Review Group discussion

I am currently offering my services free of charge as a beta reader.

I am not a professional editor, but do have a good level of education and a decent command of English. I will be able to spot obvious grammatical errors, inconsistencies, dubious word choices etc. Basically if you want someone to do a sanity check of your work then I would be a good choice.

Feedback will be couched in the kindest of terms :). I will never slate your work or leave you feeling depressed.

I shall also propose a review of the work which I will hold onto until it is finished. This review will be negotiable i.e. you will have visibility of it and the opportunity to suggest changes to wording and emphasis. However, I will not l lie :). I will not post the review unless you are happy for me to do so; basically no downside to you whatsoever.

Happy writing :)

Ralph

Ralph wrote: "I am currently offering my services free of charge as a beta reader.

I am not a professional editor, but do have a good level of education and a decent command of English. I will be able to spot o..."

Hi Ralph,

I don't couch my beta-comments 'in the kindest terms'. I tell it straight. I also explain why it is a fault, and gives examples or suggestions on how to make it better. If the work is completely sub-standard, I stop when I've read enough, but I still explain why I consider it substandard (usually two or three pages).

My primary aim is NOT to make the writer feel good, but to help improve the work. My secondary aim is to help a writer get over any systemic faults, and I'm happy to say 'AAARRGGHHH!! You've done it again!" to emphasise my point.

So far at least four published books I beta-read have acknowledged me for my help. One writer even addressed me as 'Brutal Bob' when he came back to me to Beta-read his sequel. (I have also had one writer express his disapproval of me, saying how my treatment of his book could destroy a young writer's self-confidence.)

I don't pretend to be kind. I DO aim to be honest, helpful and professional in my approach, sometimes using a touch of hyperbole myself to ensure the message gets through. I recall one summary I sent a writer saying "I have poured endless scorn on your habit of..." in raising one specific fault, giving chapter and line of one specific example before discussing how it should be improved and why. I wanted to leave no doubt that this wasn't a blemish, but a serious problem that HAD TO be addressed.

After all, I don't charge, so I don't have to worry about losing a paying customer. But I do stand to gain a competent working colleague for the future, one whom I might ask to treat my work with the same cold focus on the text and not worry about my emotions.

I tend not to review books I Beta unless I am sent the text as finally published. If that happens, I usually send a draft to the writer first, as a courtesy. I might adjust my wording if it is a reasonable request. I give an honest review, and if I can't endorse a book as being worth the purchase price, I simply refuse to write a review for it.

Tito,

I may be being a bit thick but I don't see the point in your lengthy post. I think our approaches align almost entirely.

In the past I have refused to leave a review for books that are total tripe and where the author is so far behind the required standard of good writing that they are beyond redemption. However, I draw the line at upsetting said person with my opinion, which would likely destroy their efforts, as it is after all, only my opinion.

I believe that most people want the truth, and the truth benefits them. However, if they are going to accept your wise words, then they need to be couched in such a fashion that they aren't left mentally shattered. I never lie or inflate ratings. I have only ever left ratings for finished works (modulo minor adjustments), and don't offer false praise - there's no benefit in that for anyone.

You may be able to accept cutting words against your work and deal with them with stoic detachment, but most people invest a great deal of themselves in their efforts. They need to be treated with some kindness to sweeten the pill.

I'm offering a free service. Hours of my time given for FREE. I don't expect criticism for what is a genuine, altruistic act. You have your ways and if that works for you then great. I would appreciate being left alone to do my stuff, my way.

Ralph wrote: "Tito,

I may be being a bit thick but I don't see the point in your lengthy post. I think our approaches align almost entirely.

In the past I have refused to leave a review for books that are tot..."

Hi Ralph,

My points in reply are...

1. More strength to your arm! You provide your time and services without charge, and I commend you for that.

2. If you can convey your critique with kindness, then again more strength to your arm. I find that if I try to sugar-coat the pill the writer tends to see only what they want to see, and taste only the sugar.

3. I did not intend to criticise you or insult you. Looking back over my post, I still fail to see any point that says you are doing anything wrong, but I apologise if that sense was conveyed between the lines. My intention was rather to outline my own approach and my reasons for adopting that style, which would seem to differ in tone (even if not in substance) from yours. But your style is valid, so long as the writer understands your point. As I said in points 1 and two above, more strength to your arm!

4. Nor do I deliberately set out to offend the writer. As I show in the two examples I give, when I use hyperbole to make a point, it is clear that it is intended as hyperbole rather than gratuitous insult. What I do is for emphasis, not offence. I don't want the writer mistaking a serious flaw for a minor imperfection. Perhaps I overdo it, but the fact that only one writer has reported back that he was offended while several others appreciate my work suggests that this was an unfortunate mis-match of personal codes of etiquette. That writer still received a full assessment, analysis and suite of suggestions for the work as far as I read, but didn't mention that in his return complaint. Fair enough. The writer is sovereign over the work and can take a reader's response however he will.

But in the meantime, Ralph, continue to provide your services with a generous heart and in your preferred manner. My way is not the only way, and probably not even the best way. But it's my way, so I put it on the table.

All the best for you in this new year,

Bob

I would love to have a beta reader. But my book is completely different.
I wrote it in movie form. Here is the information

Title: MIND NIGHT BLUE 1st Night with a Bampire

Author: LB Harpdog

Series: 3 Books, 17 Chapters per book

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Fantasy 18+ strong language and explicit sex

A whole race born from loneliness and heartbreak. A world were death is rare. A place were your deepest carnal desires are not judged.

Bampires crashed on earth. They feast on humans, but not in the way you think. They survive from sex with pure humans. They have it all from beauty, wealth, eternity, and endless sex. But one flaw will be there savior or their downfall, LOVE.

Juju has a secret that even she doesn't know about. But another person does. His name is LB. He found Juju with four days left before her secret will be revealed and could expose the very existence of Bampires.

He invites Juju to MIND NIGHT BLUE, a world he created to allow Bampires to roam free and live life. Just when LB gets ready to explain to Juju her past. She dissappears in this cat and mouse mystery game with people from his past that wants the one thing they once had. The love of LB. Will LB choose Juju or another person to give his heart to.

This first day will set the tone for a mystery that you will never see coming.



Let me know if you want a free book link to the first book. After your review, ill send you the second link to book 2 and then finally 3.MIND NIGHT BLUE : 1st Night with a Bampire

Hi Ralph,
I am looking for readers who are willing to read and review my debut memoir, Kissing Asphalt. If you would be interested, please let me know. www.kissingasphalt.com

HI Ralph,

I do have a thick skin, so however you want to tell it works for me. Let me know if you're still open or interested.

I have a high fantasy book about 100,000 words. 18+/adult
First of a series, but it's the only one finished right now.

Book's genre: Adventure Fantasy (think Hobbit with sex and without Hobbits)
Word count 100,000
Romance between a human man and two hermaphroditic cat people.
I use the hir/xe pronouns for them
POV details: multiple third person
Kinds of sex scenes (if applicable): steamy romance, no kink
Level of violence: some graphic battle scenes, mild torture
I would like at least 4 betas, but it seems very hard to get betas now versus a few years ago.... (why is that?)

Tropes: first time, grudging allies to friends to lovers, straight man getting sexual with a penis, taking care of people who are sick, finding a magical artifact, traveling, alpha/protective male

Very simple/rough synopsis. I don't have a finished blurb yet.

Synopsis – Akani, an ex mercenary trying to stop a war he started, hired three felinori to take him across country to find a magical potion to heal a queen to stop the war. Along the way, the group surmounts several adversaries and road locks, and he learns more about the felinori and discovers love in a world he never thought possible.

Thanks

Hi, I'm looking for feedback for my contemporary YA fantasy Blanco & The Starry Night: https://www.amazon.com/Blanco-Starry-...

I'm happy to send a copy to anyone who would like to read it.