Why Free Beta Readers Can Come at a Cost

New and unpublished authors will often hire beta readers to receive an insightful critique before submitting a manuscript to a publisher or self-publishing. The beta reader’s job is to read the manuscript as an actual reader would and present feedback on what works and what doesn’t, any styling or structural issues, plot holes or issues with characterisation, flow, grammar, pacing and so on.

Some authors who have multiple books under their belt or are writing a series of books have the ability to enlist existing readers of their books on social media, Goodreads or writing forums. This can be a valuable and free way to get feedback from fans who are familiar with the author’s writing style and know what to expect from that particular author.

First-time authors may not have the luxury of enthusiastic fans who are prepared to beta read their manuscripts for free. So invariably they fall back on family and friends to read their work. The major problem with enlisting family and friends is not that they are inexperienced when it comes to giving in-depth feedback but that they are reluctant to hurt the author’s feelings if the book has major flaws and requires substantial revision and may not even recognise this fact.

Aspiring writers are not always flush with cash so finding affordable beta readers to critique their work in a methodical way is essential. As experienced beta readers, we guarantee you a friendly and personalised service which will deliver valuable feedback in a report to assist your writing ambitions.

There is also the very real possibility that your manuscript will be ripped off in part or in its entirety by an unscrupulous operator who has claimed your work as their own and decided to sell it on Amazon, Apple iBooks or Smashwords under their own name. The following forum post on AbsoluteWrite claims that someone acting as a beta reader ‘borrowed’ some of the author’s work.

- Amelia N.

Thank you for the report! The beta read was very helpful to let me know what to edit and work on next. Pass on my thanks to the reader.
Regards,
Amelia - Amelia N.
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- Stephanie H.

Thank you ever so much! Hope to send more business your way soon. Stephanie Hansen - Metamorphosis Literary Agency - Stephanie H.
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- Bryce B.

Thank you so much for your excellent evaluation. I knew the manuscript had problems but I am so close to the material I did not know what they were. You found the science section interesting so I think I will open with that. the answer to your question about the tea kettle not boiling over is: it does in the form of steam. Did you find any of the Bible information interesting besides the word of God bit? Or am I correct in concluding nothing was interesting or surprising in the Old Testament section and the relevance was not obvious? Thanks, Bryce.
- Bryce B.
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- Jim C.

Thanks for the feedback. I have gone through about half of it so far and find myself in agreement with most of the points and having a good think about some broader issues they raise. Will probably have a few questions once I have had time to digest things a bit. Best wishes, Jim. - Jim C.
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- Elizabeth S.

Thanks very much for this. I will work on the recommendations, especially to speed up/improve the beginning. I’m feeling a little more hopeful about the story overall. Best regards, Elizabeth. - Elizabeth S.
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- Jeffrey M.

I totally get why it took longer to read. I feel a little goofy pestering you so much, I just wasn’t sure. You have nothing to apologize for. You were right, this was a top notch reading which will greatly help my revisions. - Jeffrey M.
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- Bert O.

I have just started book 4 of this series so I will certainly use your pointers! - Bert O.
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- Janene W.

Thank you for these timely reports. Please pass on my thanks to the beta reader for his or her report. It was extremely helpful and I think I've gained a much better insight into my manuscript from his/her useful and honest comments. I have read them and have been chewing on the comments. There are many points listed in the reports that align with my instincts regarding the manuscript. These give me areas I can directly attack as I head into my next draft, and I appreciate that. - Janene W.
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- John D.

That’s terrific, exactly what I was hoping for (would have been better if I’d sent the final edit version). I would like to purchase another $110 worth in a couple of weeks, if available.

John Dawson. - John D.
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- Rob D.

I am happy with the advice you have provided, it is practical and identifies real areas on how I can improve it further. Seems I underestimated how “ready” the manuscript is and may explain why there has been a lot of rejection. - Rob D.
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- Philip K.

Hello Declan – I have been through your further assessment, thanks for those insights I can certainly work with those and will follow up on the contacts you suggest asap. I’m pleased to report that after many months of research and writing I have finally been able, this week, to self publish on Amazon the novel named “Treaty or Treason”! A close call with Penguin Ireland sadly didn’t work out for traditional publication. I would like to pass on particular thanks to Declan at Writerful Books (Dublin and Melbourne) who assessed the manuscript and helped me with many comments and kept me trudging or swimming on. Some famous author once commented that writing a book is like swimming the English Channel, you don’t know where you are, don’t know how far you have come or how far it is to go, but you have to keep swimming! Couldn’t agree more. Philip Kerrigan.
- Philip K.
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- Alan C.

Thanks very much for taking the time to read my story and for your kind comments, highlighting errors and raising points for further consideration. It's all very helpful and reassuring to know there's a story in it, from someone other than my girlfriend. Thanks again. Take care, Alan Corcoran. (Author of Marathon Man)
- Alan C.
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- Penny F.

Thank you for your detailed report..work life has got in the way sadly. I appreciate your many recommendations.. many, no real surprise. As a new writer I felt I needed another opinion even though the MS was incomplete to help me clarify strengths and weaknesses. I had set my book aside deliberately for almost a month and now have two solid weeks to devote to it - and will attempt to address your concerns. I know I have a long way to go to develop good novel writing skills ....I'm hoping practice will get me there!!
Once again thank you for your guidance.
Penny - Penny F.
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- Margaret D.

To cut a long story short. Could you improve the story and if so what would it cost me to do so. I'm thinking that a bit of tweaking will help the story tremendously. Margaret - Margaret D.
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- Alex M.

Thank you very much! I hope it wasn't too raw and disconnected at this stage; there is perhaps too much ranting in there. Is it possible to do another round of beta reading with your company, after I review/edit?
- Alex M.
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- Joseph C.

Report received, many thanks. I'll let you know how it goes once I get stuck into the drafting. Cheers - Joe
- Joseph C.
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This type of thing is more common than you think and a major reason why you should hire only trustworthy beta readers rather than posting a request on a forum for free beta readers or using a Beta Reading Service which allows anyone to sign up and beta read an authors manuscript without passing any background checks or signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

There is nothing stopping someone you’ve made contact with on a forum or social media from uploading your manuscript to The Pirate Bay or another torrent website to give anyone the ability to be able to download your ebook for free. As you know, internet piracy is rampant which is why you need to be smart about whose hands your unpublished manuscript ends up in. The simple truth is that no publisher will consider signing a new author if their work has been illegally uploaded to a file-sharing website without the author’s knowledge.

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*For manuscripts in excess of 120,000 words please contact us for a quote.

Our beta reading service accepts fiction and non-fiction manuscripts.

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