A query about Beta Reader requesting

[Jay Aitch]

If I were to be so bold as to request Beta Readers, would the kind, creative and adorable members of The Colony be willing?

And IF so, what sort of limits, or restrictions must I employ on my request and of any hapless human who happens to harken to the call?

(Yours in literal and literary lunacy)

 

[Nicole Wilson]

I would add the genre, word count, and a timeframe you want it back (if that exists). Normally, I'd offer to help, but I have three other MSs I'm reading for other Litopians now.

 

[Jennifer Stone]

I would think anyone here would be happy to help, schedules permitting of course. I don't know what you mean by limits, what sort of limits would you want to put on your requests?
The way I have worked here is to send a private message to the person to exchange email addresses, then email whatever I'm sending them.

 

[Jay Aitch]

Thanks Jennifer and Nicole.

By restrictions I mean, do potential readers prefer the entire ms or just a portion? Do readers need a time limit, or should I leave that entirely open?

I realise I did not give any information about the actual manuscript. D'oh!

It is a children's/young adults fantasy of 77,000 words. Currently, it is in Pages format, but I can export as a Word doc. with ease.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Thanks Jennifer and Nicole.

By restrictions I mean, do potential readers prefer the entire ms or just a portion? Do readers need a time limit, or should I leave that entirely open?

I realise I did not give any information about the actual manuscript. D'oh!

It is a children's/young adults fantasy of 77,000 words. Currently, it is in Pages format, but I can export as a Word doc. with ease.

Generally, we try to keep to a 25k-word maximum portion in the Houses, but a beta-reader can elect to read a portion of the whole MS, and though you can impose a time limit, due to an upcoming publishing deadline, otherwise it is considered good form to give them as much time as needed to do you the courtesy of giving feedback. I've gotten through 98k word beta reads in two days — others of 151k I've been picking away at for months...

 

[Jay Aitch]

Thank you Jason. I have hearing a great deal about these Houses, of which you speak, but I am unclear as to their function and purpose.

Am I correct that you/one can only enter them after a period of time interacting in the Colony?

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Not much to do with time, more to do with your input to the site, ie the more your interact, the sooner you get in, more or less. They serve as a place where you can show samples of your work, where the general public can't see it, nor copy it, so its a safe zone

 

[Jason Byrne]

Thank you Jason. I have hearing a great deal about these Houses, of which you speak, but I am unclear as to their function and purpose.

Am I correct that you/one can only enter them after a period of time interacting in the Colony?

Not much to do with time, more to do with your input to the site, ie the more your interact, the sooner you get in, more or less. They serve as a place where you can show samples of your work, where the general public can't see it, nor copy it, so its a safe zone

Alistair's got it — an algorithm determines access based upon a number of factors, and now that they're back up, critique of work is no longer done on the open forum, but in a private area where the security — and publishability — of your work remains intact, after one has shown that they are trustworthy, insofar as it can ever be shown, online.