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I want to beta read your novel!



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Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:20 pm
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Carlito says...



Hi! I want to beta read your novel!


Beta reading: someone reads your novel start to finish like a reader and gives you feedback on what’s working/what’s not working.

I want to read:
Spoiler! :
1. Finished books. I don’t care if it’s a messy draft one or a polished draft twenty, as long as it’s finished, I’m game.

2. Young Adult. I’m going to keep this open for now to anything that could be classified as YA. New for 2022 - I'll also read Adult Romance, no other genres of adult. I read a ton of YA for fun and am most familiar with YA, so I feel most equipped to help with YA.

3. Genre wise, my favorite genres are contemporary and contemporary romance. I’m a big romance sap and I’m game for any romance in any genre. I’m open to reading outside of those genres! It’s usually hard for me to get into high/epic fantasy (think Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones) or really sciency sci-fi.

4. Things I love in books, but your book doesn’t have to have: complicated love stories, anything with some grit or darkness, but also fluffy and light stories, anything involving music, anything involving mental health/mental illness, travel, unexpected twists, and did I mention I’m a romance SAP. My very favorite thing ever in romance is a slow burn and the slower the better. I want to ACHE and then DIE over love stories!

5. I don’t mind sex/violence/language as long as it’s necessary to the story


Things that aren’t for me/I don’t want to read:
Spoiler! :
1. Horror, zombies, pandemics/plagues, super high/epic fantasy, super sciency sci-fi

2. It can be hard for me to get into books set in space

3. It can be hard for me to get into books with lots of mythical creatures as characters, but not always!!

4. Absolutely no on screen rape, torture, or animal abuse!!!

5. Nothing super far over 100,000 words (unless you fall into my special exceptions….)


So Carlito I want you to read my book and it fits into what you read. How does this work?
Spoiler! :
1. Check and make sure I have a slot available this month/next.

2. Post your interest here.

3. If the version you want me to read is posted on YWS in its entirety and you want me to read it on YWS, I’m happy to do that! I’ll read each chapter and give you some comments as I go and then I’ll PM you an edit letter with more detailed thoughts about your book.

4. If the version you want me to read is not posted on YWS, then I’ll PM you about how you can send it to me! I’ll comment as I go on the doc and then send you an edit letter with more detailed thoughts about your book


Wow Carlito you’re going to read my whole book? What do you want in return?
Spoiler! :
Nothing! I don’t need points. I don’t need you to read or review anything of mine in return.
I genuinely enjoy beta reading! I hope that the feedback I give is helpful to you, but you don’t need to do a single thing I suggest if you don’t want to! It’s your book after all :)


What’s an edit letter? What kind of feedback can I expect?
Spoiler! :
I LOVE thinking about plot and pacing and creating tension in books. I also love thinking about characterization and creating really dynamic, interesting characters. These are often things I focus on when I beta for people.

An edit letter is basically a few pages of notes (mine can get a little long because I’m long-winded and I usually have a lot of thoughts…..) about the things mentioned above, things that worked/didn’t work in a story, or the overall impressions and thoughts about the story.

I aim to always be thorough, honest, to the point, and kind when I give anyone feedback and to give the kind of feedback I’d like to receive myself. I will make comments as I go, but most of my feedback will be at the end with the edit letter. If there are specific things you’d like feedback about, I am happy to think about and try to touch on those things for you!

Please know that I may suggest major changes. I may suggest you cut a character or rewrite whole sections or take chunks out or change the tense, etc. You absolutely don’t have to take all of my suggestions, but I like to be upfront with people that if you’re looking for someone to pat you on the back and tell you it’s great, that’s not me. I will OF COURSE tell you what I think you’re doing well and what I like and what works for me, but I will also be very honest about what I think can be improved upon. If you’re not ready for someone to suggest major changes to your book baby, that’s okay! I just might not be the reviewer for you :)


I’m interested, but I’m nervous about whether your kind of feedback will work for me.
Spoiler! :
If you want a taste of my feedback style before I read your whole book, I’m happy to read the first 30-50 pages or so and give you feedback on that. If my style isn’t for you, no worries at all! I won’t be offended if you don’t want me to read the whole thing!


How fast are you going to read my book?
Spoiler! :
My goal is one month. I’ll give you updates if I think it’ll be longer than that :)


SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS
*if you’ve read one of my books*

Spoiler! :
You absolutely don’t have to have read or reviewed one of my books in order for me to read yours!! However, for anyone who has read one of mine, I’m making some exceptions to the above. This isn’t meant to leave anyone out, but I like to return the betaing favor when I can!

Simply put, if you have read a book of mine, I will read a book of yours. It doesn’t have to be YA and it doesn’t have to fit into the genres I like to read, and it can be any word count (just please for my sanity nothing over 150k)
*unless it’s horror, about zombies/plagues/pandemics, or has on screen rape/torture/animal abuse.


I want to know:
Code: Select all
1.   Title of your book
2.   Genre of your book (or your best guess at the genre if you’re not sure)
3.   Word count of your book
4.   Is it on YWS or would you like to send it to me?
5.   A short blurb about what it’s about (don’t spoil the ending or any big twists)
6.   What’s your experience level? Is this your first book? Your tenth? Do you read about craft for fun, or are you trying to figure it out as you go along?
7.   What are your goals? Are you writing for fun? Are you hoping to self publish or traditionally publish this book or a book? Any other goals for the book?
8.   What draft number is this?
9.   Other than general big picture comments, is there anything specific you’d like me to read for, anything specific you’d like feedback on, any specific concerns about your book, etc.?
10.   Anything else you want me to know!!


Questions?? Let me know!

Thanks for letting me read your words 💜💜
Last edited by Carlito on Tue May 30, 2023 1:55 am, edited 6 times in total.
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Ask a Therapist!
I want to beta read your novel!


Ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Seriously. My PM box is always open <3
  





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1162 Reviews



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Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:23 pm
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Carlito says...



SLOTS

Currently reading:
Conqueror Rising by Snoink, YA fantasy
Off YWS, Adult rom com


Waitlist:
BluesClues for FakeDeathgagement
Rook


Projects I've finished - 2021
1. Off YWS, YA contemporary with fantasy elements (full)
2. Off YWS, YA historical (50 pages, plus revised opening chapters)
3. Cortez Shivick by ForeverYoung, YA contemporary (full)
4. On Wings of Fire by Mea, YA high fantasy (full)
5. Off YWS, YA contemporary (30 pages)
6. GroundskeeperWIP by BluesClues, Adult contemporary fantasy (full)
7. Falling from Grace by Plume, YA contemporary (full)
8. Off YWS, YA contemporary (full)
9. Off YWS, YA contemporary romance (full)

Projects I've finished - 2022
1. Longing of a Maiden Rose by MailicedeNamedy, YA historical fantasy (full)
2. Under the apple tree by Elinor, Adult literary (full)
3. Off YWS, YA rom com (full)
4. Of YWS, YA speculative (full)
5. Skel & El by Mageheart, YA/Adult speculative (full)
6. Off YWS, Adult romance (full)

Projects I've finished - 2023
1. Dreamless by JustPerks, YA mystery
Last edited by Carlito on Thu Feb 02, 2023 3:45 am, edited 18 times in total.
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Ask a Therapist!
I want to beta read your novel!


Ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Seriously. My PM box is always open <3
  





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Mon Mar 08, 2021 1:28 pm
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ForeverYoung299 says...



Title: Cortez Shivick
Genre: Probably realistic
Word count: Probably 5000-7000 words(not a perfect novel I guess.)
4 - I have uploaded 4 chapters of it. I will upload the rest within a week.
Blurb: life of a person who is mad for popularity.
6– second book
7- I wanna publish.
8- First

Hope you will enjoy. Waiting for the feedback
  





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Mon Mar 08, 2021 5:49 pm
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manilla says...



OH MY GOD OH MY GOD I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS!!!! WOW!!!!! I'm still on a horrible first draft but I hope you enjoy my work!!!

1. Title of your book
Working title: The Seventh One

2. Genre of your book (or your best guess at the genre if you’re not sure)
Light science fiction/fantasy, YA. It also has some realistic fiction-like parts in the beginning, and the world is pretty similar to ours except for a magic system and dystopia-like government. There are small elements of romance and teen drama.

3. Word count of your book
Unfinished, about almost halfway through or so, at 46758 words.

4. Is it on YWS or would you like to send it to me?
I'll send it!

5. A short blurb about what it’s about (don’t spoil the ending or any big twists)
In a world where religion is woven into the very fabric of life, Story Telamine joins the private eye of her Oracles, the people who listen and monitor everyone in the city. From an unsettling event that changed her view on reality, she finds out that she's not the only desperate person trying to unveil the truth of everything they know.

6. What’s your experience level? Is this your first book? Your tenth? Do you read about craft for fun, or are you trying to figure it out as you go along?
I wrote a book in fifth grade and worked with an editor to publish it on Amazon (as an e-book), so technically, this is my second. I do read writers' blogs and try to incorporate their feedback into my work, but my main goal now is just finishing my novel, really.

7. What are your goals? Are you writing for fun? Are you hoping to self publish or traditionally publish this book or a book? Any other goals for the book?
I hope to traditionally publish this one one day!

8. What draft number is this?
One :,)

9. Other than general big picture comments, is there anything specific you’d like me to read for, anything specific you’d like feedback on, any specific concerns about your book, etc.?
The beginning vignettes are kind of a mess, yes. I might intersperse more into the story as we go. I also have some additional docs I use for planning the world and plot if you want those as well. About characters, in my personal opinion, I think my main, Story, could use a little work in terms of being more likeable and effective to the plot, even in the beginning.

Also, the tenses and point-of-views are a hot mess, and I apologize in advance. You don't need to read the entire thing unless you want to, or perhaps, I could contact you later on in my writing process if you're still doing this, hopefully! Thank you so much again!
Pronouns: she/they

From the wild manila folder of YWS's office.

When the last tree has fallen
And the rivers are poisoned
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Mon Mar 08, 2021 8:29 pm
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Carlito says...



Hi @ForeverYoung299! I'd be happy to read that for you :) Let me know when you have the whole thing posted and I'll get started!


Hi @manilla! I'm so glad you've found what you've been looking for! I'm not afraid of terrible first drafts, I promise!! :) When are you hoping to have it finished by? I'd be happy to read it for you then and put you on my wait list!
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Ask a Therapist!
I want to beta read your novel!


Ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Seriously. My PM box is always open <3
  





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Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:31 pm
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manilla says...



@Carlito

Unfortunately, I have no plans for when :,) I am winging this entire thing and I don't know anymore lmao

I'll check back with you in two months?
Pronouns: she/they

From the wild manila folder of YWS's office.

When the last tree has fallen
And the rivers are poisoned
You cannot eat money


I do reviews: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=188&t=108365
  





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Tue Mar 09, 2021 2:32 am
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ForeverYoung299 says...



@Carlito I have finished posting my novel
  





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Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:19 pm
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LittleLee says...



Carlito you amazing person, you


I still have the exact advice you gave me on finding literary agents <3

You're an awesome person, and I'm sure everyone here will benefit greatly from your help!
"I believe a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed to him."
  





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Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:37 pm
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Plume says...



I think you're still accepting?? Feel free to ignore if you're too busy, but I just thought I'd put this here.

Title: Falling From Grace

Genre: YA Contemporary

Word count of your book: 70,265

Is it on YWS or would you like to send it to me?: Send it to you, preferably.

Blurb: The end of sophomore year is when everything changes for Grace Harroway. For someone with generalized anxiety disorder, stuff like:
1) her best friend of seven years going to boarding school come fall,
2) the French class final proving tougher than she expected, and
3) new and conflicting feelings about a guy in her French class with a school dance on the horizon
can really make life hell. She grapples with the age old question of who she is and who she wants to be through changing friendships, poetry, and mental health.

Experience Level: I've been writing for about six years now, but this is my first completed novel draft. I've taken several writing courses and intensives, though.

Book Goals: Hoping to query for an agent and traditionally publish.

What draft number is this? First draft!

Other than general big picture comments, is there anything specific you’d like me to read for, anything specific you’d like feedback on, any specific concerns about your book, etc.? I hear you're a licensed therapist, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the portrayal of mental health in the book. I am diagnosed with anxiety, so a lot of it is based on my own experiences, but I'd still like to get another perspective. I didn't go to therapy all that much whereas my character does, and I'd be curious to know if I'm writing them correctly/if anything the therapist says is a big no-no in the field.

Anything else you want me to know: Just to tell you you're completely awesome for doing this. I read about the stuff you were looking for and a lot of it aligned with my novel, which was very serendipitous. If you do decide to beta, I hope you enjoy it!
I was born to speak all mirth and no matter.
  





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Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:20 pm
Carlito says...



I'm all caught up and ready to read more of your books in 2022!! <3
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Ask a Therapist!
I want to beta read your novel!


Ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Seriously. My PM box is always open <3
  





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Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:54 pm
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MailicedeNamedy says...



Hi Carlito,

I saw your post and was wondering if it's possible if you could read a chapter or two from my novel. I would like to know a little bit if you, as a reader, see a change in the main character's personality that should come out in the course of the story. Or to give you a bit of a longer summary about the plot to see how the flow is.

Spoiler! :

1. Longing of a Maiden Rose
2. YA, Growing Up, Coming-of-Age, Mystery (don´t know if it is also considered fantasy as it takes place in a fictional world in the 1920s.)
3. >255.000 words
4. It is here on YWS (currently at Chapter 15 of 21)

5. Synopsys: Claire never thought in her life that she would leave her fantasy world to go on an adventure herself.
When her friend Emma returns from her grandfather's, she tells her best friend Claire about Léonard, a mysterious young man who wants to solve a murder. Claire is about to turn eighteen and her father has already planned her future, so Léonard comes just in the right moment.
Against all reason, Claire decides to run away from home and follow Léonard. But her adventure turns out to be completely different from what she had always imagined in her head... Suddenly she meets new people, a friend for life, a writer and realises that it is the first time to decide for herself where she wants to go.

6. It´s the sixth novel I´ve finished.
7. Getting traditionally published would be a plan. (I never actually started to look)
8. 3rd draft (1st in 2018, 2nd in 2019, 3rd in 2020)
9. Feedback more in the direction of the characters, whether they are "alive" and comprehensible, especially the communication and emotions between the individual parties. Is it right the way they act or does it come across as unrealistic to the reader?
Reality is a prison and time is its guard

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Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:12 pm
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Elinor says...



Carlito, I've actually been thinking of you as I've been working on this book and I was hoping you would get to beta read it at some point! Let me know!

1. Under The Apple Tree
2. Literary Fiction
3. 49,095
4. I would it to you!
5. Charlotte Pink is an unknown actress who dreams of creating a legacy with her art. Four years out of college, she watches her peers pass her by, with marriage and family, with glittering careers or both as she works a mundane day job, daydreaming of a better future. A series of bad romantic experiences have led her to wonder if she will ever find the true love she desperately craves, or if it even exists. One summer, a chance friendship forces her to look at her situation in a different light.
6. This is my second novel and third if you count my 27,000 word novella
7. I want to self publish it
8. Second draft!
9. Big picture stuff, and anything else you might notice. Is it interesting, does it keep your attention and do you want to keep turning the pages? Most importantly, how are the characters? Do you empathize with Charlotte, or does her narration seem like a pity party? What about the other characters, the main ones being Madison, Brady, Erin, and Laura?

Overall, how is the depiction of mental illness?

While I may defer to others in this aspect, I'd also like to know how my portrayal of non-white characters come across. I'm worried people will think my therapist character is a Native American stereotype, but she is inspired by my real life therapist who is Native American, so I want to strike that balance.

Of course, any phrasing/flow things you notice as well.

Keep me posted on timing as well, as mentioned my goal is to be self published but in the meantime I want the novel to be the best that it can be!

All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.

-- Walt Disney
  





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Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:43 pm
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BluesClues says...



It's obviously not written yet but I'm totally coming back to this once I have a completed draft of FakeDeathgagement, since that's gonna lean h a r d into the romance :eyes:
  





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Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:23 pm
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Rook says...



Ooh! I'd like to be on the waiting list! I have about 5 chapters left and knowing someone is waiting for me to finish will kick my butt into gear! Could you check in with me on January 10th and I'll try to have it done by then? Even if you have other books you want to read by then, having that imminent deadline with make me actually do the work, and if you have other books ahead of me that'll just give me time to edit a little.
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To this, the Wolf answered, Lo!

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Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:38 pm
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Mageheart says...



My book also isn't ready to be shared yet, but I'm definitely coming back to this thread when its latest draft is tidy enough to be shared with other people!
mage

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