I'm wondering what people's experiences are with having a dedicated first reader. I would be reading/editing his work and he would be doing the same for me. Specifically, I'd like to hear how people structure and organize this relationship wrt deadlines, check ins etc? any experiences are welcome.
Ok based on experience: Only share 1-3 chapters intially, it is amazing how many people don't realise the undertaking it can be. I know I've let people down when life has got in the way. Also you may hate each other's work - it is no reflection on the standard of the work, but simply tastes can get in the way. Look for someone slightly more advanced or on the same level as yourself but with different strengths, otherwise one person gets more out of it than the other. Make sure they know what level of critique you are after and how thick your skin is. For the first exchange it is good to know.
Elgaisma, Thanks for the reply. Fortunately, my first reader and I came out of the same writing program and have edited each others work before. My main question I suppose is how to structure that relationship. I like your suggestion of 1-3 chapters. How often do you share you're work with your 1reader? Do you have set deadlines?
With my beta readers (three of us), we typically send one chapter, giving each other 2-5 days (sometimes more, depending on RL). We're flexible, and let each other know what kind of timeline we're facing (on either end). Between getting the crits back, of course, we're working on either the revisions or the next chapter. It works out very well, even though we all write in different genres. Like your first reader, we've known each other for a while, starting out with a critique forum and moving on to our own little group, so that's a distinct advantage.
Even when you know each other it may not work out (but is more likely to). Personally, we try to keep it to under a week for 10,000 words. Naturally, allowing for us to have life problems, illnesses etc I place comments and ideas in red in the document and send it back. I have been known when friends have had deadlines to beta read a novel in two days.
I don't really have a 1st reader, the only one who reads my work is my boyfriend and he's too busy to read it critically aside from him not being a reader-kind of person. My family aren't really interested in reading stories, especially in a foreign language. So, I mainly depend on forums (this one) for opinions. So, I can't be of much help.
