Eliza David's Blog - Posts Tagged "beta-readers"
Ways To Make The Rewrite Stressful: Beta Readers
I have completed the rewrite on the first eight chapters of Cougarette in the Country and now I am beginning to think about who I'd like to read them. Time to choose a beta reader!
It's an exciting time during the editing process because your ideal beta reader is someone that fits your target demo. They aren't looking for sentence structure or the overuse of adverbs - that's my job. The beta reader is there to make sure the story flows well and let you know if the narrative isn't captivating.
For The Cougarette, I had four beta readers. I think that was probably two too many. One of them was my mother and of course, she loved it. She's my mother. I'll still send her the first eight of CitC but I won't consider her a 'beta reader'. She just gets free shit because she gave birth to me, deservedly so.
It's my unrelated beta readers that worry me. What will be interesting this time around is this being Book Two. My beta reader has to have completed the first book and will go into these first eight with their own expectations of the characters. Also - as I've mentioned in previous blog entries - Cougarette in the Country has a very different vibe. It's very layered. There are flashbacks and every snooty literary snob will tell you that flashbacks are frowned upon and should be limited to one or two.
I have six.
I've found that beta readers are quite useful. It's fun to hear and read the reactions from them and it helps me to enhance my editing process. I've extended three invitations and will await their responses. Until then...back into the editing trenches I go.
It's an exciting time during the editing process because your ideal beta reader is someone that fits your target demo. They aren't looking for sentence structure or the overuse of adverbs - that's my job. The beta reader is there to make sure the story flows well and let you know if the narrative isn't captivating.
For The Cougarette, I had four beta readers. I think that was probably two too many. One of them was my mother and of course, she loved it. She's my mother. I'll still send her the first eight of CitC but I won't consider her a 'beta reader'. She just gets free shit because she gave birth to me, deservedly so.
It's my unrelated beta readers that worry me. What will be interesting this time around is this being Book Two. My beta reader has to have completed the first book and will go into these first eight with their own expectations of the characters. Also - as I've mentioned in previous blog entries - Cougarette in the Country has a very different vibe. It's very layered. There are flashbacks and every snooty literary snob will tell you that flashbacks are frowned upon and should be limited to one or two.
I have six.
I've found that beta readers are quite useful. It's fun to hear and read the reactions from them and it helps me to enhance my editing process. I've extended three invitations and will await their responses. Until then...back into the editing trenches I go.
