Beta Reader Group discussion

Hello writers!

Looking for a beta reader, proofreader or copy editor? You've come to the right place!

I've worked as a freelance editor and writer for over five years and have a Ba in English & Creative Writing. As an English language teacher at a university, I'm also a grammar geek! I read and review over 50 books a year, so I know what makes a novel work. I offer a quick turn around time with detailed feedback (both instant reactions using the comment feature, plus an editorial letter to summarise my overall thoughts).

PRICES:
beta read: $0.004AUD/word ($0.0026USD)
copy edit: $0.006-7AUD/word ($0.0039-0045USD)
proofread: $0.005AUD/word ($.0032USD)
10% discount off all services for returning clients!

I love reading in age groups of Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult, and my favourite genres include romance and fantasy, but I also dabble in historical fiction, sci-fi and general fiction. However, I read a wide range of genres so message me a bit about your work and we can see if we're a good match. I can read both completed works and small excerpts (with a minimum charge). I also offer a free sample.

Comment below or head over to my website for more details on what I offer, as well as testimonials from recent clients: https://gcdeditorial.wordpress.com/
or email me at gcdeditorial@outlook.com
You can also read some testimonials from my clients in the comments below.
I have an Instagram where I offer specials, writing advice and showcase the authors I work with: @gcdeditorial

I hope we can work together to make your writing the best it can be!

Gabby

Im interested in a sample beta reading for my middle grade dark fantasy.

I have all my testimonials on my website, but I've included a few recent ones below:

“Gabby gave me the encouragement I needed after a long journey of self-editing my writing. She took my concerns and questions to heart and left feedback along the way that helped me pinpoint both specific and general areas of improvement, including things I wasn’t made aware of in feedback I received before. While her service was prompt I knew she took the time to also show me what’s working. I’m happy my work is on the right track now!”
– Julia Hill – https://twitter.com/_HillJulia

“Gabby was a fast and gentle beta reader with my fledgling novel. She offered compliments and criticisms in equal parts. While she commented as she read, the main value I took from her was in her summary. She told me what she enjoyed; and she gave suggestions for improvement in areas. Some characters need more work, and her ideas are valid. She suggested where to linger with more setting details, where character development could be slower and deeper, and where emotions need to be clarified.
The best that Gabby has given me is the confidence to keep slogging away.”
– Roslyn Cairns

“Gabby gave me some really good feedback to help me further refine my second draft and took a look at specific issues I had addressed (pacing, characterization) to make sure those aspects of my draft were working for a reader. She also gave me some good technical advice to tighten up the writing itself which will affect a great deal of my work, for which I’m grateful.”
– JA Vodvarka – http://www.javodvarka.com – @coolhandlukette

“Gabby is amongst the very best beta readers I have had the pleasure of working with. She is everything a writer could hope for in a beta reader–her feedback was helpful, honest, insightful, and thoughtful, and my novel will be better for her help. Her rates are also incredibly affordable, and she turned my manuscript around in record time. I highly recommend her services and hope I can work with her again in the future.”
– J.R. Alcyone, Author of: Five Fathoms Beneath and The Stars That Govern Us, http://www.jralcyone.com

Gabby did an excellent job beta reading for my manuscript. She was uplifting and encouraging, while also very honest and helpful in pointing out any problems she saw in my writing and the story's pacing and descriptions. She also returned my novel in a timely manner, which was a big plus. I'd certainly recommend her services to anyone, and I'll be using her again myself for my next project. Thank you so much, Gabby!

Gabby is a fantastic beta reader! She offered great feedback and suggestions to make my story better. She's the kind of reader everyone wants—friendly and knowledgable. I'd highly recommend her!

Gabby did an awesome job as our beta reader! She gave thorough comments that were encouraging, praise, and pointed out where changes were needed in a constructive and friendly manner. She gave honest feedback on how it could be improved and made note of the areas that were the strongest. I’ll definitely be working with her again!

Gabby is an awesome beta reader! She gave feedback that was well-structured and easily understood. She also was incredibly supportive, praising when needed and pointing out possible improvements whenever present. I found that the way she critiqued really helped me understand my writing style in a more in-depth manner. Definitely would recommend her!

Gabby did a great job with her beta read of my novel. She has a knack for providing constructive, actionable feedback in a positive and supportive manner. She seemed to understand my writing style and gave me comments that fit what I was trying to achieve, instead of trying to change it to “her way.”

Her pricing was reasonable, and she delivered on her promised turnaround time.

I am grateful our paths crossed and highly recommend her.

Gabby is an amazing beta reader, I am really satisfied with her work. I love how she understood what I was trying to achieve with my story and gave me actionable feedback to improve it. She picked up on patterns/mistakes and gave me tips on how to address them. I am 100% going to work again with her, and I highly recommend her.

Thank you again, Gabby! :)

Gabby is a good first reader. She is positive and helpful. Her service is a good value and she has a quick turnaround. After her first Beta read for me I immediately hired her for another.

Gabby provided me with specific, actionable advice that I can use to improve my novel. Great work, fast turnaround, and highly recommended.

I hired Gabby to beta read for me a few months back. She did such a great job that I asked her to proofread my final draft. She finished the job promptly and on-time just as she had promised. She showed outstanding attention to detail and even made a few grammatical suggestions that went outside doing "just" a straight proofread. Her prices are very affordable (indie authors working on a budget especially, take note!) and she's friendly, courteous, and professional. I highly recommend her and would not hesitate to hire her again.

I hired Gabby to carry out a copy edit on my 50k romance novel. All her suggestions were on point and accurate. She even offered advice outside her scope for the professional layout and formatting.
She delivered the manuscript on-time and has helped me tremendously on my Indie journey.

I'd have no hesitation hiring Gabby again, as she is efficient, professional and cost-effective.

Gabby is a dream beta reader. She is encouraging while being critical exactly where she needs to be critical. I know that when I fix the issues she pointed out my work will be vastly improved. I feel as if I took a master class with several major authors who paid attention to what I wrote and gave me pointers. I will be asking Gabby to do a final edit for me since I am convinced she will see whatever I miss.

OMG!!! If you can get on her schedule, you have to work with Gabby!

I'm probably shooting myself in the foot by letting out the secret, I'm hoping to book her next month to read the third book in my series - she's THAT good - but I know how hard it is to to find someone to give you actionable feedback, in a way you can use.

Encouraging and positive, she gives me the right sort of support I need to take my book to the next level. Gabby is the beta reader I now compare all others too. Book her now - and you will too!

P.S. She had no say in my feedback here, I just can't gush on her enough :)

Gabby did a copy edit for my most recent draft and now I have a complete cheat sheet to complete my novel - couldn't be happier with the results. The attention to detail was fantastic.

I would highly recommend booking her in now before she starts charging the rates she deserves!

Gabby completed a beta read for my novel. I'm extremely pleased with the feedback and points she raised. She is very thorough and has a great balance of raising issues with the writing without being overly negative or disheartening, I would recommend her in a heartbeat if you are looking for constructive critique and honest feedback to improve your writing.

Gabby did a great job beta reading my manuscript. She completed the review and answered all my questions within the time frame she said she would. Her comments were very helpful and done in a way that was encouraging. I believe that I have a better story because of her. I will work with Gabby again when I have new material to review.

I asked Gabby to beta read my debut novel. she did it in two weekends and provided extremely helpful, tactical feedback. I was rather nervous showing my work to anyone. it was my baby and I was incredibly scared someone will call my baby ugly. :) Gabby was the first to read it and her edits were delivered with such support I felt encouraged and excited. I was literally waiting for her email to see what she thought of each successive chapter. she helped me to improve without ever making me feel discouraged. I'm so grateful she's the first to read my work. her feedback helps me to move forward with stronger armor so any future negative feedback will bounce off and hurt less. (I'm a realist - I don't expect everyone will love my story as much as I do :) )
it goes without saying - I highly recommend Gabby. if you can get on her schedule, you will be one of the lucky authors!

I recently hired Gabby to beta read my 85,000 word thriller, Body Wars, and was more than satisfied. Not only did she finish ahead of schedule, her comments were insightful and will certainly help improve my complete manuscript. I will definitely use her again!

Gabby is an amazing beta reader! She is kind and professional, and helped me understand the flaws and the strengths of my story. She paid attention to all the details, answered all my questions and delivered the feedback quickly. I can highly recommend her and I will work with her again! :D

I just worked with Gabby on my 124k fantasy novel. She finished in 7 days and provided many little insights into the manuscript through her beta read. She also caught some more typos that I had missed.

Her reviews involve comments throughout the Word doc of the novel, as well as a separate final review. This provided a more global view of things for me to consider as I take a crack at the second draft.

Her comments and suggestions I found to be helpful and illustrative of things I had missed on several edits of the text. I would definitely use her for proofreading and editing in the future.
Thanks again!

My luck with beta readers has been very hit or miss, but this experience was WELL WORTH the investment. Gabby's specific and actionable feedback was exactly what I needed to progress my story and elevate my writing. I knew my MS had issues, but could no longer tell what was working and what wasn't. Gabby's feedback provided much needed energy around approaching a new round of revisions. She was timely and thorough and made space in her review to show me what she loved as well as where there were opportunities to smooth out dialogue, better distinguish character nuances, and add more depth to the overall plot development. I absolutely recommend her services!

This is my second time working with Gabby and it was a pleasure again. Her feedback is spot on and you can tell that she "gets" what you're trying to accomplish.

My book was picked up by an indie press and that's partially thanks to her excellent recommendations.

Highly recommended!

Gabby provides an invaluable service to writers. She is efficient and insightful, offering helpful feedback both on the manuscript and in an editorial letter. I appreciate that she was honest and thorough, and that she also took the time to share what worked well for her.

Her work is unmatched, and I've worked with Gabby for 3 Historical Fiction novels.
I don't know what I did before I found her!!!

If you're looking for a knowledgable, experienced, prompt, detailed beta reader, that knows how to point out your manuscripts weaknesses AND give suggestions on how to improve them, you need her now!!
If you wrote a book, you need this beta...take my word for it :)

Hi Gabby,

I'm looking for professional beta readers for my cozy mystery with paranormal/ fantasy elements. Right now the book is too long for the genre and I need some readers to help me parse out which parts work and which ones don't. Please let me know if you're interested.

Blurb:

When Clementine (Clem) Cooper’s long lost Aunt Maple is murdered in the quaint New England town of Misty Cove, Clem is called upon to leave her unsatisfying life behind in DC to organize the funeral.

Staying in the house where the murder took place is not for the faint of heart, but Clem isn’t afraid of much. Unfortunately, when the local police captain, and Aunt Maple’s boyfriend, is arrested for her murder, it becomes clear that Aunt Maple’s spirit is not going to sit by and let it happen. But Clem doesn’t need to be haunted by Maple to be convinced. Her intuition, and her investigative skills tell her that the captain is innocent and Clem is the only one who can prove it.

While Clem has never believed in ghosts, it seems that Aunt Maple wasn’t just any middle-aged woman. She was a gypsy, and a sorcerer to boot. As much as Clem refuses to believe in magic, she can’t help feeling that magic is the only way to find Aunt Maple's killer.

I've worked with Gabby for two books now, and will use her again!

Gabby provides a good combination of high-level feedback, on-the-fly thoughts as a reader, and technical recommendations. Her pointers are very helpful whether in early or late drafts.

I definitely recommend Gabby if you are looking for an editor!

-Alexander

Gabby did a beta read, copy edit, and proofread of my manuscript and always finished ahead of schedule. She provided many helpful insights! She has a good eye for spotting mistakes and is very knowledgeable of proper formatting and sentence structure. She pointed out many areas that could be improved and provided examples for how they could be improved. Her final review clearly defined the strengths and weaknesses of my manuscript and also summarized her copy and proof edits.

If your looking for a knowledgeable, encouraging but critical, and thorough beta reader or copy editor, Gabby is a great asset for improving your writing!

Gabby was responsive and professional. I found her feedback actionable and constructive. Would definitely use gain.

This is second novel that Gabby has helped me with, and for good reason. Fast, thorough and insightful feedback is what I've come to expect from her and she doesn't disappoint. Her comments and advice help make manuscripts better, period. If you're looking for a beta reader with concise, constructive criticism to help make your manuscript sing, then look no further. Gabby D'Aloia is the person for the job.

This is my first time working with Gabby, and I will certainly be seeking out her sharp eye again in the future. She balanced her feedback with what makes my manuscript great and what could be improved upon. She confirmed for me that I could work on description and showing vs. telling, and she pointed out some specific places in the manuscript where I could strengthen in these areas. I've been having trouble identifying where in the manuscript I needed more work on these issues, and she's helped tremendously in guiding me to where the weak spots are. Gabby excels at being encouraging but critical, humanizing but constructive. I highly recommend!

I am very impressed with Gabby’s Beta reading skills. I found her advice spot on, with great suggestions on how to implement changes. She is honest yet kind and considerate, letting you know what works and what doesn’t work. My manuscript will be a better one from her advice. I highly recommend her.

Gabby is an excellent reader. She read through the whole book far before my deadline and provided a nice summary afterward. She caught slight mistakes I had somehow missed after editing several times over. She gave suggestions for improving even minor issues. Recommend.

Thank you, Gabby. I cannot be more pleased with her feedback and suggestions. Great insight. Her comments will be a huge help for me to clean up and polish my manuscript. No fluff, just what I needed to do. I will certainly use her again. Highly recommend.

OMG - how can I say this plainer... I just got the feedback for my 4th book from Gabby and her words are invaluable! I'm planning to book her for #5 any minute now!

After working with a number of different editors/proofreaders, I was frustrated and skeptical that anyone could help me without squashing my voice. But Gabby is amazing!

With all the options and opinions that go along with writing a book, editing of any sort has to be the most complex, and for me, Gabby takes the confusion out of it.

If you need help with your book at any level, message her today. Seriously. Today. You're welcome.

I hired Gabby for proofreading and she did an excellent job! She read my book very quickly and caught all the mistakes my editor and I overlooked. I can highly recommend her and will definitely work with her again! :D

I'd highly recommend Gabby's beta reading service.

In my case I came to the end of writing my first attempt at a novel, and thought, "okay, what now?" This is a crucial point for someone in this situation.

The service that Gabby provides addresses the most important question at this point: "is my writing any good?" (as opposed to "pleeease could you publish this?") She's clearly adept at giving this type of assessment, and with her advice you'll get what you are unlikely to get from a no-fee beta reader, your best friend, the guy in the pub, or (dare I say it) probably even from a publishing house. In my case she caught lots of things I'd missed in spite of having reread the material until I was going nuts, and her feedback was littered with constructive suggestions.

What you will get is a frank and balanced assessment, for a very reasonable fee, and you'll find out what you're aching to know. Insincere validation (ie.e feedback from your friend) isn't going to help you much (although it's always nice to get positive feedback) and neither is straightforward rejection. At this point what you need is objective advice from someone who knows what they're talking about.

If you're at this stage and, like me, you don't know what to do, drop Gabby a line. You'll be pleased you did.

Gabby did an early beta read of my psychological thriller, BODY WARS. She had some very good insight and was available for follow-up questions. My agent just sold it to Blackstone. I would highly recommend her.

I used Gabby for a Beta read followed by a full proofread once the manuscript was edited. I can't say enough how her expertise and thorough notes made it very easy to make corrections. She is simply fantastic! Thank you again, Gabby.

Hi Gabby. I sent you an email but haven't heard back. I am seeking a beta reader for a 24k mystery thriller that is an introduction to the protagonist of a novel I have already published. The short story, Girl Emerging, will be ready for a beta read in mid-August. Please contact me at w.michael.hewitt@gmail.com if interested.

I can't love Gabby enough ... seriously, you're never allowed to stop. Your work is prompt, professional and through. You see through the layers and give me a solid grasp of where to focus and improve.

Your beta reads are amazing and now after proofreading my next release, I hope you're ready to redo my whole series!! You're just so good at this.

Thank you, thank you so much for your work.

MaryAnna Rose

Gabby just completed a beta read of a mystery thriller novella for me. Her work is nothing short of excellent and insightful. I am in the process of incorporating her suggestions now. Thank you Gabby!!!

I hired Gabby to do a beta read on my novel. Her work was outstanding. The suggestions she made were perceptive and will help me improve the book. Her work was detailed and timely. She provided a manuscript evaluation and page-by-page comments. I would not hesitate in working with her again. I give her the highest recommendation.

Gabby provided me with an excellent viewpoint of my manuscript. She really dug into the little details like dialogue tags and punctuation advice which I really appreciated. She wrote an outstanding editorial letter which commented on the strengths and weaknesses of my work and she put a lot of thought and detail into the specific ideas I wanted her to focus on. I would recommend her to anyone who is in need of a beta read because she will provide honest and extremely helpful feedback that will make any manuscript better. Thank you Gabby!

LOVE working with Gabby!

She's fast and efficient, her proof-reading is detailed and thorough, beta reading insightful and deep, basically she's exactly what you're looking for!!!

Now I'm off to book her again for my next book!!!

Hi Gabby,

I have a 72k mystery manuscript that will be ready for proof reading in mid December.

W Michael Hewitt
w.michael.hewitt@gmail.com

Gabby did a very good job of beta reading my middle grade adventure novel. She picked up on small details that will make a big difference to the next draft, and had some great thoughts on the bigger picture. Quick turnaround as well. Thanks!

As a beta reader, Gabby provided fast, thoughtful and balanced comments for my mystery novel. Her response included a summary document that described her overall impressions and specific recommendations for improvement. In addition, her comments within the draft pointed out areas where I could strengthen my writing, such as by adding more detail or descriptors. She also called out passages that she particularly liked. I appreciated her feedback and the time she took with my book and would go to her again for beta reading.

Wow! I am extremely grateful for Gabby's time and effort in reading my 83k memoir. Her feedback was insightful and constructive, helping me take my writing to the next level. Gabby’s keen eye and attention to detail truly made a positive impact on my work!