Indie Book Club discussion

I know some charge for Beta Readers, and I've been fortunate enough to be a Beta Reader for several authors here, but in case you need one, or else are volunteering, do so here!

I am a somewhat experienced beta reader. I always enjoy getting a look at a book before the general public.

Donations accepted lol.

I do beta readings, as long as I have time on my schedule.

I might be looking for one later this year. Do you 3, Jeffrey, Scott and Tricia, have restrictions on what you will read? My WIP is Speculative Fiction.

I like a wide variety of stories. The easiest thing for me to do is state what I don't like reading...

1. Super dark blood & guts fantasy
2. Werewolves & vampire stories.
3. Erotica
4. Not a huge fan of coming of age stories.

That being said, there are always exceptions to every rule. I've read several stories with werewolves that I liked (thanks, Janet!), and have read a select few vampire stories that I liked. I think the pattern with me is if you have a vampire or werewolf in minor roles then it should be ok. Major roles and I'll probably steer clear.

Big J

I usually pick books on a case by case basis. Keep me informed and I'll be happy to give it a closer look when you get it to that point.

Good to know, thanks. I'll look you up when the final draft is done.

Does anyone here read romance? Not erotica or erotic romance, in this instance, but genre romance. I can't afford to pay a beta reader, but I am having the hardest time finding beta readers for two novellas. They are both only about 25K words. One is sci-fi/romance and the other is kind of fantasy/romance. (The latter is a modern Beauty and the Beast story. It could be considered YA in some ways, but it wasn't meant to be.)

So... anyone? *crickets*

Mia, my wife is interested in the fantasy/romance story. She's really not into sci-fi so much, but she likes fantasy.

That would be awesome. Thank you to your wife! I'll add it to the email I'll be sending you about the interviews. If it makes any difference, the sci-fi is fairly light. I'm not good at the hard tech stuff, it's more character driven, but I've had a couple readers on that one and, like, none on the B&B/Fantasy one.

I'm expecting my folks to pick me up at any minute, so I will email you when I get back! Thank you again!

Hello all. I'm looking for a few beta readers for my upcoming sci-fi novel, Secrets of a Universe: The Mindkey Project. My editor, Tricia Kristufek told me to see if any of you fine folks would help out.
:)

Quite possibly. Add a blurb in the Self Promo section so you can tell everyone about your book!

Will do. Thanks Jeffrey.

I'm always looking for a good beta reader. I have a lot of volunteers but unfortunately, I need just a little bit more feedback than "LOVE this!" "So good" or my favorite.......crickets.
I think our friends not in the business don't understand that though these our like our babies and pets, we need advice on how to raise them.

Thrills me to death to mention this, but I'm about ready to look for Beta Readers. Scott, are you still interested?

If you need any more, I'd be happy to help. :D

Really? I may take you up on that! The more opinions I have the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks!

Definitely! Just shoot me an email if you'd like me to read it. :)

Will do! Thanks, Mia!

Jeffrey wrote: "Thrills me to death to mention this, but I'm about ready to look for Beta Readers. Scott, are you still interested?"

Of course I am! Just let me know when and what you need and I'm in.

Hello, it's me again. I'd like to thank Jeremy for the great job he did stomping out some bugs from my books.

Now, I've published another silly book and I'm looking for some beta readers

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

However, be warned that it's a superhero parody, and you may need to have a very keen sense of humor to handle it. Please PM if interested and I'll issue a Smashwords coupon so you can download a copy...

I posted this in the editorial thread and it was suggested I post here:

I'm looking for some extra eyes to look over my 2nd book before I publish it.

I've proofread it twice myself, but I learned from my 1st book how many things I miss, even after reading it roughly 6 times.

What I would like is 2-3 people willing to just highlight and mark-up a .pdf of my 2nd book and send it back to me. Anyone willing to do this for me would have my thanks. You could even just do part of the book if you want. Anything anyone would be willing to go over would be appreciated.

What editing am I looking for? Grammar, punctuation, general proofreading. Making sure I have the right words. Anyone who wants to comment on the flow and continuity on the story as well is more than welcome.

If someone does edit the whole thing and would like to, I'd be willing to add their names as editor when I publish to Amazon and B&N.

I hope this request isn't seen as a scoff on the professionals in this thread, I simply have no money to spare. I'm dealing with moving in January and starting Graduate school.

Anyways, thanks in advance to anyone willing to spend their freetime reading/editing my work. If you're interested in doing me this favor go ahead and shoot me a message.

Here is a brief 2 line blurb. It isn't great because it is literally my first shot at a blurb for the book lol.

"Fury" book 2 of the sci-fi/fantasy seris: The Ghost Wars Saga:

With the aid of the Great Dragon, Destor Rudir has returned to seek vengeance on his brother, Cuzak. King Cuzak, ruler of the Kingdom of Specter on Earth, must once again fight for the survival of his people against his corrupt and traitorous brother.

Justin, if I understand you correctly, you're looking for Beta Readers willing to take notes as they read and then report back to you?

Usually when I beta read I'll keep my eyes open for typos, general continuity, plot holes, etc. In no way do I consider myself an editor. I'd volunteer, but my schedule right now would prevent me from giving you any specific timeline for finishing. A huge number of my clients just came back into town (I'm a computer tech), I'm hard at work on my fourth book, and trying to adjust my household to accomodate a third person living here, so it's crazy. :)

I hope you find someone that can help!

Big J

Seeking Beta readers for a murder mystery thriller set in Sonoma County. An investigation into wine & cheese and murder. Please let me know if you'd like to read.
77,700 words. 30 chapters. Tight.

Peter - my wife wants to read it! Can you send me an ePub?

No e-pub yet. Word format now. next week?

Sure! That'll work!

I'm looking for an American...

...to read what is possibly a very English story. Not after an in-depth critique or proofreading (but please feel free to pass on any mistakes you do spot :)), really I just want a feel for is it accessible to a US audience, given that it's written for a UK one. It's already been through a beta cycle, so what I'm primarily looking for is a cultural perspective.

The book is 92,000 words in 47 chapters, Post-Apocalyptic/YA. See my self-promo thread for blurb and a link to the first chapter. I can supply mobi, epub or Word format. Only able to offer a mention in the credits though.

Let me know if you're interested. :)

I'd like to volunteer as a beta! I particularly enjoy dystopians/speculative fiction/sci fi/fantasy/literary. Because nerd. ;)

My email is amberbutler ZERO FIVE AT gmail DOT com if anyone wants a beta (but be warned - I'm honest, lol.)

You can read the first few pages of my book on Amazon, if you want some sort of skill reference to see if I would be good enough to beta your book. :)

Here's the link (I'm not trying to self promote, honestly, I can't paste sample chapters anywhere else because of the new ToS with Amazon.)

Just hit "click to look inside" and you can read and see if my skill level is up to par with what you're looking for. :)

(I found out the (very) hard way to scan betas before I used them, haha.)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Burning-Che...

Tim wrote: "I'm looking for an American...

...to read what is possibly a very English story. Not after an in-depth critique or proofreading (but please feel free to pass on any mistakes you do spot :)), reall..."

Hi! :) I'm an American, and I love YAPA. (I've never seen that acronym used, and I now love it.) You can email me (email in the post above) I'd love to beta. As an American. And lover of YAPA. (Sounds like the name of a tiny dog.) :)

Edited to add: I watch BBC, so I don't know if that would taint my "cultural perspective" or not. ;)

Hi Amber,
YAPA - Like!!!

Let me know what format you'd prefer and I'll fire it at your email.

You're calling it the BBC and not "Beeb" or "Auntie", so your cultural perspective can't be that tainted... ;)

HAHA! Ah. Auntie. Yes. I'm clearly an American who is just madly in love with Doctor Who and Sherlock and all things Stephen Fry. ;)

I prefer mobi, thanks! :)

Mobi it is. YHM.

There was a wonderful cultural reference in an old Dr Who, where the Dr and Ace walked into a room with a TV on in the corner, just as Dr Who was starting...

LOL I love when The Doctor gets meta. It makes me scream like a schoolgirl at my TV.

Hello everyone:

I am looking for a beta reader for my 2nd book.
Genre: YA fantasy/fairy-tale
Word count: 82.000
http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Hollow-F...

If interested, please email me at idblindauthor@gmail.com

Thank you all.

Hi! I'm Becca. I have a question for Betas. Is it common to read an excerpt of a book for a free preview?

The reason I ask is because I'm writing my second book and had the idea to release a free preview of the first four chapters. The book isn't finished and the preview is just over 18k words, but I would love feedback on the over all flow and what is thought of the story so far, without the release to the general public.

I personally don't see any reason against doing that. My only problem is would you want prospective readers to judge your book on an incomplete format? I personally won't ask for Beta Readers unless I give them the entire book, seeing how I need their opinion over the whole picture and not just a part of it.

You mention you were just hoping for some feedback? Like a writer's critique?

I have a novel I'm releasing in a few months. Interstellar war epic. I already have like 18 beta readers lined up... I may decide to give a few ebooks away I guess... I really haven't gotten that far in my thought processes...

Hi, my name is Evan. I am open to being a beta reader for scifi, urban fantasy, or high fantasy. I'm not averse to romance as long as they don't over whelm the story (a la Twilight). Let me know and I'll give you my info.

Hello!

I'm looking for a few people to be Beta Readers for my first novel, a Sci-Fi adventure called "Aliens in the Gift Shop."

I began writing it 18 months ago, and it has gone through three revisions - including a line edit by a professional freelance editor. So I feel confident I I have a well-crafted story.

I can't provide any compensation except my grateful appreciation.

If you are willing to give it a read/critique, please get in touch with me by using the contact form on my website:
http://demorris.morriswebsite.com/con...

Thank you!

Hi, I love to do some beta reading. I like YA, fantasy and erotica

Hi all,

I'm looking for a new beta reader to go through my second novel, The Aduramis Chronicles: Underworld. It's a sequel to Destiny of the Wulf.

A highly charged fantasy, with more action, adventure and baddies than you can shake a stick at.

It will be ~150,000 words and I'd like to be able to deliver it to interested readers immediately.

I'm particularly interested in what you liked or didn't like with the plot etc. Adiditonally any character or plot holes spotted.

It is undergoing a second draft and there may be slight errors. Please ignore, it's the plot I'm interested in.

Email me harrisonldavies@gmail.com or via goodreads with your email address and preferred format and I'll send a copy your way.

Positive feedback with constructive criticism welcomed, as is a review.

Thanks.

Harrison.

Hi all, I'm looking for beta readers for my international fiction novel, which is set in modern day Saudi. It is currently around 55K words. Here's a summary I used in my latest query to an agent:

Bassil, a middle aged Saudi, is a logical man. He’s a rational man. He does not allow emotion to cloud his judgment. His mettle is tested when he discovers that his wife is cheating on him with his best friend. But how is a logical man to react? He decides to have fun with it, until it ceases to be fun. He ends up being angry, but it’s okay, reader, for anger is not an emotion, it is the destroyer of emotions. His wife tells him she is pregnant, and he decides to vent his anger against her and her lover, but the question is, how?

Let me know if you're interested. My email is basheh.ameen@gmail.com

I am glad to offer my services as a beta reader. It's on a case by case basis but what I don't like follows:

No vampire or werewolf stories, period
No erotica
No romance
No YA

I can be emailed at bcbrownbooks@gmail.com for anyone still interested. Please put BETA READ REQUEST - (title of your book here).

Very soon I may need a beta reader. So head's up! It'll be for a general fiction novella-novel.

Thanks and BREAK A PEN!
BC Brown

Peter wrote: "Seeking Beta readers for a murder mystery thriller set in Sonoma County. An investigation into wine & cheese and murder. Please let me know if you'd like to read.
77,700 words. 30 chapters. Tight."

If you're still looking for betas on this, I am quite interested. Feel free to email me at bcbrownbooks@gmail.com

Thanks!

Hello!

I'm looking for beta readers for my new novel, RECKLESS ILLUSIONS. It's a romantic suspense, contemporary. 54,000 words.

Anyone interested?

Claude

hello, I am sitting on 3 books that need Beta Readers. 2 are paranormal romance, 1 is a full novel around 66k words, the other part of a serial/series and around 10k words then I have a dark horror. It's part 1 of a 9 part serial and around 10k words. would anyone be interested?

Hello, all!

I'm looking for beta readers for my latest novel, which should be ready for beta reading within a week or so.

Like my most recently published book, Division, it's near-future SF; and like Division, it uses that setting to explore personal relationships and issues of responsibility and identity.

In this future, a technology exists for recording the general outline, and emotional high and low points, of individual experience. One of its uses: to make criminals experience the suffering they've inflicted on their victims. But signs begin to surface that the recording process may reach deeper than previously thought. . . .

Against this backdrop, a sculptor, formerly a demolitions expert, is accused of planting a bomb that destroyed his own sculpture, killed fourteen people, and seriously injured the sculptor's wife. The police chief, a former rival for the wife's affections, is particularly ready to believe Arthur's guilt. Who will be forced to experience the wife's recorded anguish -- and where will that experience lead?

I'm hoping to receive reports from beta readers in time to review them and incorporate suggestions before a mid-to-late October 2014 publication date.

I don't pay cash for beta reading, but will happily provide a free ebook or paperback of the published book, when available.

If you're interested, please email me at kawyle@att.net (as I sometimes forget to check Goodreads messages), and I'll send you the draft and some questions. Thanks!

Karen A. Wyle

I love beta reading, message me about your book and I'll let you know if I'm interested.

This book is already published, but I'll message you about future books!

Hava wrote: "I love beta reading, message me about your book and I'll let you know if I'm interested."