Last month, my wife and I closed on our new home in the village of Cedaredge on the wild Western Slope of Colorado. It’s a beautiful place with mature landscaping and spectacular views. Deer pass by, birds fill the trees, and the tumbling waters of Surface Creek flow just down the slope from our backyard….
Tag: beta readers
A Writer’s Tribe: Critiquers, Alpha Readers, and Beta Readers, Oh My!
Writing is a solitary occupation. Well, except for the tribe of other people you need to help get your story edited, revised, polished, published, marketed, and sold. True, the actual act of putting words onto the page tends to be very solitary, even if you’re typing away in a crowded café (remember those?). But at…
Are your beta readers too nice?
For the first time in forever I’m not writing crime fiction. It’s a “regular” non-genre novel (whatever that is). Mainstream, I suppose. I’ve had many beta readers reading big chunks as it comes together—and I cannot thank them enough. I’ve had some excellent feedback, and I’ve been making adjustments as things progress. And then came last…
Critique Groups, Part 3: Finding Your Perfect Critters
I’ve posted before about the six types of toxic feedback, as well as five reasons to quit a group that’s not working. The good news is, when you find yourself in this position (because you inevitably will), there are countless opportunities to go forth and find new, improved crit partners. Whether you want to swap…
Beta Readers
By Robin D. Owens Beta Readers are those people who will read your manuscript after you’re done, but before you submit it to your publisher. I have a mentor (Kay Bergstrom) who always reads my work, and I have Beta Readers. Though I try and keep track of people who have read my manuscripts and…