Julie’s Comments (group member since Feb 26, 2014)

Julie’s comments from the Beta Reader Group group.

As a beta reader, the most awesome thank you (IMO) is an autographed copy of the book. I have a shelf with all of the books I've gotten from my authors, and it makes my day every time I see it. I can't wait until I can retire (in about a hundred years) so I can beta read more often. Work pays the bills, but it sure gets in the way of reading!

No, discounts are still a paid service and should be posted in Paid Services Offered. You can also post on the Special Offers board. Thanks for asking.

Good idea on having this moved to the Covers, Blurbs, 1st Line, Query discussion board and having each author post his/her own thread so it is easier to follow. I'm going to move this thread to that board now.

Hi Bridger, I'm going to move this thread to the Crtique, Partners and Swaps discussion board instead of this General Discussion board. We are trying to keep the boards separate so it is easier for everyone to find what they are looking for.

By the way, I can move this thread to the Authors Seeking Free Betas discussion board so that you don't have to post a new thread. If that is helpful, please send me a direct message. Thanks!

As a beta reader, I would ask that when you post in the Authors Seeking Free Betas, be sure to be upfront about the word count of the book you are wanting read. There are people out there who love epic fantasy and would be willing to read a 400K book for you, although I understand you are now planning to break it into a series. At any rate, when I first started beta reading, I learned the hard way to make sure I know the word count before I commit to a project. We have a lot of new readers in this group who may not think about that, and 400K (or even 100K) is a lot to commit to without that information.

Your website looks very professional. Great job on the surface!

Before I sign up, I was wondering how a beta reader is contacted if/when there is a match. Would I receive an email or do I have to login to the site to see if there are matches?

Also, because we are down a staff member at work, I'm not able to take on new commitments at this time, but I also don't want to forget about your site for when I can take on new projects. If I were to sign up, would I be declining opportunities sent directly from the author or only ignoring book choices the site automatically generates for me (it appears the latter after reviewing the site)?

I have had to turn down a bunch of authors recently. I'm going to send them the link to your site in case they want to give it a try. I think your idea is truly a great one. Since they don't already have an established method or established beta readers, new authors might be more willing to give it a try as you work to build users (both readers and authors). Thanks so much for putting this together. I really hope it takes off and makes it worth your time and effort.

Hi Ramla,

Since you've made it clear that the first 2,000 words are free, I think it is fine to post on the Betas Offering Free Services board, as you've done. I would like to ask that, if you stop offering the free service part, you please contact me or one of the other moderators to move this thread to the Betas Offering Paid Services board. Thanks!

Julie

Yasmin wrote: "I really cannot recommend Julie enough as a beta reader. She read my manuscript months ago and I've been awful at leaving some feedback - sorry Julie!

But seriously, by far the best experience I'v..."

Haha! Glad I made you squee! Thanks for the feedback. Your book sure made me stop and think about so many things. I hope you end up making it a series and flesh out all of the characters. So many things that I wanted to know!!

Charlie wrote: "Julie's feedback and notes showed a thorough, dedicated reading. Her notes on my manuscript offered a running dialogue of emotional response, so valuable to know when your humor or drama is hitting..."

Thanks, Charlie. Your book was a lot of fun and definitely brought back memories from my childhood. Thanks for the opportunity to read for you!

I try my best to sandwich my negative feedback in between the positive to cut the sting a little. I also give links to blogs that I've found over time that better explain different things that I may have a hard time explaining...things like show vs tell or writing realistic/interesting dialogue. I read a ton, but I'm not a writer and don't pretend to be. I love when I find a good blog, written by an author, that clearly explains different techniques or writing issues.

We are going to try out a new board and see how it goes.

This board can be used for anyone who wants to post a limited-time free service or contest for a free service, etc. There were a bunch of these posts on the board for free beta services, and it was hard to tell when the service was going to move from free to paid.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact a moderator.

Thanks,
Julie

Please do not post or advertise for paid beta reading services on this discussion board. All posts on this board should be by beta readers offering free services only.

If you are offering paid services, please post on the Paid Services discussion board and do not contact authors directly to offer your paid service. If an author reports to a moderator that this is happening, you will be removed from this group. Thank you for your help with this matter.

Thanks, Marissa. I really enjoyed the book and wish you the best of luck with the series. I can't wait to read the rest of it.

Farah wrote: "Julie is such a fantastic beta reader, I feel privileged that she took the time to read my book. She gives honest, helpful critique, and was great at finding errors in my MS. I hope I can work with..."

Thanks, Farah. I'm looking forward to working with you again in the future. Good luck with the book!

Nicola wrote: "Julie, you are a gem! I am so glad I found you and so damned lucky to have your help. I have no doubt that Paul is exactly right: your keen eye is as savvy as an editor's, and any writer that gets ..."

Thanks, Nicola. You just made my day!

Thanks, Kelley. I hope I get the opportunity to read for you again, too. I've got to find out how Emma and Matt work out!! Good luck with the series and thanks for referring Yasmin. :)

As a beta reader, I prefer to know up front any questions/issues that my authors are interested in receiving feedback on, so I'd rather you send me your questions in the email in which you send the book to me. Having the questions before I read gives me the chance to review them and keep them in mind as I read. I can make notes as I come across examples to support my feedback on each question.

On the issue of changing the genders, that's a bit more complicated to answer. I could see some readers preferring to receive the original story so that they can read it and consider how changing the genders would change the story. I can also imagine readers who would rather have the original as well as the draft with the changes. You could always explain the issue to betas when you send the story and ask their preference. If they want to read the draft, you could send that in a follow-up email.

Thanks so much, Paul. That really means a lot. I really enjoyed reading your story and wish you the best of luck with publishing it as well as any spin-offs that you end up writing. I look forward to beta reading those for you!

Hi, I'm Julie Kelley. I've been beta reading since Dec 2013 and really enjoy the experience. My favorite genres are PNR, contemporary romance, and anything funny and light-hearted, but if the story is good enough, I'll read just about anything...with the exception of horror or anything scary.

I try to provide feedback on the plot, setting, and characters as well as give you an idea of what I really liked, could have liked more, expected to see (or would expect to see in later books of a series), found confusing, and anything that seems out of sequence or off from a time-line perspective. I also answer as many follow-up questions as you may have, for as long as you need me, which I believe is part of the beta reading process. I can also provide references upon request.

The information I prefer to receive when contacted to beta read is as follows:
1. Approximate word count
2. If the book has been through the editing process (if so, I will use "tracked changes" as I read to mark any errors so you can accept or reject as you see fit)
3. Time frame the feedback is needed within
4. If the book is part of a series
5. If part of a series, which book in the series I'm being asked to beta read
6. The synopsis (or at least an idea of what the story is about)

I provide a free service to authors. The only thing I expect in return is a reply email, letting me know you received my feedback as well as any feedback you may have that would help me be a better beta reader in the future. Once you publish, if you send me a copy of the book, I am happy to read it and post a review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobles for you.

A little info about me:
I'm the married mom of four children (two boys/two girls, early teens to early twenties). I have a boy and girl that fall into the YA category and one of each in the NA category. I work in a small office setting at a university as an Office Manager and spend a lot of my day reviewing legal contracts. I have my undergrad degree in Business Administration and my Master's in Sport Management. I am a huge college football and baseball fan and know a great deal about both sports. I also sew, although not as much over the past few years.

If you think I would be a good fit to read for you, please message me through my Goodreads inbox since I may not see the notification if you reply to this post. If I am not already committed and can take on your book, I'll message you back with information on how to send me your book.

Thanks in advance for the opportunity and best of luck on your stories!!!