helped to deepen my understanding of the reader’s experience.
As I went through her beta report, it felt like I was sitting across from a friend who was thoughtfully sharing her thoughts and opinions on the characters and plot I had created. It was such a valuable and comfortable way to engage with feedback.
In addition to her chapter-by-chapter notes, Esther also provided a comprehensive report at the end, covering her thoughts on the characters, suspense, and plot holes. Her critiques were spot-on, and many of her concerns were echoed by other beta readers, confirming the accuracy and importance of her feedback. All of her comments have been instrumental in helping me improve the novel during revisions.
Esther truly goes above and beyond in her role as a beta reader, offering detailed and thoughtful feedback that helps an author refine their story. I am so grateful to have found her here on Goodreads, and I highly recommend her services to any writer looking for a meticulous and insightful beta reader.’
Hamid Baig’s review:Esther provided me with one of the most thoughtful, detailed, and emotionally invested reviews I have ever received. She did not just read the manuscript; she lived it, responding to the characters as if they were people she knew personally. Her feedback was clear, passionate, and constructive, striking a balance between praise and honest critique in a way that any author would find invaluable.
What impressed me most was how deeply she engaged with the emotional arcs, laughing, getting frustrated, even taking breaks because the tension felt so real. That kind of raw reader response is a gift for a writer. Esther also has a sharp eye for pacing, continuity, and character motivation, and she communicates it all in a friendly, accessible tone.
I wholeheartedly recommend her as a beta reader to any writer who wants more than surface-level feedback. She gives you her time, her empathy, and her full attention. A true professional with the heart of a passionate reader
Samuel White’s review: Esther's beta-reading feedback was phenomenal. I went to several beta readers for Part 1 of my political fantasy novel (Beneath the Arc of the Sun), and her review was far and away the most in-depth. She left real-time reactions in the margins, which was really fun to follow. Then, her report was 28 pages long, with detailed reactions to every few chapters, followed by an overall review of the work and analysis of the characters from her unique perspective.
Her review style is casual, emotional, and clever-she even used my in-world lingo in her reactions, which shows she really engaged with the story.
She demonstrated a deep understanding of the plot and characters and if anything was confusing, she let me know), and she picked out layers and subtext that I hadn't even realized I put in there. As a writer who's read these chapters a hundred times over myself, it can be hard to imagine how a reader might react to the twists and turns for the first time, so it was extremely insightful and rewarding to read Esther's reactions.
She offered a lot of praise for the novel, which was of course appreciated, but it was her profound ability to present the work back to me through the eyes of a reader that made it worth every penny and more. Cannot recommend enough.
Alisa said:I just wanted to come on here and say how happy I am with Esther's reading and report on my book! I have a 124,000 word fantasy novel and Esther read it in about a week and a half. Her comments were much appreciated and fun to read, as they provided so much insight and clarity into her thoughts.
What really brought me joy was her report of my book- it was THOROUGH and holy heck, it was fun to read! She pointed out inconsistencies I've missed and gave me honest feedback on the characters she liked, and ones she didn't. She didn't hold back. I loved it. I also loved that every two chapters got their own mini report, filled with what she anticipated next, what she predicted that did or didn't come true, and what her genuine thoughts on my characters' actions were.
I feel like I got not only a detailed thought catalogue but someone who genuinely cares about my book and wants me to succeed.
Thanks, Esther!
James Hadley-Grave’s review:ANYONE WANTING TO KNOW WHETHER TO USE ESTHER AS A BETA READER READ BELOW!!!
I cannot recommend her enough. I just had a round of 10 beta readers (a mixture of paid and volunteers) and by far her in depth feedback outshined the others.
She comments along side of the manuscript so you can see her reactions in "real time". She also
"brain dumps" her feelings and thoughts after every 5 chapters which helped me hugely as I got a sense of my readers raw emotions and questions throughout the story.
She also provides an in depth analysis of the characters, plot, world building and pacing. I gave all my beta readers a questionnaire and she answered these questions in depth.
She really does go "all in" and I was blown away by her work.
I am confident that her feedback has brought my manuscript a big step closer to getting published.
Thank you so much Esther <3
Kay’s review:When I first came across Esther's post, I had already hired some beta readers, but something told me to contact her anyway. And from the first email I sent, I knew there was a reason my gut told me to contact her. Simply put, she's one of the best beta readers I had the pleasure of working with. Out of my first round of beta readers, she's the only beta reader I re-hired and I really want other authors to hire her too, because you'll be getting such an amazing reader who will strengthen your manuscript and who doesn't slack off.
Her first email to me was not only fast, but very enthusiastic and nice. It eased my fear of using beta readers, and I smiled after being so terrified.
When I received my report and notes back, I was shocked by how early she had sent it to me. She got it done fast, but unlike some beta readers I've encountered in this group, I can tell she actually read it and didn't skim and try to give choppy feedback to make it look like she did. She gave so many in-line comments that documented how she reacted as a reader, not an editor, which was so helpful. I laughed and smiled at so many of her comments. But what amazed me even further is how she gave her thoughts on the book as she read it AND did in-line comments at the same time.
I honestly got phantom hands cramps reading all her notes because she was going into so much detail I couldn't imagine how long she was staring at her screen and typing! Her notes totaled about twenty pages and she didn't even charge as much as others who gave me less feedback and in-line comments. But that's why she needs to be hired; she goes into a lot of detail during the read and then AFTER the read too! She gave me notes on the plot, pace, characters, ending, etc. She examined the manuscript from all angles. And what I really love is she gave me her perspective and thoughts instead of trying to "fix" my story. Even when she was confused or didn't like something, she did it in a reader's way instead of trying to say, "you should do this instead." In my opinion, and as a reader myself, readers don't pick up books from the store and read them looking for ways to fix the story, so beta readers shouldn't do that either. They should read it like they bought it.
Esther did that and gave so many comments. It really impressed me.
Her in-line comments were amazing. When she had strong feelings after a character did something, she wrote it out and gave paragraphs of her thoughts and emotions, but that's what I wanted! She was getting into the story and responding in real time. I re-read her notes over and over because they helped me a lot with my weaknesses. And she answers all my follow up emails and questions.
She also impressed me with how much she remembered my characters, plot points, and story long after she read it. It made me feel like she takes her job seriously but also has a strong passion for reading. She also was so open-minded and adapted to my non-western story structure and read an article i sent her. That meant so much to me as someone who was so terrified to send out something readers may not be used to. She took it on with respect and consideration and offers me so much support even after she was done with my manuscript.
Please hire her if you want high-quality feedback that gives you an excellent reader's reaction and report. I really think authors would benefit from working with Esther and she is getting an acknowledgement in my book for her hard work
Christian O’Dell said:‘Esther was the first person who laid eyes on my adult romcom so of course that initial feeling of criticism is nerve-racking. After getting her feedback which consisted of a 40+ page report and in line comments, I was laughing, giggling, and wide-eyed as she gave me so much to think about my manuscript. As an author it's hard to detach myself from my stories as the writer so I'm not able to look at it with
"fresh eyes" no matter how much time I take away from it. The critical lens in which she broken down my book and asked questions | didn't think about only strengthened the novel to its final form. Her feedback also has a casual feel to it so it was almost like texting a friend back and forth to know what's working and what's not.
I'm more than pleased to have had the opportunity to work with her because not only did she give me a major confidence boost in my writing but helped me zoom out and in when needed to complete the full picture/arcs of my characters and the story as a whole. If you have any hesitations let this be your sign to pull the trigger! ( mean that in a metaphorical sense because some of ya'll crazy just FYI). When I work on my next WIP I will certainly be back!’
K.C Brown’s review:Esther recently beta read my 100K
word YA fantasy. She really went above and beyond in her response. She wrote a report of more the 15K words which followed the manuscript chapter by chapter, not repeating plot points but describing her reactions, questions, emotions to events and characters. It gave me an excellent view into how one reader understood the story.
It's clear that she paid close attention to the storyline and understood how various plot points and themes connected across chapters.
She also provided thoughts on the main characters, pacing, worldbuilding, readability, and suspense. I've got a good understanding of what works and what needs work. In addition, she annotated the manuscript with over 100 comments that reflect on specific lines of text.
I'm very pleased to have had her read and provide insight into the work.
Kate Beaumont’s review:So, I think what's really important to know about Esther is that she is not only very kind, and fun, but able to make your stories better. She was able to point out character inconsistencies, opportunities for more desciprtions and forced me to face the bane of my existence: the logic of the lore that I made up in my own head. The suggestions she provided for my debut novel have been crucial to the development of the overall story.
She is a HYPE girl, too, which was really important for me at the stage I was at in my writing. She made me believe in myself. Her rates are beyond reasonable for the services she offers. I loved her thoughtfulness, attention to detail and honestly, her comments made me laugh and sometimes sit back and be like "Huh, what a weird thing I wrote" hahah
I still have the thorough report she provided and I will review it when I need to go back and see how far I've come in my writing journey.
Thank you, Esther. I am grateful you are a part of my journey to become an indie author. I cannot wait to hear your comments for my next book
I’m Esther Kumo!
This is a new thread I’m creating to advertise my services again as something unfortunate happened to the previous one, so I’m starting all over!
I’m still your emotional beta reader who will randomly send you mails to rant, befriend your characters and read more than just words while embracing your story fully.
I read all genres except horror, so hit me up!
These are the services I offer when beta reading!
In-line comments and reactions as I read the manuscript.
I have a separate document that has my full and detailed report.
My reports are detailed as I give you feedback after every two chapters. You’ll see me ranting, being emotional sometimes and telling you exactly what I think about those chapters until the end of the story. So you get my unfiltered reaction (see it as me giving you a full reader’s experience where you journey with me through the story).
I’ll answer any extra questions you might have to the best of my knowledge, so you can drop your questions alongside your manuscript when you’re ready.
I’ll give you my thoughts and feedback on the characters, worldbuilding, pacing, suspense and tension, after thought of the story and any observations I have while reading. If there are plot holes, I’ll make sure to point them out too.
I’ll make corrections on your typos and punctuation errors if need be and if you won’t get offended by them.
And lastly, when your story is published on Goodreads, I’ll rate your book and leave reviews too to help you as one of the first readers of your book.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me through my email- kelkumo111@gmail.com