Beta Reader Group discussion

I had the chance to work with Ephraim this past December on a 110K novel, my first completed book.

What you see here is what I got, on time and with clear communication. The analysis I was given was very positive and encouraging while still pointing out portions that could have benefited from some extra attention. And the commas! I was so gun shy about overusing commas that I ended up underusing them, but he painstakingly pointed out where I needed to add or change them throughout.

Highly recommend him for anyone to engage with, but I think new authors like myself should especially take note.

I've had the pleasure of working with Ephraim this past week. He had written a report which had spanned a whole page of google docs, and had gone over every aspect of my manuscript, for example: My characters, and the plot. The storyline, and the flow of the story.
Since this review my manuscript had improved greatly.

I greatly reccommend this guy.

I worked with Ephraim this past week on a beta read for my first short story, and I was blown away by the level of feedback I received from him. He prepared a whole report on my story, analysing the characters, story, setting etc, giving detailed notes on each section which were absolutely invaluable. In addition to this, he shared with me my manuscript with line-by-line notes: thoughts, feedback and spelling and grammar checks. His help has made the progression onto the next stage of my project so much easier - I definitely recommend his help!

Ephraim beta read my 115k young adult fantasy novel recently. Turnaround time was excellent, good communication. He seemed to have a good grasp of the genre. He was detailed enough to catch various in-line grammar mistakes as well as having a good eye for the global story elements. His comments throughout the story felt like genuine reactions as well, which helped me get a sense of what the reader might be experiencing at different parts of the story. The report he wrote at the end was super comprehensive, covered all the elements of the story, and was super helpful to read. He was willing to clarify on certain parts of his reports later as well and was responsive to follow up questions. Overall, highly recommend!

Hello Authors,

I’m Ik, a beta reader and Line editor with some years of experience and I’m here to help you polish your manuscript. For just $0.001 per word, I offer:

Feedback on characters, pacing, plot, tension, and suspense.
Honest in-line comments and reactions in your manuscript.
A detailed report summarizing your story’s strengths and areas to improve.
Typos corrected (if you’re okay with it!).
Actionable suggestions to enhance your work.
Ongoing support—I’m always here to answer your questions.
Check out a detailed description of my work and testimonials here: https://thebookconn.wordpress.com/.

Ready to get started? Email me at ikthebeardman@gmail.com. Let’s make your story shine!

Best regards,
Ik

I worked with Ephraim for the first time on my latest novel, a coming of age story. I will seek to work with him again! His inline comments in-progress were insightful and encouraging. They allowed me to learn what he was feeling as a reader of the book blow by blow. His final report was extremely thorough, spot-on, and added value. His input will enable me to take the manuscript to new compelling levels. He is responsive, resourceful, professional, and highly skilled Beta Reader. I highly recommend his services.

Working with Ephraim was one of the best decisions I’ve made during the development of my novel, Seeker. His feedback was not only thoughtful and thorough—it was immersive. From the very first chapter, he engaged with the story on a deep level, offering running commentary, emotional reactions, and well-considered critiques that demonstrated genuine care and attention.

His full report covered everything I could’ve hoped for and more: detailed breakdowns of pacing, character development, plot progression, worldbuilding, and even emotional resonance. He pointed out both what was working and what could be strengthened, all while maintaining a tone that was encouraging, respectful, and clear. His insights into character consistency and villain motivation, in particular, were incredibly useful.

For the price he charges, Ephraim delivers far more than expected. His feedback helped me view the manuscript through the eyes of an engaged, emotionally invested reader—the kind of person I want this story to reach. If you’re a writer looking for honest, passionate, and actionable beta reading, I cannot recommend Ephraim highly enough.

I’ll absolutely be reaching out to him again for future projects.

Ephraim is awesome! His feedback was exactly what I needed. He highlighted the good stuff but still offered suggestions for plot improvement in a way that would make my WIP the best it could be. I would HIGHLY recommend Ephraim for your WIP. If anyone wants a more indepth personal recommendation from me feel freel to DM me. My WIP will be better for his detailed and comprehensive review :-)

Hello Authors,

I’m Ik, a beta reader and Line editor with some years of experience, and I’m here to help you polish your manuscript. For just $0.001 per word, I offer:

Feedback on characters, pacing, plot, tension, and suspense.
Honest in-line comments and reactions in your manuscript.
A detailed report summarizing your story’s strengths and areas to improve.
Typos corrected (if you’re okay with it!).
Actionable suggestions to enhance your work.
Ongoing support—I’m always here to answer your questions.

Check out a detailed description of my work and testimonials here: https://thebookconn.wordpress.com/.

Ready to get started? Email me at ikthebeardman@gmail.com. Let’s make your story shine!

Best regards,
Ik

Ephraim is an excellent and thorough beta reader that clearly and effectively communicates.

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Ephraim and I was very satisfied with the in-depth report that he provided at the end of the beta read. Yes, it was more on the positive side, but it did point out flaws and places for improvement as well. Besides, he genuinely gave me the feeling he enjoyed it. 😊

This was most apparent by his use of Google Docs which gave real time feedback of his reactions to my manuscript as he read it. It was a very welcoming tool that gave me, a rather anxious fellow, a play-by-play as Ephraim worked through the novel. Imagine the reaction videos that are so popular online, but on your work. It was very effective, and it not only boosted my ego but also told me what worked and what needed a little workup. I also think it gave him a better chance to point out flaws and strengths of the story through his small commentary.

At the end of the day, Ephraim has been the best beta reading experience I have, and I definitely plan to use his services in the future! Highly recommend!

Ephraim beta read my 135k low fantasy novel recently, and he read and reviewed it in record time (he read the whole manuscript in 5 days! With real time commenting as he went through it. The report then came 2 days after). This blew me away, as well as the quality of the report. He provided a 20 page report going through each chapter, character, the plot / pacing, impression and conclusion.

The depth that he went into with the report was extremely insightful for me, covering everything I wanted and more. I've had brilliant betas so far and Ephraim stands out amongst them. He also helped spot a few grammatical / spelling mistakes here and there that others had missed.

Like others have said, his use of Google Docs to comment in real time his reactions, questions and feedback was extremely beneficial, highlighting sections that may need extra clarity or the effectiveness of my hooks and twists.

He's more than worth the price, the value that he has added to my manuscript and my confidence as a whole, is priceless.

Absolutely fantastic beta reader, I would recommend whole-heartedly.

Hello Authors,

I’m Ik, a beta reader and Line editor with some years of experience, and I’m here to help you polish your manuscript. For just $0.001 per word, I offer:

Feedback on characters, pacing, plot, tension, and suspense.
Honest in-line comments and reactions in your manuscript.
A detailed report summarizing your story’s strengths and areas to improve.
Typos corrected (if you’re okay with it!).
Actionable suggestions to enhance your work.
Ongoing support—I’m always here to answer your questions.

Check out a detailed description of my work and testimonials here: https://thebookconn.wordpress.com/.

Ready to get started? Email me at ikthebeardman@gmail.com. Let’s make your story shine!

Best regards,
Ik

Working with Ephraim was a pleasure. It was nice sharing the 80k+ word manuscript via google drive because I could read his comments AND reply to them. Getting feedback so quickly and easily was wonderful.
He gave me such a positive review of my first book and still find myself pinching myself. I want to make sure I'm not dreaming. Sure some typos, minor grammar fixes are present but the feedback on story, content, characters is amazing.
The report you received is broken down into multiple sections and is very thorough.
Mine is 13 pages long!!!
Do Not hesitate, hire Ephraim.
It was a great experience and worth the money.
Oh one last thought, fast delivery!

Hello Authors,

I’m Ik, a beta reader and Line editor with some years of experience, and I’m here to help you polish your manuscript. For just $0.001 per word, I offer:

Feedback on characters, pacing, plot, tension, and suspense.
Honest in-line comments and reactions in your manuscript.
A detailed report summarizing your story’s strengths and areas to improve.
Typos corrected (if you’re okay with it!).
Actionable suggestions to enhance your work.
Ongoing support—I’m always here to answer your questions.

Check out a detailed description of my work and testimonials here: https://thebookconn.wordpress.com/.

Ready to get started? Email me at ikthebeardman@gmail.com. Let’s make your story shine!

Best regards,
Ik

Ephraim is professional, diligent, and timely with his work.

I had the pleasure of working with Ephraim recently with my latest work, "The Godstone Decree," and I will say that Ephraim's assistance with editing and beta reading has made my manuscript much stronger than before. Ephraim is always polite, professional, and understanding of your needs.

For self-published authors this editor/beta reader provides excellent service, and I would recommend for you to give him a shot!