Beta Readers help make my novels better. How? They bring another pair of eyes to my writing which can catch:

Spelling errors I can’t see anymore because the text is so familiar to me and my editor.

Structure issues – making sure my story flows and doesn’t feel too rushed or too slow.

Strange wording that doesn’t make sense – either too wordy or phrases a common reader wouldn’t understand. Being a Southern girl, sometimes the phrases common in my life mean nothing to someone not born and raised in the South or even in my family!

Factual errors – I haven’t had EVERY job or experience I write about and Beta Readers can catch mistakes in careers, facts about dogs, or even places I haven’t been.

Consistency mistakes – saying it’s October at the beginning of the chapter and it’s September by the end, or having a character with blue eyes at the beginning of the novel, but brown toward the end.

Beta Readers are an important part of the writing process and I have been blessed with some fantastic beta readers…

But, it can be hard to find good beta readers and it helps to know what you need to look for:

Continue reading “How to be a Fantastic Beta Reader” →