Review Group discussion
Beta read/critique
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Beta/content editor available
Emma looked at my work, and I hadn't realised how much was wrong with it. She did a really good job of sorting it out. If there is something she doesn't like or thinks can be improved she will let you know, that's for sure. Suffice it to say, I am in the middle of a major rewrite, which is needed. I'll be using her services again for my next book as well.
Emma has not only been an amazing editor/beta reader for me, but she gives good feedback, is brutally honest and to the point so there's no crossed wires/confusion. She's also guided me along the way when it comes to self publishing. I couldn't recommend her enough, and especially with those prices ;-)
Aw shucks, thanks Anita. I hope to see 'Blaire' in a review round soon.
Emma wrote: "Aw shucks, thanks Anita. I hope to see 'Blaire' in a review round soon."You're welcome my lovely. I've just posted a thread ;-)
xxx
Emma has assessed my sci-fi novel and gave perfect feedback. She has great editing abilities, and being an author herself, this sharpens her line editing and beta reading capabilities. Very honest in telling the facts openly makes things crystal clear. Thanks Emma.
Thanks for the feedback Mathew, you're a gentleman and a pleasure to work with.Garfield, I've sent you a private message.
I recently received very helpful feedback from Emma which is sure to improve my book. She's very clear in both her advice and opinion.Thanks, Emma :)
You're both very welcome Mathew and Rachel. Happy to help.
Rachel wrote: "I recently received very helpful feedback from Emma which is sure to improve my book. She's very clear in both her advice and opinion.Thanks, Emma :)"
Emma is amazing isn't she? Helped so much in the development of my novel ;-)
Recently I asked Emma to beta read the first half of a fiction that I was working on. The turn around was swift, but not just that, the quality of her comments/feedback and guidance were useful. She was respectful in her comments.She also used a well thought out and detailed questionnaire from which she used to provide guidance. Even if I didnt agree with her 100% , it was very indepth to be useful and will not be used for their manuscript that she assisted with but can be also be a useful guide if i do any more similar projects. Thx again. I recommend her to you for similar projects and her rate is too good to be true.
Thanks Garfield, working with you was a pleasure. And as for my rates, hmm, best get in quick folks before I take Garfield's advice...
Emma wrote: "Over my time in this group, both as a member and the group administrator, I’ve seen a lot of books come and go. My resounding conclusion is that people push the publish button too early in the proc..."I love your prices! And your speed!
There is nothing harder for me than proof-reading my own manuscript. I know when a manuscript is supposed to say, ‘give me your gun,’ and I’ll read it that way every time, even though it is actually written as, ‘give me you gun.’But a very close second for me is knowing when I’ve failed to convey a feeling or emotion. I mean, I’m in my characters’ heads…or maybe, they’re in mine…but in any case, a feeling seems to be there in the text for me, even when it’s not for others.
That’s where Emma’s content editing comes in. Like most beta readers, she’ll tell you if a character is a bit wooden, or the plot jumps around, or whatever. But what I really like about Emma’s feedback is that she will pinpoint an example or two…or twelve. There’s nothing like those short comments she makes – what’s he thinking, remind me of this person with a word or two, how does this place look or smell. It really helps me focus on some of the weaker sections.
Thanks, Emma!
You are very welcome Bruce, glad I could help.
I’ve always been envious of Hemingway; for his writing, of course, but also because he had Max Perkins as his editor. Max brought the best writing of Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and Wolfe among others to the public. Imagine my joy when Emma became my Max. I’ve had more than a dozen editors and beta readers over the last thirty years, most of them good. I asked Emma to explore one critical issue for my current novel. She gave me exactly what I needed: More work—and a chance at excellence.
Thanks Robert, it was a thought provoking novel that I thoroughly enjoyed working on. Sorry about the extra work!
Emma wrote: "Over my time in this group, both as a member and the group administrator, I’ve seen a lot of books come and go. My resounding conclusion is that people push the publish button too early in the proc..."Emma, I just finished the fifth episode in my Jasper, Street-Fighter and Me Series. I can send you a copy in most formats if you would be interested in giving it a look see.
Richard
How do you feel about steampunk? I will have a novel between 55,000 words and 62,000 ready in about two months. I am writing the last chapter I am doing, which isn't the last chapter in the book, which is why I am not sure how long exactly it will be. Most of it has been revised.
I can certainly look at it Richard, but I'll have to be vague about the time I'll be able to complete the project. The next month for me is...rather complicated.
L.E., steampunk is fun, happy to have a look when you are ready.
Send your manuscripts along when they are complete in (.doc) together with anything in particular you'd like me to look at, to purindoors@btinternet.com and I'll give you a quote.
Emma wrote: "I can certainly look at it Richard, but I'll have to be vague about the time I'll be able to complete the project. The next month for me is...rather complicated.
L.E., steampunk is fun, happy to ..."
Emma, it has been through three rounds of edit, I'm confused is purindors@btinternet.com you or is the L.E.
Richard
Emma wrote: "Over my time in this group, both as a member and the group administrator, I’ve seen a lot of books come and go. My resounding conclusion is that people push the publish button too early in the proc..."Thanks Emma for all the help you provided. Your feedback has not only helped me improving my book but also greatly improved my overall technique and writing skill. Thanks you so much. I'm done with my new novel. Please do let me know when you are free for accepting new project.
many thanks Mariyam. Give me about a month, then I'm all yours.
Emma wrote: "many thanks Mariyam. Give me about a month, then I'm all yours."Thanks dear...I can wait.
Emma wrote: "I can certainly look at it Richard, but I'll have to be vague about the time I'll be able to complete the project. The next month for me is...rather complicated.
L.E., steampunk is fun, happy to ..."
Okay, thanks in advance.
I am almost done with the chapter. But I have one scene I had thought of adding to this new chapter but on second thought would go elsewhere. That scene could be 800 to 1500 words. Which means a couple of more weeks. Unless I get down and do this weekend.
Ha, the cry of every author in the land! I'll get it done this weekend.Knowing when and if to leave a WIP is a very fine art. I find that once you think it is done, put it away for at least a couple of months and look at it again with fresh eyes.
I was a 'premature publisher' type back in the early days, pushing that poor story out the door before it had its metaphorical woolly hat on. Other people are 'delayed publishers' i.e. perfectionists who holds that novel to their chest for many months/years when it should have been let free to frolic in the fresh air.
You know that favorite little restaurant that serves THE BEST fresh baked bread? With homemade jelly? And has amazing coffee and perfect eggs and wonderful service and fabulous prices and you really want to tell everyone about the place, but...you kinda don't because you kinda don't want it to suddenly become too popular to still serve you?Well. I'm not giving up my table at the cafe for none of you people, but Emma's beta reading services are THE BEST thing since fresh baked bread with homemade jelly. Her comments are spot on and will help you take your writing up that extra notch that you just cant manage on your own. She has a keen eye not only for spotting things like repetitions and passive voice, but also for seeing ways to make your story more tangible for the reader.
For sure, Emma's services are one of the best kept hole-in-the-wall secrets here on Goodreads and investing in her will pay for itself in ratings and sales. But like I said, don't expect me to make room for you. Not gonna happen.
This is the second time I've had the pleasure of Emma beta reading/editing one of my novels and I can promise you there will be more! She's absolutely amazing. Very thorough with edits, insightful comments (humorous too!) with a comprehensive beta read report. Each time, I was able to make much needed improvements to my books. Her knowledge in the sci-fi genre was also invaluable to point out the flaws that would have had my readers all up in arms. Looking forward to next time :D
Aw thanks Regine, I thoroughly enjoyed working with you.
Hi Emma,I have a MS ready for beta reading/content edit. I had a look at the genres you prefer and although my MS is Epic-Fantasy it has a contemporary angle along with elements of Sci-Fi and Metaphysical.
It's on the full figured size at 185K and is the second book of my series - The Pale Kingdoms.
Let me know if you would be interested.
Dale, you are very welcome, I wish you luck with Accidental Cannibal.Robert, I'll message you privately.
Hi Emma,Would you be interested in reviewing three children's books as one piece as they form part of a series and are continuous? Total word count is about 35K. My MS is a fantasy story for children but it does have some scifi elements.
Please let me know if you're interested.
Emma wrote: "I can certainly look at it Richard, but I'll have to be vague about the time I'll be able to complete the project. The next month for me is...rather complicated.
L.E., steampunk is fun, happy to ..."
Took me way longer than I planned to get my book ready for a beta reader. But It is almost-as in ready this weekend. If you, or anyone with experience, still have the time and still like Steampunk set in our time, that is.
I'm taking bookings for the second half of April/early May at the moment L.E. let me know if you can wait that long.
Emma,You are the best!!
I sent you what I thought was a book that was ready to go to press, and thank the Lord that I did. For I had slipped backward from being an author, to being a storyteller. With this being the fifth book in the series, I am so involved with the characters, that as I wrote the story, personally I could envision every scene as I wrote it. The problem, which you found consistently through the book was that I did not let the reader envision the same images and feeling that I saw as I wrote the story.
Our communications following your evaluation of the manuscript were helpful, positive, and inspiring. Please book me for early May, and I promise that you will get to read, no, lose yourself in the revised manuscript. It will also be a shorter novella length story as are the previous four books in the series. I got the idea into my head to push this one to novel length, which I no know is why it is so wordy.
Thank you, Emma, you have cemented both my faith in you as an editor and as a person.
Richard
You are very welcome Richard, looking forward to reading where you go with it.Emma
Emma wrote: "I'm taking bookings for the second half of April/early May at the moment L.E. let me know if you can wait that long."I came back because I realized I never responded to this. Oops.
I will be seeing what happens between now and then, which might mean you been filled up, but I will see then.
Thank you Emma for providing an extremely thorough edit and beta read report of my three children's manuscripts. I know now what I need to work on and improve. It's going to be hard work but thanks to your input, I'm sure the final product is going to be much better. My husband now wants to send his manuscript to you.
Glad I could help, it was an interesting project.
My novel passed through Emma's Caudine Forks too, with very good results. It took me a while to digest all the recommendations, but they pushed me to realize that the vision I had in my mind was not always transferred into my book.
Glad to have helped, you were lovely to work with. Hope your book goes from strength to strength, it deserves it.
Emma has just completed a thorough piece of work on my second book. I have to say that through her eyes I have been able to discern aspects of my story that needed enhancement, elimination and even a different perspective.Anyone who wishes to engage Emma's help with their MS will find a wealth of understanding applied to their work which can only improve the vision of the story they wish to share.
I have come away from this association and experience having learned a few things. That's always a good place to be.
Thanks Emma.
You're very welcome Robert, it was an intriguing project.
I simply cannot say enough about Emma's beta reading services. This is an investment in your writing that you just can't skip. Here is how it works. You send her a manuscript that you think is pretty darn good (smashing if you're talking to yourself) and then you wait. In a shockingly short time frame, you get your beloved back along with a detailed report of its behavior in important areas like character development, world building and plot congruence. Not only that, but she also goes through your manuscript and finds the things your editor missed, points out passive voice, marks inconsistencies and tells you where you didn't do what you thought you did or gives feedback on how to do it better.
I'm telling you, do not pass on Emma's beta reading services. She will help you get that final polish on your manuscript that it needs to
Thanks Melonie, I've really enjoyed working with you. It's lovely to work with such a well prepared, page turning story.
I sent Emma my work "The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers" and she clearly detailed the weak points of the plot and made the crucial distinctions between two major themes in my novel; 1) having strange things happening to you as part of a true conspiracy, and 2) imagining what is around you because of psychosis. This distinction was key to resolving my novel, and also she suggested many ways to make the main character more likeable and connected to his peers, which is important in such a delicate subject matter. Thanks Emma.
As many of you know, I provide various authors in the group with beta and editing services. Some of which have posted testimonials below, others wish to remain anonymous.
As of Sept 17 I also work for a publisher, assessing their slush pile and beta reading. This means my time is a little constrained, but I will always find time for review group members, I love you guys!
My preferred genres include romance, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy YA, mystery, thriller, erotica, and occasionally horror. I'm not keen on literary fiction or religious-based manuscripts.
Manuscript Assessment
This is a service I provide to publishers. However, it is also available to individuals if required.
£0.80 per K.
Feedback is limited to a rating and paragraphs on plot, pacing, dialogue, world/building, style, and romance (if included) and an overall summary.
beta reading
£1.25 per 1k words. Flat fee.
You will receive an extensive beta report, around 5-6 pages, under the headings: Opening scene, Characterization and Motivation, Plot and Conflict, Pacing, Setting and World building, Dialogue, Craft and Overall Impression.
Chapter by chapater summary.
Editing
£10.00 per hour. A quote will be provided and must be accepted before I commence work. I will provide one hr of editing for free with my quote so you can determine whether I can help you.
Editing includes a free beta read/report. I use track changes in word to note line editing and stylistic issues such as showing not telling, POV issues, repetitive phrases, words and sentence starters, sentence length, unclear passages, consistency issues, unnecessary filler and filler words, adverbs, dialogue tags, plus grammar and typo hunting.
Depending on the complexity of the work required, I work at a rate of between 4 and 7.5k words per hour. I seldom agree to undertake projects where I edited less than 4k of a sample in an hour.
Although I'm a Brit, I can edit using either British or American spellings. Although I may query unfamiliar phrases. I can be reached via Goodreads and Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/EmmaJayeAuthor and am happy to chat.
I'm happy to work with most genres, including Sci-fi, fantasy, romance, horror, paranormal, mysteries, thrillers, humour, and erotica. I don't enjoy most literary fiction, biographies, or religious texts.