A very special opportunity for my Patrons!

As many of you know I’m a writer and after many years of study and practice I have a book that’s good enough to see publication (I’ll be self publishing). I’m currently trudging through the editing phase of the book and this is the ripe and ready time to get feedback from Beta Readers, as you might have guessed this is where you come in.

Beta readers are very important in the writing process as they’re able to point out what’s working in the book and what isn’t.

I’m only looking for ten readers at the moment and please, please, don’t request to be a reader if you don’t read books already (audio books are fine) and can’t read the book within a week or two from the time I send it to you.

Here’s a great video on how to be a good Beta Reader: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJc4PB1bMTc

Some VERY important things to consider:

All bata readers will get a credit in the published work by name or pseudonym.

You CANNOT share, sell or post the manuscript online or to anyone else. It goes without saying that I own all the rights to my book and can stop anyone trying publish it under another name but as I intend to sell this book, having a pirated version of the manuscript available online would be a crushing disaster. I hope you can see the massive amount of trust I’m investing in all people I select as beta readers. I require all Beta readers to delete the PDF once the reading is complete. I have no real way to know if you will have done this nor can I enforce it, hence the trust.

You must finish the book. Unlike a casual reader who purchased the book can throw it away if they’re not enjoying it, I need you to tell me why you’re not enjoying it and every other part all the way through to the end. DO NOT apply to be a beta reader if you’re not going to be able to do the job.

My book contains graphic content and mature themes, don’t apply if you’re under the age of 13 and/or squeamish.

The book will be in a pdf format so if you can’t read a 168,000 word manuscript from a screen then it’s best you pass on this opportunity. For comparison the first game of thrones novel is 298,000 words where say something like harry potter and the philosopher’s stone is 77,000.

The book is unpolished, so there will be many grammar errors and typos that escaped my notice. That’s all to get cleaned up by a copy editor after this step so you don’t need to worry about that. If you’re the type of reader that gets annoyed with things like this to the point that you can’t enjoy or read the book, it’s best you pass as a Beta Reader. It’s the story, characters, engagement and flow of the book that I need you to focus on. Having said that if you come across a sentence or paragraph that you do not understand at all or feel is terribly worded, please reference it in your notes which brings us to the next part.

I’ll be wanting as detailed feedback as you can provide in regards to character, plot, and pace. What scenes you loved and why, what you didn’t like or found boring/confusing. I’ll need you to answer a brief questionnaire after each chapter (the questions will be provided once you’re selected) as well as your overall opinions about the book as a whole. Your completed questionnaires can be emailed to me individually as you go. If I really like your feedback and want to pick your brain about stuff I might ask to have a few one on one skype chats with you!

To apply as a Beta Reader you’ll need to share your reading interests in the email you send, your favorite books, favorite genres. The more you’ve read the more chances you’ll have to get picked, especially if you can effectively explain what makes your favorite book is so good.

If there are more requests than the ten readers I’m looking for or if not enough applicants pass my requirements please don’t be disheartened if you’re not picked. I’m so grateful for all your support and patronage. If I need more readers than who apply from Patreon I’ll post this on my facebook page but my patrons get the first opportunity.

Now it seems only appropriate that I share a little bit about my book so you know what you might be getting into, there’s no point in being a Beta Reader to a genre of book you’re not interested in.

First of all, as shocking as this might be, the setting of my book is not based on a medieval period, though there’s lots of swords so don’t worry too much. The book is based in a world of perpetual day where the continents float in an eldest sky, falling from one of these continents will cause you to fall for twenty-four hours where you return to the same place you fell from (this universe is vertically looped). The culture has similarities to the regency period of England and is undergoing an industrial revolution with a very strong sword dueling culture. There’s still knights (a mystical order of knights in fact), monsters  skyships, magic and so on.

My book is called The Chronicles of Everfall, Shadow of the Conqueror. It’s an epic fantasy about the supposed dead and deposed tyrannical Emperor of the world who sets out to make amends for his past atrocities after he’s accidentally turned into an eighteen-year-old boy and gains supernatural powers.

Please send your beta reader applications to shadiversity@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!