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I'm incredibly grateful for the thoughtful and detailed feedback provided by Sarah during the beta reading of my self-help dating book. Not only did she offer valuable in-text comments that sharpened my arguments, but she also went above and beyond by preparing a separate PDF filled with insightful suggestions. Her level of engagement and enhanced the quality of my book. Thank you, Sarah, for your dedication and for helping make this book the best it could be!
I've worked with over a dozen beta readers on Goodreads involving two projects, and Sarah is one of the very best. She critiqued a novel about contemporary New York City, and understood aspects of it that no other reader did. She provided a four-page commentary that was detailed and insightful and also entertaining. And her Google docs commented version of the MS was also helpful in adding to her analysis and in finding mistakes. 10/10.
Working with Sarah as a beta reader was a great experience. She stayed in contact about timeliness and made sure I wasn't left waiting around. She provided helpful feedback and suggestions, all of which I plan to utilize before I look into submitting my story for publication. I would definitely recommend her services to other writers/authors.
"Sarah provided a quick turnaround with my manuscript and identified large areas of my story that needed further improvement or explanation. She was easy to communicate with and helped me determine the next steps, in order to give my readers the best experience possible."-Megan Grant
Lovely testimonial from Byron "Sarah has just finished beta reading 37000 words of my manuscript and she did not disappoint.
Her report was so smooth and professional. It was very easy to comprehend. I felt like her feedback was genuine and very thorough.
If I'm being honest, she probably gave me the best feedback of all the beta readers I've used, including those fancy ones on fiver.
Her turn around time shocked me. When she says she is available and promises to read your book, she means it.
Thanks for everything Sarah"
*You can see the actual testimonial in my old Goodreads thread
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Sarah provided such clear and accurate feedback that I will be keeping her in my writer toolbox from now on. I hope she doesn't mind being stuffed with Scrivener, Prowritingaid, and PLOTTR. Anyway, the beta read was excellent. I loved the swift turnaround time and her precise report details. I also appreciated that when she saw something completely wrong, she didn't stick to the report script and just stated it to make sure I was aware. 100 Percent, let her help you.
Whew 😮💨, the amount of amazing manuscripts I read in the past month was insane!I want to thank all authors who took some time out of their busy schedule to write these wonderful testimonials 😍. Coming back to where I was, there are a few slots left for this month, you can book my services in my updated email (sarah.narrativenook@gmail.com), please forward any queries to this mail.
I am open to all genres, preferably thriller, sci-fi, mystery, horror, clean romance, etc. (I do not accept smutty or dark romance books, don't worry if your manuscript contains a few smutty scenes, that is alright with me).
I look forward to providing invaluable feedback, hoping that it may shed light on your manucript in a positive way, all the while incorporating my editing expertise into my feedback.
To learn more about any of my services, kindly visit https://bit.ly/NarrativeNook-EditingS...
Looking forward to seeing your manuscript in my inbox 😉
Sarah provided thoughtful and timely feedback for our urban fantasy vampire novel. She’s great at spotting areas of potential confusion, which helped bring clarity to some key scenes. Her detailed annotations and organized report were valuable in the editing process, and her communication throughout was professional and clear. I’d recommend her beta-reading services for authors in the romance and urban fantasy genres who are looking for thorough, constructive feedback.Would definitely work with her again!
William M. HayesI hired Sarah for a rush job on the first 15 pages of my manuscript so I could enter a contest, and she did a fabulous job. After that, I hired her to Beta read the full manuscript. Her notes and suggested changes were very insightful. Her fee is fair and reasonable and was a great value.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with Sarah again.
Great thoughts, insights, and efficacy ... Sarah provided a valuable feedback in a most palatable format. Her process was easy to align to and I am glad to have hired her!
Sarah was very personable. I liked her feedback format since it made it so easy to track where she was when she made the notes/comments/suggestions she did.
I have a historical fiction series that are essentially character studies for people living in the 17th century English colony of Massachusetts. These novels are all interlocking, as the characters are all members of the same family: parents and ten children. The historical backdrop is King Philip’s War, a terrible battle between the once-friendly Wampanoag Indians and the colonists that could have pushed the British colonists into the sea.I would like a Beta read of the first 6,500 words of the fourth book. I am currently stalled on whether I am going in the right direction. The basic plot for this character is as follows. He is the quintessential soldier. He is prejudiced against the Indians (hates them), and he is convinced his father (a devout Puritan who fled the civil war in England), who is a successful weaver, is a coward. He in turn hero worships the captain of the Watertown train band, Captain Beers, and works in his town pub to pay for his equipment (guns, swords, etc.). John has a variety of relations with his nine siblings (all are employed in different venues). John marries and has four children, runs a fulling mill, and when the war starts, he is promoted and gathers soldiers who love him. In a terrible (and famous) battle, his Captain Beers hero is slaughtered along with 2/3rds of his party. John is chosen as the messenger to Boston. It’s a long ride through war torn country. When he is crossing the Charles River to report in Boston, the high wind and water left from a hurricane that has wrecked the coast, capsizes the ferry boat. Of all the men and horses on the ferry, John is the only man who drowns. This character, John, is a historical person mentioned in some journals of the time.
I need to know if my first chapters can lead to enough engagement to pull my readers into the story. Could you read these chapters?
Nancy Shattuck
Nancy wrote: "I have a historical fiction series that are essentially character studies for people living in the 17th century English colony of Massachusetts. These novels are all interlocking, as the characters..."Hello Nancy,
Of course, I would love to read it historical fiction is one of my fav genres but I do have several questions to ask you, can you send me an email at sarah.narrativenook@gmail.com? We can continue our conversation there.
- Sarah
I've been working with Sarah twice, and I keep coming back for good reason. Her suggestions consistently reflect what general readers think and enjoy, providing invaluable insight into my work. She’s especially great at pointing out details and perspectives I’d never have considered otherwise—whether or not I end up using every suggestion, Sarah always broadens my view. If you're looking for someone reliable and thoughtful, Sarah is your go-to. Highly recommend her!
I worked with Sarah on my manuscript. She provided extremely thoughtful and carefully considered comments which were very helpful.Look no further than Sarah if you are looking for a beta reader!
Thank you and my bear thanks you!
Sarah is the best beta reader I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Her feedback was thoughtful, balanced, and deeply engaged with the manuscript. She provided a detailed chapter-by-chapter report, highlighting both what worked and what needed attention—including suggestions for improvement, plot inconsistencies, and insightful observations on character development, pacing, and overall structure.Her accompanying Q&A was tailored specifically to the story, with questions like: “Were you able to follow the plot clearly from start to finish?”, “Was the climax impactful enough?”, and “Was the loss of the child handled with the right emotional weight?” These prompted me to think more critically about the story and ultimately helped me make meaningful improvements.
Sarah also included an ‘Overall Thoughts’ section, where she summarised what she appreciated and where she felt the story could grow. Inline comments throughout the manuscript ranged from emotional reactions to helpful nudges about clarity or depth—each one contributing to a stronger draft.
Above all, she offered honest feedback. Not just praise for praise’s sake, and not nitpicking for the sake of it—but genuine, constructive insight. That kind of candour is invaluable, and it’s what sets her apart.
I highly recommend Sarah to any writer looking for a beta reader who combines skill, care, and integrity in equal measure.
I hired Sarah Fathima as a beta reader for my novel Do Unto Others, and I found incredible value in her feedback: it was absolutely worth the investment. She gave thoughtful, detailed impressions as she read, chapter by chapter, which was very helpful. As a writer, it's essential to understand the reader’s experience, and Sarah’s insights gave me precisely that. When deep into developing a story, it’s nearly impossible to know whether everything makes sense to someone reading it for the first time. Her perspective, knowledge, and insights were invaluable in identifying gaps I couldn’t see in myself.In addition to her overall impressions, she gave feedback on dialogue, pacing, writing style, character development, and inconsistencies throughout the novel. She was extremely thorough and pointed out subtle details I never would have noticed on my own. I especially appreciated the balance she offered: honest criticism paired with encouragement and praise where it was due.
By the time I received her final beta report, I was struck by how extensive and clear it was. She had organized her observations in a way that made it easy for me to follow, ensuring that I could confidently make revisions based on her thoughtful analysis. I appreciated the way she structured her feedback, as it allowed me to tackle each point methodically while still capturing the essence of my original vision.
Thanks to Sarah's exceptional feedback, my novel has grown significantly stronger. I now feel more equipped to present a manuscript that not only tells a compelling story but also truly resonates with potential readers. I couldn’t have asked for a better beta reader, and I wholeheartedly recommend her services to any writer seeking insightful guidance.
Sarah did a wonderful job beta reading my office romance. She was communicative, patient, and thorough from the start, answering all my questions and making sure she could meet my needs and timeline before beginning her work.
Sarah left some inline comments as she read, which was great to allow me to see her reactions to certain lines/scenes, and she also provided a report at the end with chapter-by-chapter feedback as well as overall feedback.
Additionally, she welcomed any questions afterwards and continued to be prompt and efficient throughout the entire process.
I highly recommend Sarah for services and would definitely work with her again in the future.
Sarah did an incredible job on my historical fiction. Her notes were concise, helpful, and, most importantly, showed that she actually read the work. I am now looking to engage her again for proofreading.
Rehiring a service provider is the highest praise I have; and Sarah has earned every bit of it.
Sarah was wonderful to work with on my debut space-fantasy novel. She gave me lots of great feedback to help make my WIP better and her fun comments gave me inspiration to keep going. I highly Recommend Sarah for any service she offers.
Sarah recently read my 100,000-word YA fantasy manuscript. She delivered a report of over 5,000 words that discussed her reactions, questions, and suggestions for each of the 43 chapters. Additionally, she had general notes on stakes, suspense, credibility of obstacles, the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings, the protagonist's character arc, what parts dragged, and the reality of the cast of characters. Some very useful suggestions on how and where to tighten the story. She also provided over 100 comments directly in the manuscript. This gave me a strong sense of the emotional reaction of a reader to the story, scene by scene. I know which ones worked, and which need work.
Overall, it was constructive and insightful, and will guide me in my next revision.
I could not have asked for a better beta reader!! I was very pleased to find that Sarah made inline notes for the whole 85,000 word manuscript and also provided an analysis of the book overall. Sarah's notes highlighted unclear parts and also gave feedback on character building. She also made notes of what she particularly liked. I can now focus on parts that need work, which is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you Sarah. I'll be back :-)
Sarah was an incredible beta reader! Her work was thorough, thoughtful and extremely helpful in helping my novel progress after sitting dormant for five years. Her input was essential in my efforts to move it forward and she provided professional feedback from top to bottom. Sarah was also easy to communicate with and provided prompt responses to all my questions throughout the process. I can’t recommend her beta reading services enough! Thanks again Sarah!!
Firstly, Congratulations on overcoming the number of drafts, blocks, and revisions. I'm Sarah - book editor, writer (I'm currently writing my debut novel) and a massive book lover.
Enough about me, coming back to why I am posting this, I am here to provide my beta-reading services, which include:
• Chapter-wise Report
• Overall story report
• Character Report
• In-line commentary
• Customized Questionnaire
Reading your manuscript for me means documenting every minute part of your book and what effect it had on me as a reader, documenting my thoughts as well as providing constructive feedback and criticism throughout the book where and when needed.
I'll take utmost care in looking into the world mapping, character development and search for any plot holes for genres like mystery, romance and fantasy. On another hand I will inform you of what helped, and what did not if your manuscript belongs to the non-fiction genre.
You can find all the details about my service, including pricing and details on how to contact me, on my website which I have linked here https://bit.ly/narrativenook-betareading
If you have any inquiries or want to book a slot for your manuscript, feel free to reach out to me at sarah.narrativenook@gmail.com
P.S. I also offer other editing services, ranging from alpha/sensitivity reads, dev/line/proof edits, and query critique packages. All info can be found here https://bit.ly/NarrativeNook-EditingS...
Anyhow, I look forward to working with each one of you 💖