Need a few Beta readers, even if you don't know what a beta reader is!

[SaltwaterServr]

The Russian military has developed and deployed a WMD system in secret that violates every UN treaty they've signed in the last 25 years. 6 of the warheads are missing, 30 of their elite soldiers just showed up dead on a ghost ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and no one will admit anything is wrong.

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I'm looking for some folks who are willing to read my first draft of Isosceles Protocol. It's gone through one structural overhaul, but it's still pretty raw as it is. It'll go through two rewrites before it ever gets submitted for agency representation.

What's a beta reader? Basically, you're an amateur book critic. You don't need any particular skill set because the people who'll buy the book come from all walks of life.

In essence, read it and tell me what you think about it. If you get bored and want to stop, that's fine too. Just let me know where and when you got tired of reading it. If something pisses you off or offends you, shoot me a note about it. If something confuses you or you get lost, that's something I want to know about.

Your review can be as in-depth as notes after every chapter, or as succinct as a few sentences of your thoughts after you finished the whole thing.

The book currently stands at 32 chapters, 190,000 words. You must be 18 because there is some graphic sexual content.

Express your interest here, and I'll get with you to email you a copy in the right document form.

EDIT: And if you had originally expressed interest in being a beta reader last year, I can't find the thread so you'll have to do it again please.

 

[Cythim]

I'll be happy to read it if you like. I'm a meticulous reader, slow, steady, and constantly flipping back to make sure I'm following the story.


My wife chimed in that she can read it too, she is a fast reader and will probably make it through in a week.

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

In. PDF for the Kindle would be great.

 

[TheCount]

I probably read too slow to be of much use, but good luck with the book. I've had fantasies of writing one myself.

 

[roughneck266]

Count me in.

 

[Future]

190k words? Dang thats probably like 700 some odd pages.

I'd like to help, but I'm currently buried in my own reading for my thesis.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

In. PDF for the Kindle would be great.

The best I can do is a Word .pdf file that I can send you by email. I don't know anything about any necessary changes to make it Kindle compatible.

190k words? Dang thats probably like 700 some odd pages.

I'd like to help, but I'm currently buried in my own reading for my thesis.

416 pages on an 11 sized font, single spaced with double paragraph breaks. And I cut it in half from the original 65 chapters. Lots of dialogue so it's a pretty fast read.

 

[Phoenix]

I'll volunteer.

 

[HeavyBarrel]

Sounds good but I can barely read beyond a 3rd grade level so I'll wait for the movie.

 

[Wimbo]

count me in.

 

[YosemiteSam]

For me to read it you would need to convert a copy of it to PDF for my e-reader. (I can't read 100,000+ word novel from a computer) This should be pretty simple to do. You can even use Google Docs to do this. (import Word, export PDF) Sometimes formatting gets a little whacked out, but that you can deal with or overlook those issues pretty easily.

Second, is this literally the first draft? If so, I would be more apt to look at the first or second revision / rewrite. Usually the first draft is littered with easily distinguished errors, flow issues, story-line blunders, logical missteps, and poor dialog issues that having others read it is not very helpful. Not to mention, once most of the issues are fix. They aren't willing to openly read it again when it really does need a closer inspection. (especially if it is close to 200,000 words)

I'm not writer, but I recently read a book about fiction writing. I figured I would give it a try (a short story) for the hell of it. I just recently completed the first draft. I waited about a week to clear my head of what I had written and then reread it. It clearly needs some reworking. Especially early on. I may offer it here for beta read consumption at some point.

 

[Wimbo]

For me to read it you would need to convert a copy of it to PDF for my e-reader. (I can't read 100,000+ word novel from a computer) This should be pretty simple to do. You can even use Google Docs to do this. (import Word, export PDF) Sometimes formatting gets a little whacked out, but that you can deal with or overlook those issues pretty easily.

If it's easy to convert to pdf for reading on Kindle, can he just send it to you so you can convert it for the rest of us?

 

[junk]

The best I can do is a Word .pdf file that I can send you by email. I don't know anything about any necessary changes to make it Kindle compatible.

If you Google it, there are a lot of instructions on how to convert.

Here's one:
http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_HowTo:_File_Conversion

I'd actually recommend doing this for a couple of reasons:
1) You might get more people to read it. I'd try if it was in a Kindle format, but I know I would never get to it if it was just a word document. I'm sure there are others in the same boat.
2) If you aren't able to get anyone to publish it using normal channels, you can self publish. It's cheap and, depending upon how you decide to price it, you can keep a pretty good chunk of the profits.

Good luck!

 

[Future]

I'm not writer, but I recently read a book about fiction writing. I figured I would give it a try (a short story) for the hell of it. I just recently completed the first draft. I waited about a week to clear my head of what I had written and then reread it. It clearly needs some reworking. Especially early on. I may offer it here for beta read consumption at some point.

:laugh2: Clearly...

 

[YosemiteSam]

:laugh2: Clearly...

Shadup fathead!

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

The best I can do is a Word .pdf file that I can send you by email. I don't know anything about any necessary changes to make it Kindle compatible.

PDF would be great, and I'll worry about getting it onto the kindle myself.

 

[blsabb88]

I'd like to read it.

 

[JonJon]

Sounds good but I can barely read beyond a 3rd grade level so I'll wait for the movie.

I'm interested, although I can't promise you that I will make through to the end, but I will try if you'd like me to.

 

[DragonCowboy]

I'd be interested in reading. The topic looks really interesting.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

For me to read it you would need to convert a copy of it to PDF for my e-reader. (I can't read 100,000+ word novel from a computer) This should be pretty simple to do. You can even use Google Docs to do this. (import Word, export PDF) Sometimes formatting gets a little whacked out, but that you can deal with or overlook those issues pretty easily.

Second, is this literally the first draft? If so, I would be more apt to look at the first or second revision / rewrite. Usually the first draft is littered with easily distinguished errors, flow issues, story-line blunders, logical missteps, and poor dialog issues that having others read it is not very helpful. Not to mention, once most of the issues are fix. They aren't willing to openly read it again when it really does need a closer inspection. (especially if it is close to 200,000 words)

I'm not writer, but I recently read a book about fiction writing. I figured I would give it a try (a short story) for the hell of it. I just recently completed the first draft. I waited about a week to clear my head of what I had written and then reread it. It clearly needs some reworking. Especially early on. I may offer it here for beta read consumption at some point.

I did a major rewrite of the first 10 chapters in the spring of 2011. Chopped out a few chapters, added in a plot line because I DESPISE using deux en machina to make things magically happen. January, I changed out 3/4 of chapter 27 and rewrote it.

Thinking about it, I need to do this first full edit before I send it out. A few character's names are getting changed, one because you'll get confused with having too many "V" russian first names, the base's name is getting changed, and one of the gov't officials is moving departments to make him a little more powerful which works out great to avoid again deux en machina.

Folks, give me a few weeks and I'll revisit this and get your emails where to send it.