Writing is an intense and lengthy process. By the time you’ve written your book, edited it and then re-edited it some more, it can be very hard to view your work objectively. A beta reader comes to your writing with fresh eyes and an independent perspective and can often pick up things that you will have missed.

You should definitely ask friends and family to read and review you writing!

It’s always great to get another perspective and opinion. However, your friends and family are the people who know you best and they will also know how hard you’ve worked on your writing. That can make it difficult for them to be critical and honest with you. They also probably have a lot on themselves and might take a long time to read your book and come back to you.

Also, unless they’re writers themselves they may not be able to provide you with the kind of constructive feedback you need to develop. As an experienced beta reader, I will not only identify issues but also suggest solutions and will provide feedback in a prompt and timely fashion.

It depends on the length of the book and my current workload but normally within 1-2 weeks. If you have a specific deadline please let me know and I will try and accommodate you.

I will provide you with honest but constructive criticism. The aim of a beta read is to identify issues in your text where things currently aren’t working as well as they could be. I will explain where I think something could be improved and provide developmental advice on how you could address the issue. I’ll also identify where I feel elements of your writing are really strong and working well – which is helpful if you’re looking to further edit, develop or expand the current manuscript.

I will read nearly all fiction and some non-fiction. With non-fiction, it depends on how technical a manuscript critique you require. I can provide an informed critique on general areas of non-fiction; travel writing, basic self-help, how-to guides etc. However, if you have a specific niche area such as medical or scientific writing you are best using an expert in these fields. I have a Bachelors degree in Geography and a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma in Marketing so may be able to provide a more technical critique in these areas. If you are unsure please contact me to discuss your project.

I won’t beta-read horror or erotica as genres and also no works containing extreme violence or abuse (physical or sexual).

I reserve the right to issue a full refund for any beta reading job that I am unable to complete due to the subject matter.

I offer a basic proofread as part of my beta reading service, however, this will not go into the same detail as a full proofread and is only available alongside a beta read.

I save and store your manuscript on a private computer and will never share or distribute your work. I will ask your permission before sharing any feedback or testimonial you provide to me and otherwise all communication and correspondence will be entirely confidential.

The vast majority of beta readers are helpful and avid readers looking to provide writers with useful feedback on their work. However, there is a lot of trust involved in sending someone your manuscript before it is published and concerns over privacy, plagiarism and copyright are a good reason to use a professional beta reading service.

All feedback is provided as advice and no responsibility or liability is accepted for any action that may arise as a result of advice provided. If for any reason I am unable to finish your work I will contact you as soon as possible and discuss a full or partial refund.

All refunds at personal discretion.