I've been working on HOWIE & THE PRINCE OF GREED for three years. It's gone through numerous revisions, several of which have been critiqued from beginning to end by my writing group (two published authors), and an English Professor at Colorado State University. It's also been critiqued, in part, by New York Times best seller, Jennifer Nielsen, and SCHOLASTIC author, Kimberley Griffiths Little. In short, the manuscript is fairly polished and won't be something you have to slug through.
BETA READERS
I'm looking for individuals who are willing to read the manuscript with pen in hand and unafraid of marking up pages as you go. I'm looking for a cross-section of readers in multiple age groups and with varying reading preferences. Please don't volunteer if you're simply going to read it and say "I like it" or "I didn't like it." I'm looking for detailed feedback. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence a book before it gets published.
PRIZES
Yes, there are prizes! I wish I could do more, but this is my small way of expressing appreciation for taking time to help me. A writer is nothing without readers. I can't do this without you!
- $25 Amazon certificate to the person who finds the most mistakes. Mistakes can be grammatical, character references (mixing up names, descriptions, etc.), or plot points. All mistakes should be noted on the manuscript in the place where they are found.
- $25 Amazon gift certificates for the top three critiques. All Beta Readers will be given a critique form to fill out. The three critiques that provide the most helpful--informative--details AND improve the story will win. You don't need to write a book (I've already done that). Concise statements about what works and what doesn't work and how it might be improved is all I'm looking for.
1. Send an email to BenHutchinsAuthor@gmail.com with "BETA READER" in the subject and with the following information in the body:
- Full Name
- Age Group (6-12, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-60, Above 60)
- Mailing Address
- Which category best describes the type of books you most like to read (choose one)?
- Middle Grade (books geared toward kids 8-11)
- Young Adult (books geared toward teenagers 12-18)
- Adult (books geared toward adults 19 and above)
- I don't normally read books
- Which genre of books do you most like to read (choose one)?
- Sci-fi
- Romance
- Mystery
- Fantasy
- Historical fiction
- Realistic fiction
- Horror
- Non-fiction
- Have you been a Beta Reader before (yes or no)?
- Do you spend more than ten hours a week writing (yes or no)?
- Do you have Native American roots (yes or no)?
- Are you a published author (yes or no)?
- Are you willing to write a review of the book on Amazon or goodreads (yes or no)?
- Are you willing to use social media--blogs, twitter, facebook, etc--to promote the book if you like it (yes or no)?
As stated before, I'm looking for a cross-section of readers so please keep your answers to the questions honest. I'll give priority to those who sign up first, but will cap the number of Beta Readers in each profile segment. Either way, I will let you know. And there is a strong possibility that I will do multiple rounds with Beta Readers if I make any significant changes to the manuscript, so even if you're not chosen in this first round, you might be in a follow-up round.
PROCESS
Those chosen for this first round will be mailed a copy of the manuscript with a critique form. I'm asking that you finish reading and critiquing the manuscript within three weeks and then mail it back to me in a prep-paid envelope. Then I get the fun job of combing through all your critiques to see what I'm doing well and to make improvements where needed. It goes without saying, but Beta Readers are expected to keep the manuscript confidential. No copies are to be made, digitized, or posted on the Internet. I will inform everyone when the book is available for purchase.
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