Beta Readers: Part Two

I'm sure that everyone understand the importance of having a beta reader look over your work. Now I want to discuss the importance of being a beta reader.

Making comments on someone else's work will help you improve your own writing. Why? Well, by critically reading another's work, you are forced to pay attention to details that you might otherwise gloss over. Most of us read for pleasure, but reading as a beta goes much deeper than that. Beta reading forces you to consider the craft of writing by analyzing things such as style, plot, setting, dialogue and character.

Even if you are so new to writing that you haven't even sharpened your way through your first pencil, you should consider becoming a beta reader. If you are unsure how to begin, here are some suggestions that may help:

- Never be rude or condescending! Even if you are pointing out flaws in another's writing, you can do so in a polite, constructive manner. It doesn't matter how many years you have been writing or how many publishing credits you have; we are all in the process of learning the craft. Ruthlessly tearing down another writer's work is unforgivable.

- Be sure to give praise as well as criticism. Every bit of fiction has at least one good thing in it. If you can't find something to compliment, then you didn't look hard enough.

- Read the work several times, giving yourself time between readings to think about the story.

- Learn from other writers' mistakes. If you see something that the writer did terribly wrong, make sure to avoid that mistake in your own writing. Similarly, if you really did like something, try to figure out what made it work and then apply that skill to your work.

- Make your comments specific. No writer was ever helped by a criticism that simply said, "I didn't like your main character." Ask yourself why didn't you like that character? How might he be improved?

Over the years, I have learned as much from being a beta reader as I have from having a beta reader look over my work. Having the eye of an editor is crucial for any writer. Becoming a beta reader is one step towards that skill

Beta Readers: Part One

First off, what - exactly - is a beta reader?

A beta reader is simply a person who is willing to carefully read an unpublished work of fiction and offer constructive criticism. In writing, the beta fiction is what lies between the rough draft (the alpha manuscript) and the finished product that is submitted to the publisher. When submitting a work to a beta reader, it is the writer's responsibility to polish her manuscript as much as she can. The beta reader should be reading a complete work (that is, there should be an ending!)

Beta readers are very valuable people. Often, they can point out plot holes that you've missed or catch a misplaced or missing word. They can tell you if your characters seem realistic and if your dialogue sounds natural. Almost always, beta readers are writers themselves, so they are accustomed to thinking about such things as plot, setting, voice, and tension. They can correctly use terms like, 'speech tags' and 'protagonist'. You might have a family member or close, supportive friend who is willing to read your work, but oftentimes they do not make the best beta readers. Not only will they want to spare your feelings by telling you that your work is 'good' (even if it isn't), but they might not know exactly how you should improve your story.

My husband, for example, is an avid reader and a thoughtful, intelligent person. However, he is not a writer and is therefore a terrible beta reader; he simply can't tell me what the problems in my stories are. Having him try to advise me on writing would be like me trying to advise an auto mechanic on how to fix my car. Since I know nothing about cars, all I can do is tell them that I hear a clunking sound or feel a hesitation when I step on the gas. I certainly can't tell them were to start looking for the problem or how to fix it!

So, if you aren't already doing this, I strongly suggest that you find a beta reader. In my next post, I will tell you of some excellent online sources for beta readers as well as give advice on how to become a beta reader yourself.

Reading Re-Kindled?

I don't often get my news from Comedy Central, but last week, I saw a fascinating interview on The Daily Show. John Stewart, the host, was speaking with Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, about the newest gadget the Kindle 2.

In case you haven't heard of the Kindle, it's a 'wireless reading device'; a high-tech machine that allows users to download books and read them from a small, digital screen. Think I-Pod for literature.

There's been a lot of talk about how this may or may not revolutionize the world of the written word. Many questions crop up. Will bibliophiles want to curl up on the couch with a computer screen rather than an old-fashioned tome? At $360.00 a pop (plus an additional $10.00 for each book), aily show, john stewart, I-pod, reading, technology, television, fiction, copyright violations, copyright, Comedy Central, fiction, getting published, reading, wwill the Kindle ever be affordable enough for the average person to own? And - probably most important to those of us writers - where's the copyright protection? (Some even wonder if it is permissible for the robotic Kindle-voice to read the books aloud).

My take on this is that it's the twenty-first century and times are changing. Writers need to get used to it. I like to think of such technological advances as opportunities, and my hope is that the Kindle will make books more accessible to a broader audience. I would love a book in which I could look up the words I don't know simply by clicking on them or get editor notes with a touch of a wand. There may even be more opportunities for lesser-known authors to promote their work by offering free Kindle downloads on their websites. I, for one, would love to offer some of my short fiction to Kindle users gratis, hoping to build a reputation that would lead to more book sales.

Of course, it is impossible to know for sure what will happen, and I'm sure that the Kindle will have many unexpected effects - both good and bad. But one thing I'm fairly sure of is that devices like the Kindle are very much a part of our future.

Free Fiction Market Listings

You've probably heard that old saying, "Why pay what you can get for free?"

Good question!

As a writer, one of the biggest challenges you'll probably face is knowing where to send your manuscripts. After all, that's the whole idea isn't? You want to get paid for your writing! When I first started as a writer (Yikes! Has is really been twenty years?), I would go the library, locate a copy (hopefully a current copy) of The Writer's Market, and try to find a market that accepted short stories. The process was time-consuming, frustrating, and irritating. Because of the transient nature of publishing, generally, the current Writer's Market was out of date before it even hit the bookstores! But now we have the Internet. The Writer's Market is still out there, but I have found much better places for market listings. The best part is, these websites offer FREE information! Here is a list of some of my very favorite sources for market listings:

• Ralan's Webstravaganza - this website offers markets for fantasy, horror, and science fiction writers. The markets are broken down by rates (semi-pro and pro rates paying at least $.03 per word and paying markets being anything less). There are also links to book publishers and anthology markets. This is one of the best sources on the web.
  
• The Write Market - aka the mother lode. Seriously, this site has it all - fiction and non-fiction markets, how-to information, even greeting card markets.
• Writers' Write - sometimes, genre markets get all the press, but at Writer's Write, there are listings for juvenile, literary, and young adult markets as well.
  

The HDIGIP Quiz (or How Do I Get It Published?)

How do I get it published?

Great question!

I could blather on for months about important question; however, I'll instead direct you to the HDIGIP quiz. Although the quiz is intended for writers of children's books, any writer with a manuscript would do well to take it. The advice offered is sound and the quiz itself is just a lot of fun to take.