In Search of (Beta) Readers

One of the great problems of being a self-published author is finding an audience. With limited (or no) budget for marketing and publicity, it is difficult, if not impossible to let the whole world know that you have written a book and they should really go out a buy a copy. Right now!

Most indie authors have modest goals for their works. We know we aren’t likely to ever make any real money from our efforts, but most of us are driven by at least a small measure of ego that wishes for some recognition of the fact that we have actually written a book! And yes, it is harder than it looks. Beyond that, many of us just want to share our stories with others. We bare our souls and put our work out there, often in great fear that it will be rejected.

For some of us, the worst form of this rejection is watching our little baby book sitting in the corner of the enormous online store gathering dust, unnoticed by the masses. After we have applied enough guilt to nudge our friends and family into buying copies, we often sit back in misery and watch the sales of our beautiful book fall to near zero.

But that’s okay. Surprisingly, a great amount of joy can be experienced when even a single purchase pops up on the sales report. Someone has discovered my book! And I feel like a writer again!

Long before the torment above begins, we indie authors face an even bigger task, finding beta-readers. In simplest terms, these are our guinea pigs who are willing to read our rough, and sometimes unedited drafts, and provide the necessary guidance in helping us produce a finished product worthy of publication.  For myself, the copy I pass along to any potential beta-reader will have already gone through several rounds of editing and revising. Even so, there will be mistakes and my previous readers have been excellent at finding them.

The biggest help for me is the honest evaluation of the story. As the author and creator, I can easily make mistakes here. I know what’s going to happen, so I may inadvertently leave huge plot holes that swallow up the reader.  I may get so lost in my story that I repeat things. Or change specific details from one chapter to the next. And again, because I know the story too well, having written, re-written, and read the thing four or five times already, I truly need a fresh set of eyes to catch those errors.

The other problem is that no matter how great I may think the story is, someone else might find it flat and uninteresting. And I need to be aware of that! I know for myself that I go through periods of great uncertainty. Sometimes I read a passage and think it is the best piece of literature I have ever written. A day later, I think the same pages are pure crap!  One day, I think the story is fascinating. A day later, the very same tale seems completely yawn-inspiring.  I usually end up asking myself the same question over and over: Is this story actually boring or is it just that I’ve read it sixteen times already?

So, here’s the deal. I have a short novel, a modern retelling of the parable of the prodigal son, which is almost ready to be shared. I also have a second collection of “small town tales” nearing completion. If you or anyone you know would be interested in reading and evaluating, please let me know. Even if you are only willing to take on one or two of my short stories, any help would be greatly appreciated! You might even find your name in the Acknowledgement section of an actual printed book! Of course, you would need to rush right out and buy a copy of something like that, wouldn’t you?