Tag: amreading

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Beta Readers: Why you need them and what to expect

Hi, guys!

Last week was all about self-editing, and one of the steps I mentioned was beta readers.

For those who don’t know, beta readers read a manuscript after some editing has been done. Where people bring them into the process at differs. I send my work to beta readers roughly halfway through the editing process.

No, I don’t mean edit half the manuscript one time, then send it to them. That’s more like an alpha reader, someone who reads after a first draft. The only person who ever reads my first drafts, aside from me, is my husband.

I just mean after roughly half the rounds of edits have been done, I send it to my beta readers.

When you choose to send yours to beta readers is up to you.

After reading, they give the author feedback. You can ask them questions afterward to get more detail. If there are things that you know you struggle with, you can even ask them to go into it with those things in mind.

At its core, this phase is meant to get more eyes on your work. After going through your novel time and time again, your brain is going to fill in gaps. You know what’s supposed to be on the page, so of course it makes sense to you. But it might not be as clear as you think.

That’s where beta readers come in.

They tell you what works and what doesn’t, what needs explained more and what’s over explained. They can tell you where the book drags and which scenes kept them on the edge of their seat.

Pay attention to what they say.

If all your beta readers (yes, you need multiple) say that a specific scene was so slow they didn’t want to keep reading, you need to fix that scene.

If they all agree that a certain scene was riveting and had them gripping the book with their noses pressed to the page, maybe leave that scene alone.

If they find a typo or say something doesn’t make sense, fix it.

Because these are the opinions of readers.

AKA the type of people you want to buy your book later.

If one beta reader says something that’s completely subjective and the others gave the opposite feedback, consider it thoughtfully and make a judgement call.

Books are, after all, very subjective. Each person has a different experience with each book. That’s part of the magic of reading.

And beta readers clue you in to how readers perceive your book.

You need that, especially if you plan to self-publish, because you won’t have an entire publishing company full of experts and professionals guiding you in the right direction.

Now, you can find beta readers in a lot of places.

You can ask trusted friends or family members (if you can count on them for honest feedback), or you can ask writer friends in various writing groups.

Btw, if you’re not in writing groups, mingling with other writers…you need to be. You’ll learn a lot more than you think and form some amazing friendships with people who understand the trials of writing and publishing.

There are also countless groups across social media specifically tailored for connecting authors with beta readers. Literally, just type into the search bar on your preferred platform “beta readers.”

I know it can feel awkward asking, but think of it as practice for all the marketing you’re going to be doing later. Because whether you’re doing traditional- or self-publishing, you’re going to be marketing.

Now, what to expect from beta readers. Because let’s face it, not all beta readers are created equally.

I finally have a good group, but it took some time to get here.

There will be some that agree to read, then never speak to you again after you send them a manuscript.

There will be some that agree to read, then life shits on them, rendering them unable to read in the time frame you need.

Some give mean, unhelpful feedback laced with pettiness. You’ll have to sort them out and determine what feedback is actually helpful. Discard any rude, belittling comments for what they are: useless.

So if a beta reader tells you that your novel is garbage and that you’ll never make it because you’re a talentless hack, “thank” them for their feedback and never send another manuscript to them.

Crap comments like that won’t help you grow or learn or better yourself or your writing. It’ll only hold you back. You need constructive criticism and positive reinforcement. Not bullying.

So, grit your teeth and keep going. There are good beta readers out there. (I promise. I’ve found several.)

Some are wonderfully helpful and thorough. Some go above and beyond the call of duty, sussing out typos, continuity errors, inconsistent character behavior, etc., in addition to giving general feedback.

Obviously, those are the ones you want.

Now, prepare yourself. The feedback you get won’t always be positive. Sometimes, your beta readers will find flaws.

*gasp*

But that’s literally the entire point.

So keep your chin up, remember that every manuscript has flaws, and fix the fucking problems.

Your book will be much better for it, I promise.

If you’re worried about someone stealing your work, Microsoft Word has a watermark feature. Do that, then send it out. You hold the copyright as soon as you write the manuscript. In the US, of course, you can’t sue for financial compensation without registering it, but I’m fairly sure you can pursue a cease and desist.

Now, for my weekly progress report. I wish I had more to report, but some stupid cold/flu bug has done everything in its power to knock me on my ass this past week. (It did knock my legs out from under me once, actually. Coughing until you gag/dry heave so badly that you fall to your knees…not pleasant.)

Anyway, I finished my final edits of World for the Broken. I’ll be announcing the official release date this week! The cover reveal will follow, probably next week or the week after, depending on how long the formatting takes.

I typed a little (roughly 2,500 words) on my new WIP and planned (*gasp*) several scenes for later in the book. I even made a timeline.

I really was sick. Lol. I was plotting.

I never fuckin’ do that.

Anyway, hopefully this stupid sickness doesn’t come back for round three so I can actually get shit done.

Keep reading. Keep writing.

Later.

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Book Reading!

Hi, Guys!

Doing a blog two days in a row isn’t exactly normal for me, so clearly it’s something special.

Here’s a video of me reading the prologue. 🙂

(I stumble a bit through the intro, but bear with me. Lol. I’ve never done this before.)

🙂

Obviously, I hope you like it.

Lol.

Keep reading. Keep writing.

Later.

Posted on

Be better. READ.

Hi, guys!

So, we all read, right?

I mean, that’s the big unifier here. We’re readers and writers. Books are kinda the entire point of this blog and this website.

In one of the writing groups I’m in though, there have been several posts over the past month or so asking if you HAVE to read in order to be a writer…

And it just blows my mind.

Like…

How?

I mean, I guess you don’t HAVE to, but…

*shakes head*

I guess I just don’t get it.

On the one hand it’s as if they think they’re too good to bother reading anyone else’s work. Or too good to have anything to learn from another writer.

On the other hand…Don’t these people love stories? I mean…that’s the point of writing fiction.

Without a love of stories…why write?

And if you have a love for stories, why wouldn’t you want to read?

I’ve always loved reading. Seeing different worlds in my mind, living a million different lives, experiencing magic and dragon fights and run-ins with serial killers and secret societies…I just love it.

And it’s so deeply connected to writing. It’s literally the other side of the coin.

So, while it isn’t technically a requirement to be an avid reader in order to write, here’s why you probably should read.

A lot.

Now, of course there are the super obvious reasons.

First and foremost, reading is fucking awesome.

But also, it helps you see other perspectives and worlds and experiences. It opens your mind to other lifestyles. It allows for an escape when the real world is too much and an adventure when real life feels stagnant.

Reading sparks creativity and stirs the imagination.

But for writers, it also teaches us more about the thing we’re trying to do.

You’d be amazed just how much you can learn through osmosis.

Flow is massively important. You don’t want your readers to feel like they have to drag themselves through your book.

Guess what can show you what makes a book drag on?

Fucking reading a book, that’s what.

It shows you how to vary your sentence lengths to make your prose feel musical. It sounds better in your head, or read aloud, if you switch that shit up.

But if you never read…

How the hell will you know that?

You’ll turn out a whole book with all the damn sentences structured the same way and no one will want to read it.

Story structure can also be absorbed organically, just by reading. If you read a lot, you know that there will be a certain progression in a book, even if the author has taken it upon themselves to jump around in the timeline. You know that there will be a lot of build up, some twists, a big climactic event, and then a little bit more to tidy things up.

Naturally, you just know that most of the book takes place before the big Big BIG scene.

Reading also teaches you what you like and don’t like in a book. It shows you what’s common in your genre.

Which tropes work for your audience and which ones don’t?

What variations of those tropes have been tried?

Why were they successful? Why did they fail?

What would have made them better?

Wanna know how to learn that stuff? Open a damn book.

Reading teaches you little nuances of grammar.

It also teaches you that sometimes it’s okay to break grammar rules (hell, it’s okay to break pretty much any writing rule) if it’s appropriate for the style of writing or makes some sort of point in the story.

Stephen King’s short story, The End of the Whole Mess, illustrates this perfectly. I won’t say how/why/when he does it because spoilers, but he abandons spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, EVERYTHING in the name of the story, and it MAKES the story. I would’ve forgotten it in a heartbeat if not for this stroke of genius.

But reading doesn’t just make for a bunch of rule-breaking, outlaw writers. The only way you learn when it’s okay to break rules is by learning the rules.

Books do that! They teach you the rules, and show you why certain things are done the way they are.

When you read a book with 25 main characters and start losing track, you know not to do that. When you read a book that switches perspectives mid-paragraph and you have to stop and go back to sort out who’s talking…you know not to do that. It’s so much easier for the reader if you switch at the start of a new chapter.

The first time you read a 79 page chapter, you’ll see why things are usually broken up a bit more than that. So readers can find stopping points if they need to. To keep readers on their toes. To stop scenes in the middle and keep people turning pages.

Even if you read like me (aka slow as fuck), you’re still going to pick up on stuff.

So go read.

Stop asking if you should or if you have to read to be a writer.

Just read, already.

And speaking of reading…

Soul Bearer releases in just over a week!!!! Holy freaking crap!

Okay. So, I’m pretty excited. Obviously.

And you should be, too. I’ll be hosting a giveaway, in which TEN people will get a free, signed hardback copy of Soul Bearer. And some freaking awesome swag…designed by yours truly.

And one of those winners (this one chosen exclusively from my email subscriber list…hint hint) will also get a free, signed copy of my novella, Annabelle.

I’ll be posting the official rules, as well as pictures of the awesome prizes, Tuesday.

I have yet to decide whether it’ll be international or strictly in the United States (sorry). I’ll announce that with the rules, obviously, so keep an eye out for my posts on IG and FB.

International shipping is expensive as fuck and so are veterinary bills. And I’m a broke bitch from way back. So we’ll see how expensive it turns out to be when we pick up Mr. Pickles, today or tomorrow.

If you can’t tell from the fact that I’ve posted updates every day since he went to the vet, he’s kinda important to me. Lol. Plus, he’s my writing buddy and usually climbs all over me while I do my blog posts or edit or write.

So not having him on my lap right now is weird…

Anyway, I also have some special things planned for release day (Oct. 22nd). I’m going to try to record a reading of the prologue of Soul Bearer for all of you. I also intend to do my very first live on IG and FB, talking about the book and answering questions.

I just have to learn how to do both of those things…Lol.

If you saw the picture I posted on IG and FB of the guy laughing maniacally with his parachute on fire…Yeah, that’s my mind, a lot of the time.

Chaos and literally just doing things.

Anyway though.

Keep reading. (Seriously. Keep reading.) Keep writing.

Later.

Posted on

Frickin’ Goals

Hi, guys!

So, last week was mostly spent putting the final touches on Soul Bearer after receiving the proof copies (Centering the back cover and eliminating a few errant typos/unnecessary commas, that sort of thing).

I also made a decent amount of headway on the final round of (my) edits for the rerelease of The Gem of Meruna, and set up a date for it to go to an editor for proofreading.

All in all, not bad.

It’ll have me on track for the tentative release schedule I’ve set for myself. I’ll not be announcing dates until closer to time, because it’s all subject to change. I know very well that life throws curve balls.

But I have a schedule and I intend to stick to it as closely as possible.

It’s not an easy schedule, but I’m gonna give it everything I’ve got.

Which brings me to the main topic.

Frickin goals.

You need them.

They’re serious motivators. Humans (in general) hate feeling like they’ve failed. Setting a goal pushes you, it makes you feel like something’s at stake even if the only thing you stand to lose is a little pride.

You need goals for your life to keep you moving forward, to keep you from stagnating.

But you need good ones.

Whether you’re reading, writing, or working toward some other dream (maybe you want to sell ice cream on the beach? Idk), you need realistic, achievable, challenging goals.

If you say, “I want to read 300 books this year,” but it takes you an average of a week to finish a book, you’re probably not going to push yourself to reach that goal because you know it’s not going to happen.

Aiming for 52 books a year is more attainable, obviously. It holds you to reading, at a pace you know you can maintain. Wanna push yourself to read more? Go for 55.

On the flipside, if you set a goal of finishing your first draft (no editing, just first draft) by the end of this year and you only have one more chapter (and your average is a week for a chapter)…

Who gives a fuck about that goal? It’s meaningless.

It doesn’t push you to write faster or work harder. It’s just some silly arbitrary thing you came up with and didn’t care about.

Aiming to have it done by Friday rather than by Sunday? That’s a better goal. It’s more attainable, but still pushes you.

Achieving a goal provides a sense of satisfaction beyond the original satisfaction of finishing something, as well as a little ego boost because, hey, you freaking did it.

But if it’s something you knew you’d do and the goal was just kinda thrown in there for shits and giggles…that extra boost disappears.

For example, at work, we can build out.

Basically, what that means is, if we build the number of tires we’re supposed to build over the course of a shift before the end of the shift, we can stop working and still get paid for being there. We can sit in the cafeteria or go to the on-site gym. We just can’t leave until the end of the shift.

The rates used to be unbelievably high. Like…push-yourself-into-a-frenzy-all-day-long-and-if-one-thing-goes-wrong-you’re-done high.

And no one tried.

Because it was stupid.

Why exhaust yourself to get 5 minutes of sitting at the end of a 12 hour shift, knowing you’re going to be sore and dead on your feet the next day when you come back for another 12 hour shift?

Or worse, push yourself super hard, and then, with an hour left to go, get a cassette of material that’s absolute garbage, but there’s no more, so you just have to fix every single tire, and suddenly your build out disappears. But you’re still absolutely exhausted, and still working.

No thanks.

But recently, they lowered the rates. They’re attainable, now.

You still have to push, and any serious problem means it’s out the window….but it’s possible to have an entire hour at the end of the shift where you don’t have to run a machine.

So people try, now.

I try every damn day.

And most days, I get to spend 45 minutes to an hour and a half getting paid to sit on my ass, reading, while someone else takes over and builds more tires on my machine.

The company gets more product, morale goes up, and I get to read or write or work on a blog post at work.

All because of a challenging, but achievable goal.

So, as I said above, I’ve set a tentative release schedule for the rerelease of The Gem of Meruna and the releases of After, Where Darkness Leads, and Salt and Silver, all to follow the release of Soul Bearer.

I intend to finish The Regonia Chronicles by the time all those are out, and then those books will be added to the release schedule.

It’s going to be rigorous. It’ll be a lot of late nights (my preferred kind of night, honestly).

But I’m going to get these books out as close to the schedule as is humanly possible.

I’m pushing myself harder for a bunch of dates I literally pulled out of thin air.

Yeah, I made sure to leave time for life, while still keeping it challenging.

But now, I’m going to push.

And you should, too.

Set a goal for yourself, and push toward it.

Whether it’s a certain number of books to read for the year or a word count for the week or maybe something long term (starting a business or some such thing).

Believe in yourself enough to set a goal.

Then, fucking get it!

Feel free to leave tips or tricks for goal setting in the comments. You know, all that “like, comment, subscribe” stuff youtubers say at the end of their videos. It applies here, too, but I feel awkward as hell saying it. Lol.

As always…

Keep reading. Keep writing.

Later.