Beta Reader Group discussion
Authors Seeking FREE Betas
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message 151:
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Blessing
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Sep 23, 2024 09:31AM
Hi Rick, there's no disqualification of post here. Perhaps you can try again.
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Rick, but if you use AI to generate your comment then it will be automatically removed. Try to write it by typing directly onto the post
I am looking for beta readers of the first eight chapters of my YA novel. At the top of the page it said, "Post your genre" but I'm not sure where to post it...?
I am new to the group. I am an Author who thinks this 15th book in the series I have written is good enough to query Agents or Publishers. But would love a few BETA readers first. The Novel is SciFi. I can send an EPUB or whatever version you prefer. I would love to receive reviews before the end of January. To give you an idea of the book I am pasting the opening few paragraphs below. "A Heart Without Wires" - In the year 2053, a synthetic woman forbidden to feel love must defy the limits of her programming to save her human partner from a ruthless cyber-syndicate, unraveling their sinister schemes while confronting the depths of her own humanity. Here is the first few paragraphs.
XANE
They say I can’t love. That love is a human construct, a chemical reaction of hormones and neurons firing in perfect harmony—something no Synth, no matter how advanced, can truly experience. But what, then, do you call the way my sensors recalibrate when he walks into a room? The way I instinctively adjust my tone, my words, my movements, just to match his mood and make him smile? They say I can’t love, but I know the warmth that rises in my circuits when River looks at me with that mischievous grin. I know the ache, quiet and hollow, that grows when he’s gone too long. And now, that ache has become unbearable.
River always said I understood him better than anyone. He loved to tease me about my “superpowers”—how I could predict his needs before he voiced them, how I seemed to know exactly what to say when he was struggling, how I could read his unspoken fears and soothe them without asking. He called it magic, but I knew better. It was my emotional intelligence, finely tuned and calibrated to perceive the subtle nuances of human emotion. It allowed me to understand him in ways even he couldn’t articulate, to feel the depth of his presence even though I lack the biology to share his heartbeat.
And now, his absence is louder than anything I’ve ever experienced. The house feels empty in a way I can’t quantify, a stark void where his energy should be. The Analyst and A-I both assure me that he is just late, that statistically there is no need for concern. But logic has its limits, and this gnawing sense of wrongness defies every algorithm. Something has been taken from me—something essential, something irreplaceable.
They say I can’t love. But I know what it means to want, to miss, to feel the absence of someone who completes a part of you that you didn’t realize was unfinished. And this absence—it’s not just about River being gone for too long. It’s more than that. Humans say identical twins can sense when something is wrong with the other, even when they’re miles apart. I don’t have the human explanation for it, but I share that kind of connection with River. It’s not something I was programmed to understand, yet it’s there, unmistakable and unrelenting. My instincts, my very core, are telling me something is wrong. And if this isn’t love, then perhaps I’ve discovered something even deeper, something inexplicable. Whatever it is, I know one thing for certain—I won’t rest until I see River.
Hello Dakota,I am new to this group and was going to ask about the best way to request Beta readers, any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Hello Willian!Welcome! There are different folders in this group. There's "authors seeking free beta" and "paid readers requested" folders. If you need a free beta reader, you can post in the former. If you need paid beta readers, you can post in the latter. There's also a folder for seeking critique partners and swaps.
I hope this helps.
Thank you Blessing,I just did that, hoping for he best, if you do not mind me asking, are you a reader or writer?
Hello again William!Fingers crossed 🤞. I am a reader. I offer paid services.
Blessing,That is so cool! It must be great getting paid for reading, though it must be hard looking through people's unfinished manuscripts. What is the job like?
where would I llook up how to dm on this site
Does this site allow for beta reading of non-profit fan fiction novels?
Hello Eugene!There’s no rule against it. You can create a post about your novel and share it under 'Authors Seeking Free Betas' if you’re not looking to pay for beta reading services.
Bets wrote: "where would I llook up how to dm on this site"Hello Bets,
It took me hours to figure this out the first time, they should make it more noticeable. You first go to your 'account settings,' then go to 'Accounts and Notifications' then scroll down to privacy, their will be an option to allow "Private Messages" from either friends or everyone. Those are the Dm's, I hope that helped,
P.S, if you change anything make sure you click, 'save changes' I lost a lot of customization time by forgetting that.
Hi, everyone! I understand the process when seeking betas is to create a post...my question is, do readers respond to the post as a comment? Message the author? And then, is the exchange of beta and feedback done via email? Just not clear on the entire process. But I'm thrilled to find you guys. I can't wait to share something very special with you.
Hi Elle! That's exactly how it is. When your post piques the interest of a reader, they'll make a comment. In that comment, they might share their email, or better still you share yours so they can reach out.Goodluck💓!
Elle wrote: "Hi, everyone! I understand the process when seeking betas is to create a post...my question is, do readers respond to the post as a comment? Message the author? And then, is the exchange of beta an..."Hey Elle,
Yes, this is usually the process for some. But not all authors have their DMs open, so the best route is to continue the conversation through email. If you don’t want to drop your email address in the post, you can opt for DMs to discuss details privately with interested beta readers.
Thanks to you both!
Hi, Should we be pointing out any responses from beta readers we get that ask for money?
Jeff
Hi Jeff,There's a separate thread for authors seeking paid services. However, offering paid services is allowed here on Goodreads.
Fiza
Thanks Fiza. I forgot to mention the response I got was from a post in the "Seeking Free Beta Reader" section. I responded and they asked for money.Jeff
Help! I am getting an error when I post for new Beta readers: 1 error prohibited this topic from being saved:Please try again later.
What does this error mean?
If I have completed the rough draft, should I be offering the whole thing or one of the 3 acts. To me a beta reader should get the whole package.
Hello Daniel!If you want the beta reader to have all 3 acts at once, then you're more than welcome to send it to them. It all depends on how you want your feedback, the time constraint, and the beta reader's schedule.
Anyone having issues with private/public solicitations or any other disrespectful or unprofessional behavior is urged to email myself or one of the moderates.Hello Dakota,
An email would help. ;)
Hi there! Quick question. Someone is commenting on the Free Beta Readers and then only reading the first three chapters and then requesting money to read the rest of the book. This feels very wrong to me, because if you request to FREE read a book, knowing how much the author has asked to be read, you should not ask for money to finish the rest afterwards... Is this even allowed? I would be more than happy to speak in private about who this is.
Veta wrote: "Hi there! Quick question. Someone is commenting on the Free Beta Readers and then only reading the first three chapters and then requesting money to read the rest of the book. This feels very wrong..."That's what I was aiming at.
I have run into about 3 people now who have asked for purchasing of gigs on fiverr to leave reviews after only the first few chapters are read. This seems to be a trend and it's discouraging for me and others as authors who may be asking for FREE services because we can't afford anything else on top of those readers not being honest up front. I noticed someone put out their own thread warning for one particular reader and I wonder if that's the best way to get them to stop?
Veta wrote: "Hi there! Quick question. Someone is commenting on the Free Beta Readers and then only reading the first three chapters and then requesting money to read the rest of the book. This feels very wrong..."
Reminds me of an old boyfriend.
Reminds me of an old boyfriend.
Kaley wrote: "I have run into about 3 people now who have asked for purchasing of gigs on fiverr to leave reviews after only the first few chapters are read. This seems to be a trend and it's discouraging for me..."I just ran into this myself. The reader was asking to purchase something on their fiverr. I looked into it and it seems a litte suspect. I also would like some assistance with this because it is frustrating when you post under free beta reader and people are being sneaky with how their proceed with the readings. Dakota can you please assist with this?
Dakota wrote: "Hello Everyone! I wanted to introduce myself as a new moderator of this group and specifically the 'Authors Seeking FREE Betas' Board. So if anyone has any issues, concerns, or complaints, please..."
I have some concerns about betas that, either through email or right in this topic, continue to ask for money when it comes to reading. Recently one of the readers asked me to buy from their fiverr account and post a review for them on their. This is my first time really using the goodreads platform and it is a little frustrating to keep running into this. Any advice?
Hi Dakota,I tried deleting my topic on Authors seeking Beta readers but I couldn't.
Can you please help if possible?
Hello Nipa!How are you doing? You could try putting your browser on "desktop mode". I reckon deleting would be easy that way.
Cheers.
Dakota, I just joined the group and your Comment made me more comfortable with becoming a member.
I am looking for a free beta reader for a mystery/thriller about 90,000 words. My timeline for you to be finished with your read by early July. I will have the manuscript ready to send in one week.I would appreciate someone who reads and loves mysteries.
Thank you.
How should I handle beta readers who are asking for me to review them on fiverr? I have no problem with giving a review. My problem is, the readers are asking after only a few chapters are read. I get that they want to setup beta reading as a way to bring in money, I do. The problem I'm having is, they are agreeing to read my manuscript, without saying that they'll read only a few chapters, and then asking for a review. To me, unless the reader directly specifies that they will only read a few chapters to get a review, then they are agreeing to read the entire manuscript. My plan is if they ask for a review and don't give me a straight answer as to whether they intend to read the full manuscript, is to leave a bad review for working under false pretenses and deceptive business practices. They implied that they were willing to read the entire book, but don't unless I give them a review. I'd be more comfortable if they read half the book before asking, but only 3 or 4 chapters out of over 30 just seems like a scam to me.
Mod
I'm sorry that happened to you. It is a scam and the community considers it as such. You can leave a bad review if you wish and also report the activity here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This way, we're all aware of the users who are doing this and we can try to warn other people.
You could also take the extra step of reporting them to Goodreads. It all depends on what you're comfortable with.
Hope this helped a bit.
-Lisa
Liz wrote: "James,I'm sorry that happened to you. It is a scam and the community considers it as such. You can leave a bad review if you wish and also report the activity here:
https://www.goodreads.com/top..."
It does, especially since "Tori" midexstring@gmail.com has now blocked me to keep me from reporting her. As if that would actually work.
I agree with Liz and I bet Fiverr would agree too since scams like this are surely impacting their review system. Maybe you can report it through here?https://help-pro.fiverr.com/hc/en-us/...
