Beta Reader Group discussion
Do you mark a book "currently reading" when you beta read?
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Since most books being beta read aren't published yet, I don't know how you'd put them on your reading shelf.It is NOT advisable to manually add an unpublished book by someone else to Goodreads. A main reason is that when that happens, and then the author is ready to publish it, they cannot make ANY changes on a manually added book without having Librarian status. Then they'd have to manually add it again (and they'd have the ISBN &/or ASIN at that time along with the book cover), then there'd be two copies of the book (one without a book cover and possibly not the correct title the author wants it listed as). Then if the author wants this fixed, they'd have to find and contact a Goodreads Superlibrarian to fix that.
However, if you have a blog, and you are beta reading, your blog can be linked to Goodreads and you can mention the name of the book you are or have beta read and the author's name.
I have seen quite a few books on GR before they are officially available to the public. For example the ones on this list:http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/n...
My favorite one for entertainment's sake:
World After
Am I missing something?
By the way I was not implying any manually adding of the book, just speaking of those already listed.The book I am currently beta reading has a listing on Goodreads (created by the author, not a manual add by a fan) but hasn't been released to the public for purchase yet.
Gertie wrote: "By the way I was not implying any manually adding of the book, just speaking of those already listed.The book I am currently beta reading has a listing on Goodreads (created by the author, not a m..."
If that's the case, then there shouldn't be any reason why you couldn't put it on your reading shelf.
[In the past, I've seen where other people have added an author's book before it was published and the author didn't have it on Goodreads yet. That creates a problem the author doesn't need.]
I would love it if a beta reader would put my book on their "currently reading" shelf as it already has a page. I have one beta reader so far but she is not a GR member. If I do get more betas (or for that matter people to send ARCs to), would it be rude to suggest that they add the book to their to-read or currently reading shelves? So far I have had a number of requests for an ARC from GR members, but none of them have added the book to their to-read shelf, so it makes me hesitate. If they won't do that one little thing, it makes me think that they're not going to bother with a review, either. Just my two cents and I could be off base here.
Elizabeth wrote: "I would love it if a beta reader would put my book on their "currently reading" shelf as it already has a page. I have one beta reader so far but she is not a GR member. If I do get more betas (or ..."to be honest they are doing us a favour in checking for mistakes, it is up to them if they want to keep what they are reading private.
Oh, I understand that it's a matter of the beta reader's personal preferences. Just saying that I wouldn't be bothered if they did mark it as being currently read. If they don't want to then I can't make them. =)
When I BR I don't change it to currently reading but I do put it as read & put a review up saying that I was a Beta Reader and I do promote the books.
Elizabeth wrote: "I would love it if a beta reader would put my book on their "currently reading" shelf as it already has a page. I have one beta reader so far but she is not a GR member. If I do get more betas (or ..."It's ok to ask a BETA to add a review. I would be sure that you have them give you input prior to the review. I won't put a review up until the book is in it's final stages because story lines change. I do like to make sure I read the final draft before I put up a review so it is a fair review. I sometimes worry that the author doesn't want me to give a review until the book is announced for publication. I try to be sensitive to that.
I'd only add a beta-read as read after finishing it only if the author themself had added it.Otherwise my yearly reading target just missed out.
Thanks for the helpful replies. If I were asked to beta-read a book that's already been added then I would certainly mark it as "want to read" if not "currently reading" (unless instructed otherwise by the author), to help spread the word about the book ahead of the release.
Thanks all. So far I'm certainly loving the book I am beta reading, and was leaning towards marking it currently-reading for that tad bit more of exposure to help the author, but wanted to be sure I wasn't overlooking any negatives before doing so.
The first thing I do when I beta read a book is to see if it has a Goodreads page. Like Elizabeth, I think it's great to help promote an upcoming book by having updates in my feed. I discover a lot of new books to read that way also, so I'm sure others appreciate me doing it.As for creating a book, I always add my books to Goodreads database. You can never have enough promotion for a book and the sooner I can get eyeballs on a book I'm planning to release, the better.
The issue of rating a book that is a WIP can be problematic. I assume that the author is going to use my recomendations or any other he or she gets to improve their book. So if I choose to rate that book, I feel I have an obligation to include a brief comment in the review section that I read a beta version of the book that way other readers can see that I had access to an early edition that may or may not reflect the final contents. But overall, it's probably not fair to rate a book that's still a WIP because it's gives the false impression that you've read the same book that readers are going to have access to, when in actuality you haven't. ARC copies, yes. Books in beta, no.
Agree 100%, Kevin. As a reader I would find a note that clarifies the status of the book (WIP vs. ARC) to be helpful in making a decision. Definitely one of those little things to work out with a beta beforehand. I'm going to email mine now and ask her what her review policy is.
Good for you, Elizabeth. Better to be informed ahead of time than to encounter unwanted surprises later.
This has got me thinking... I've made a new topic for standard practices/good etiquette. I know you all will have great ideas to populate it with. :-) It could be useful to folks new to Beta reading, or authors seeking readers. (I'm still pretty clueless and would love the glean some tips from those in-the-know.)
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
I'm really new to Goodreads... What's does ARC stand for? Sorry for my ignorance...
ARC = Advance Reader Copy. It's your book in final format with all edits and comments incorporated. I'm not sure what the time frame is for sending out ARCs. I'm guessing a 1-2 week window around the release date.
ARCS, or Advance Reader Copies, are pre-publication copies of books that are used for promotional purposes. Traditionally, ARCS would be missing some elements of the final package (book cover, last minute edits, etc.). But sometimes ARCS have more drastic changes such as rewritten sections of a book, or changes in the plot. But for all intents and purposes, ARCS are simply the early versions you send off to reviewers and readers to get an early buzz going.
Elizabeth wrote: "I'm not sure what the time frame is for sending out ARCs. I'm guessing a 1-2 week window around the release date."Trade publishers usually send out ARCS 6-12 months before a book's release.
Wow, that long. Thank you, Kevis. I learned something today.What about self-published ARCs? Is there a best practices timeline for those?
Elizabeth wrote: "Wow, that long. Thank you, Kevis. I learned something today.What about self-published ARCs? Is there a best practices timeline for those?"
Sure. Personally, I like to start sending out "Uncorrected ARCS" as early as 3 months before my book's release (just like the trade pubs). That way, I can start getting book reviews as a part of my book's pre-release hype, especially here on Goodreads. Once my book is professionally edited and formatted, then I start issuing regular (corrected/edited) ARCS to bloggers and book reviewers.
I also recommend that authors sending out ARCS request a specific time-frame as to when they would like reviewers/bloggers to start posting early reviews of their book. The ideal time for reviews to start showing up on blogs for an unreleased book is (as you mentioned earlier) during the final two weeks leading up to its publication. That makes it easier to build up anticipation in readers about your book's release without them forgetting about it.
The third thing I suggest is that authors kindly ask reviewers to post their reviews on Amazon and other online bookstores on the first day of your book's release. In the case of Amazon, their algorithms are set up to give your book the most visibility during the first 30 days of its release. It's best to have as many reviews during those 30 days to ride the electronic wave Amazon gives you.
Elizabeth wrote: "I would love it if a beta reader would put my book on their "currently reading" shelf as it already has a page. I have one beta reader so far but she is not a GR member. If I do get more betas (or ..."What kind of book do you have to beta read? I have a historical fantasy. If you have any genre (not lit or sex) we can swap.
Hi Linda:It's a YA novel about a rising college freshman who gets the chance to work for her favorite musician. Sounds cliched, but the feedback I've gotten so far has been good. It has romantic elements (attraction between the main characters) but nothing beyond a kiss.
Here is the link to the GR page:A Million Miles Away
Thanks for your interest. I like historical novels and would be willing to give a fantasy a serious look.
Elizabeth, if you're looking for more Beta readers, I'd love to take a look at your book. I saw your synopsis here on GR, and it sounds pretty interesting. PM me, please! Thanks!
Beta Reader Group
Books mentioned in this topic
A Million Miles Away (other topics)World After (other topics)
When you BR, do you put the book on your Currently Reading shelf, or do you find there are reasons to not do so (for the author's sake or your own)?
For example, having the book on some currently-reading shelves could increase visibility and reader anticipation for the book, but it could also confuse people who see it is not available but is being read by someone. I am sure there are more reasons either way...