Beta reading is an honor

I love beta reading.

A beta reader is someone who reads an author's 2nd or later draft, and provides reader feedback. Some authors provide their betas with specific questions or prompts, while others want gut reactions.

I prefer to give my gut reactions through the "add comment" feature in Microsoft Word. I give my most honest feedback this way, rather than trying to shape it to fit the mold of a list of questions. That said, I am on the author's team; I always strive to give the authors I beta read for exactly what they are looking for. If that's answers to specific questions, then that is what I will give.

I see it as an honor when an author asks me to provide feedback on their story. To write is an art, and sharing your art with others (no matter its stage) is vulnerable. And I don't say that lightly. The author is sharing the fruit of their labor, a story of their heart, which they will eventually share with readers. That, in itself, is hugely vulnerable. But when they send it to a beta reader, the author is not sure it's perfect yet. And they're asking for help in making that story as strong as it can be.

Just minutes before I started writing this post, I finished my 13th beta read order 0n Fiverr. Before joining the freelance platform, I beta read over 15 manuscripts for 6 author friends for free. So, I've done almost 30 beta reads in the past four years.

And I am so grateful to the authors who have trusted me to beta read for them.

If you are a romance author looking for a beta reader, and you think we might be a good fit, head over to my Author Services page, where you can read testimonials. If you're sure I'm the beta reader for you, click on my Fiverr link below!