I hope this is the forum to ask this question, but I was wondering for a while, how can I find a reliable, good beta readers and what I need to know about them?
i ask my friends i believe that's a good start, except if your book is one that needs specials knowledge of things which then its a entirely diffrent matter. i believe being honest is the most important thing.
erebh 1. It happens. 2. English is not my native language. Juju Bagdasarian The manuscript is in English (translated and edited professionally) and so none of my friends and family can understand it completely.
Ask the service you used for the translation if they can recommend someone or if they provide that service. I myself am a professional translator. Had I been the person working on your manuscript, I would have worked closely with you in the translation to ensure that the meaning behind your writing was preserved in the English version. English is a language with a bewilderingly large vocabulary compared to most extent languages and synonyms are treacherous. In English, speedy and hasty are technically synonyms, but they each carry connotations that make them very different. Did your translator work with you?
Weyber that's an awesome job i am literally right now taking a first step in translating a piece of Hedge Knight from George R.R Martin it's something that they are asking from the publishing company to see if the person qualifies i hope i call you a collegue soon
yotam... since 'beta readers' are unpaid, the quality of the critique you'll get won't be what you'd get from a professional editor... i don't know how you'd go about finding any other than asking for volunteers on writing sites, but doing that won't necessarily get you valid feedback... why do you want or think you need beta readers at all, if you've paid a professional translator and editor?... i mentor writers all over the world, have helped many from your part of the globe, so if you want to just send me your first couple of chapters, i can at least let you know if the translation and editing was done well enough that the ms is ready to be submitted... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
erebh We are cool =] Wreybies Actually, I already done this with the company and they helped me a lot. Now I just hope to get other people's opinion to improve the manuscript even more. mammamaia I seek beta readers because I read it so much that it become difficult for me to come up with fresh ideas on how to make it better. Thank you for you offer, I will send you the first three chapters and wait for your respond.
Or just submit after you've done everything you can think of to clean the manuscript. They won't behead you if your manuscript doesn't pass.
Submit to an agency or a publisher you mean? I'm already searching for an agent and in between rejections I try to think of ways to improve my manuscript?
Reliable, good beta readers - well, if they're writers, it helps. They've got an extra level of knowledge and therefore more in a position to critique. Not all readers dissect books, but writers do so all the time because it's in their trade. Ask critical, analytical people who have an eye for good writing. Good luck finding some. It's hard to find anyone willing to sit through a book these days. EDIT: if you're already getting rejections, have there been any hints about what you should improve? What did your editors or other readers say about your book, and which parts of their advice did you choose to ignore, for example? Have you really cured whatever problem was there? If yes, what about your story structure, character development, plot believability, and is your story interesting and developed? Do people understand your twists? One obvious question to ask is: how good is your query letter? If it's perfect, then how good are your sample chapters? Are the first 3 chapters of your book an absolute page-turner? (cus it needs to be) If the agents asked for a synopsis, how gripping is your synopsis? If any of the above steps had failed, the agent may never request a full MS.
Surely the best way to find writing "beta readers" would be to talk to your friends, family, and online friends and maybe get to know some folks in an online community such as this. [Though I do suspect a book forum might even be better for getting writing feedback from beta readers than a writing forum.] Unless Beta Readers aren't what I thought. Beta Readers are just the the first few people you show your writing to before you start submitting to publishers, aren't they? Clearly with the purpose of improving your writing.
The mods here don't lock threads unless they get particularly nonconstructive. Although you might get more replies if you start your own thread.
I think it's an important question to ask (despite the post being six years old). Partially because there is no dedicated beta-reader seeking forum or procedure here like I've seen in other writing forums. We have the collaboration section but that implies "writing a book together" to me, not beta reading.
