Reading for my own personal pleasure has really taken a hit this month! Instead, I spent two intense weeks beta reading for bestselling author, Boo Walker. If you’re new to this blog and want to learn about how I was first recruited, click HERE.
Back when I started, in May 2023, I asked a lot of questions. Boo was infinitely patient and answered them all. I learned about Track Changes on Apple Pages and how to use them. I learned the importance of direct, but tactful, criticism. I learned about “picking my battles,” when to look at something closely, when to pull back and look from a distance, when to tap into my own knowledge, and when to use discernment and say nothing. Over time, I gained more confidence and trusted my skills.
What I really learned is that most authors are sensitive souls. Sensitive souls who are required to have thick skins. No matter the genre, fiction or nonfiction, a book is like the author’s child. But, unless it is a smaller self-publishing endeavor, the entire process, from conception to publishing, really does take a village. Just like filming a movie or making a record, there are many layers and participants that we do not see. There is the initial idea, planning, research, proposal, writing the first draft, rewrites, edits, more rewrites, more edits, looming deadlines, developmental editing, proofreading, publishing, the launch, marketing, and the reviews. (To add to the challenge, the first few steps usually overlap with the last steps of the previous book.) There are agents, publishing house executives, at least three different kinds of editors, proofreaders, beta AND arc AND regular readers, plus lots and lots of critics.
When you add it all up, that is thousands of people. Thousands of people putting your seed of thought, your writing, your baby through their personal filters and adopting it as their own to love or hate, to recommend or pick apart. How do I know this? Because I’ve done it. We’ve all done it. And sometimes we forget that a book begins with one person. One person with an idea and a burning desire to write. Being a published author is not for the weak. I’ve learned that, too.
So when I am asked why an author uses beta readers, the answer is this: because he or she wants early objective opinions from readers they trust. (Boo uses 18-20 betas, all with our own styles.) Is it a “crutch?” The answer is a resounding NO. Using beta readers is a tool for an author to learn what is or isn’t working during the creative process, as opposed to sending a finished book out into the world and THEN finding out. Imagine all of that work, just to learn that readers don’t like what you’ve written. Yikes. It can still happen even with beta readers. Yikes again. But the chances are slimmer, so why not sweeten the odds?
This last round of beta reading began on July 2nd. Notes were due back on July 17th. As opposed to May, when I was sent 200 pages (the first half of the book, ending on a nice cliffhanger,) this time I was sent 402 pages–the entire draft. Did I read it again from the beginning? You bet I did. It was interesting to see changes and improvements. And, yes, it was pretty thrilling to see where my suggestions had been implemented from May’s read. That, my friends, takes a lot–A LOT–of humility on the part of the author. I am very grateful to be teamed with an author who puts ego aside, takes every comment seriously, and is only interested in making the book better.
I finished reading on the morning of July 14. Then I worked on reviewing all my notes. Late the next evening, along with a preparatory email, I sent it. After several hours, every day, for two weeks, my job was done! It felt like being finished with finals, that odd mixture of relief and trepidation. Over the next four days, Boo and I communicated several times. Fortunately, his feedback was very, very positive. Whew! So positive, in fact, that I will be named in the Author’s Acknowledgments at the end of the book. That was an unexpected surprise!
“The Book,” itself, does not yet have a final title. In May it was called When All The Lights Turn Green. Last week it was called An Echo in Time. (I had the opportunity to give title suggestions, but didn’t.) And, even though my contributions have come to an end, there are still many months of editing and proofreading ahead. The arc (advanced reader copy) is expected to debut on NetGalley in April 2024. The actual pub date is August 2024. It’s all long and arduous. When I know more, I’ll post it here.
In the meantime, we’re exactly ONE month away from the release of Boo Walker’s 2023 book! THE STARS DON’T LIE will be available in all formats (print/digital/audio) on August 22nd. You can read my glowing review HERE. For my teacher friends, this book is a tribute to educators everywhere.
That concludes this year’s beta reading journey! Thank you for reading! Boo has asked me to stay on for future books, so I’ll have to wait until next year to see what’s around the literary corner. He’s dropped a few hints, but time will tell. More stories are a-brewin’…
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