Beta Reading Services

Updated 10/1/2016 - Currently not accepting new clients through January 15, 2017. 

Existing clients are welcome to email me with new requests between now and January 15, 2017.


What is a Beta Reader?

A Beta Reader  is a non-professional reader who reads a written work with the intent of looking over the material to find and improve elements such as grammar and spelling, as well as suggestions to improve the story, its characters, or its setting.

Why do you need a Beta Reader?

All authors need more than one Beta Reader to help improve their craft. Before the general public reads your work, it is best to have an unbiased third party take a look and give the author constructive criticism. 

Why am I a good choice to Beta Read your manuscript?

• I am a voracious reader and a published author.  
• I get excited about new authors and their work.
• I've been reviewing books since 2013 and have Beta Read for several popular indie authors (see testimonials below) during this same time-frame.
• I do not hold back on relaying to you my experience as a reader of your book.  Also, if there are a multitude of issues with your book - misspelling, grammar, story ambiguity or story flow issues, I will list them in a constructive and helpful manner for you to take into consideration. 
• My number one goal is always to make you a better author and give you a reader's opinion of your work.

I Will:

• Read your story from the perspective of a reader, not as an editor or proofreader.  
• Offer constructive criticism about dialogue, character development, pacing, and point out any inconsistencies I find.
• Try to work within your time-frame or give you a reasonable estimate as to how long the job will take me.
• Expect you to accept my constructive feedback with an open mind.
• Provide an in-depth critique in a written document and correspond with you through email.

 
I Will Not:

• Publicly post the feedback that I offer to you.  Beta Reading is different from a public review.
• Rewrite or reword your work for you.
• Copy edit or proofread your story. That is not what a Beta Reader does.
• Coddle you. Authors need honest, objective feedback. 
• See examples of my public reviews.

Questions? Ready to let me Beta Read for you?

Send an email to samolteni@gmail.com with the genre and length of your manuscript and your desired turnaround time. Please place “Beta Reading” in the subject line so it does not get sent to the spam folder by accident. I’ll respond with either an accept or decline of your request.  If accepted, I will give a detailed time-line of when the critique will be finished along with the proposed cost of the service.

Testimonials

As an author, I know how difficult it can be to acquire helpful beta readers. S.A. Molteni is one of the best. She is honest, punctual, gives detailed notes, and even left a review for my book after publication. I highly recommend her services, and would consider it an honor to work with her again.

Nicole Storey
Author of the Grimsley Hollow series
and the Celadon Circle series
Nicole's Website


As a fiction writer beta readers are invaluable. I appreciate S.A. Molteni's beta reading because she is efficient and insightful. And, she shares helpful feedback from a reader's perspective.

Elle Boca
Author of the Miami urban fantasy
Weeia series
Elle's Website
 

Rates:

$0.003 per word with a $5 minimum. 

For example, a 25,000 word novella would be $75.  A 1,000 word short story would be $5.  A 1,000 word short story would be $5 because it falls below the minimum.

I use PayPal and will send you an invoice for half of the payment before I begin work. Prior to delivery of the final critique, I will send an invoice for the balance. For rush requests, the rates will increase.

Each read through of your manuscript is comprehensive and complete.  Rates are on a per draft basis. If the author resubmits the same story and wants an opinion on the new version, another fee will be charged.