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Elizabeth Eyles
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The Beta Reader Kindle Edition

by Elizabeth Eyles (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

Ideal handbook for the writer who wants to be read


Beta readers play an increasingly pivotal role in eBook publications, but it is a role that has been hard to define. This guide not only outlines the ideal Beta reader, it helps writers prepare their manuscripts for that first important reading, and in the process fills in what the ideal Beta reader should know, and be looking for.

The editing section is eBook-friendly with one-screen references for each stage. In no way is it intended to replace the excellent editing reference books out there, but they are expensive for the impoverished newbie—this book is as cheap as Amazon will allow. The editing guidelines are a useful starting point for work that otherwise may get no input at all, but the book is mainly for the writer who hasn’t previously used pre-publication readers, and for readers not sure what is expected of them. It is invaluable for writers who have produced something unexpectedly good during writing events such as NaNoWriMo and want to take it further.

Updated August 2016

Elizabeth Eyles is a member of ALLi.
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  1. Print length
    92 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 26, 2013
  4. File size
    484 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

People who are prepared to read for you are wonderful. However, most don't really know how to beta read: they either don't want to hurt your feelings, or they get over-critical (and really hurt your feelings!) so this lays out exactly what feedback is the most useful.      As for preparing the manuscript: my first novel was very nearly a textbook example for how not to self-publish. I believed that, as an editor, I could self-edit. I had never even heard of beta readers. Like most first-time books, it was bought by friends and family, and a lot of them were probably put off my books for life. I'm still blushing. The more I learn, the more I blush at that optimistic, enthusiastic, wasted potential.     It was the start of a learning curve which all writers share, and the learning curve never ends. However, experience does level it slightly. I lent a friend my copious notes after I beta-read her raw book, and she convinced me to pull the notes together into a handbook. It is far from the last reference book you will ever consult, but it is a useful first book, and combines a great deal of advice from a great many writers who have traveled their own learning curves.     We don't have to make all our own mistakes. Learning from the mistakes of others is a wonderful short cut. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00FVABB16
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 26, 2013
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 484 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 92 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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Elizabeth Eyles

Elizabeth Eyles

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4.5 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Sharron Grodzinsky
    4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Helpful
    Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Not only contains good information on Beta reading but on the process of writing and getting your book ready for Beta readers. Lots of great ideas on how to get your book in shape to publish. Doesn't give you ultimatums but suggestions!
    Helpful
     Report
  • Andrew Gurcak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Your finished story is not finished: a how-to guide for preparing a raw manuscript for publicaiton
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book provides a succinct overwiew of the tasks needed to go from a first manuscript to a finished publication. It is written primarily for authors and readers working with e-books, but its advice and step-by-step methods are readily applicable to traditional print publication as well.
    What makes this book particularly useful is that it covers the intermediate tasks that confront an author after "The End" is first written. Eyles writes as an author of a well-received mystery series, as well as from her own experiences in both using and being a beta-reader. She makes explicit in a comfortable but thoroughly professional way those steps needed to make a story readable, a step that novice authors may readily neglect. She emphasizes again and again through examples and nuts-and-bolts directions how to ensure that the writing in fact communicates what its author intends, and how to identify and eliminate those quirks and annoyances that cause a reader to set the book aside long before its ending. She brings in the necessity of applying other eyes to the work, beta-readers in particular, and lays out the duties and responsiblities of both the author to the beta and the beta to the author. Additionally, she walks authors through preparing their stories for e-books and their particular publishing needs, especially helpful for authors who wish to self-publish.
    Overall , an essential book for anyone asked to be a beta-reader, but even more useful to authors new to taking their stories trhough the editing and modern publication processes.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Debbie
    4.0 out of 5 stars About so much more than beta readers - a useful read for any author
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2014
    I came across this book after sending out a manuscript of my imminent collection of flash fiction stories, "Quick Change", to beta readers, and I was keen to read it to make sure I hadn't made any terrible blunders!

    It is a quick but helpful and worthwhile read, covering very much more than the writer's relationship with beta readers. It addresses the whole process of fine-tuning a manuscript for completing the first draft to hitting the "publish" button (or the query with publishers/agents process, if you're going the traditional route rather than self-publishing).

    The author is an experienced novelist (publishing those books under a different name) and can relate easily both to the nervous beginner writer and the seasoned pro. She shares lots of great advice for self-editing to get your ms the best it can be - and also warns against things that will hamper your progress (never try to self-edit for too long in one session, or self-edit when you're tired). She also explains why certain tips make sense, such as why you should put your manuscript aside for a month before starting the self-editing process: to guard against the short-term memory that will prevent you from spotting mistakes.

    I agreed with the vast majority of her tips, though not all - for example, she recommends using Grammarly as a virtual extra editor for your work. My experiments with Grammarly made me give up on it as laughably inaccurate, but maybe it's been enhanced since I last tried it. I also wasn't sure of taking her advice on some of her software recommendations, as they come across as a very personal choice rather than a comprehensive assessment of what's out there, but hey, that's the author's prerogative.

    I think this book deserves more readers than it seems to have had so far - I was surprised to find that I'd be the first to review it here. I think it's hampered by the slightly inaccurate title. Beta reading is an important area that many new writers don't know about, so it's good to focus on them here. But to me the book read more like a guide to making your book the best it can be for the end users - your final readers, post-publication, and beta-readers are only a small though invaluable part of that process. I'd be interested to know whether it would be likely to be more high profile with a broader title.

    Title notwithstanding, it's a useful read, with great tips in a readable, reassuring style, by someone who's been there, done that, and is still doing it - as writer, editor and beta-reader. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for any author.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Albert Verrill
    5.0 out of 5 stars How about it?
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    1) Would you like to be a beta reader?
    2) Would you like to find a beta reader?

    Why?
    1) Have you ever read an e-book that you thought you might enjoy, but soon got discouraged by the seemingly lack of basic writing ability and/or grammar skills possessed by the author?
    2) Have you ever published an e-book yourself, only to learn from some of its reviews that others disparaged of your writing and/or grammar skills?

    Well, by golly, "beta reading" is a concept that might very well do double service here to help turn the self-publishing e-book tidal wave into a surf-friendly environment for avid readers and writers everywhere.

    So, would you like to try this approach?
    1) Why not help an author? Offer to be a beta reader. No money changes hands, only information.
    2) Why not discover a beta reader? One who likes your work and wishes to help and encourage you in your writing adventures.

    Is beta-reading for everyone? Of course not. But it might just be for you. Read this great little e-book and find out for yourself.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Alison Laverty
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A really great book for writers of all genre. I highly recommend it to anyone with interest in writing.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Daniel L. 'Doc' Cox
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Starting Point
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2018
    This is a good read for an author to use to prepare themselves and their manuscripts interaction with a beta reader. As a semi-professional beta reader and copy editor, I found Elizabeth's insights useful and informative. It is more for the author than the experienced beta reader.
    All in all, a good read.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Debbie
    4.0 out of 5 stars About so much more than beta readers - a useful read for any author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I came across this book after sending out a manuscript of my imminent collection of flash fiction stories, "Quick Change", to beta readers, and I was keen to read it to make sure I hadn't made any terrible blunders!

    It is a quick but helpful and worthwhile read, covering very much more than the writer's relationship with beta readers. It addresses the whole process of fine-tuning a manuscript from completing the first draft to hitting the "publish" button (or the query with publishers/agents process, if you're going the traditional route rather than self-publishing).

    The author is an experienced novelist (publishing those books under a different name) and can relate easily both to the nervous beginner writer and the seasoned pro. She shares lots of great advice for self-editing to get your ms the best it can be - and also warns against things that will hamper your progress (never try to self-edit for too long in one session, or self-edit when you're tired). She also explains why certain tips make sense, such as why you should put your manuscript aside for a month before starting the self-editing process: to guard against the short-term memory that will prevent you from spotting mistakes.

    I agreed with the vast majority of her tips, though not all - for example, she recommends using Grammarly as a virtual extra editor for your work. My experiments with Grammarly made me give up on it as laughably inaccurate, but maybe it's been enhanced since I last tried it. I also wasn't sure of taking her advice on some of her software recommendations, as they come across as a very personal choice rather than a comprehensive assessment of what's out there, but hey, that's the author's prerogative.

    I think this book deserves more readers than it seems to have had so far - I was surprised to find that I'd be the first to review it here. I think it's hampered by the slightly inaccurate title. Beta reading is an important area that many new writers don't know about, so it's good to focus on them here. But to me the book read more like a guide to making your book the best it can be for the end users - your final readers, post-publication, and beta-readers are only a small though invaluable part of that process. I'd be interested to know whether it would be likely to be more high profile with a broader title.

    Title notwithstanding, it's a useful read, with great tips in a readable, reassuring style, by someone who's been there, done that, and is still doing it - as writer, editor and beta-reader. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for any author.
    Report

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