beta reading

yes, for free

I read voraciously, and I reserve space on my reading list for unpublished manuscripts by new and emerging authors. I beta read these and provide feedback at no charge.

I provide this service gratis on an at-will, voluntary basis. Anyone is welcome to apply for a free beta read, but I will generally choose from styles and content types that I enjoy most as a reader.

yes!

  • Literary fiction
  • Speculative fiction of all kinds (fantasy, cyberpunk, steampunk, magical realism, etc)
  • I have a soft spot for YA fantasy
  • Horror, thriller, suspense
  • Short story collections in nearly any genre

probably not

I typically do not read trope-heavy romance or romantasy. However, I do not mind romance elements as part of a larger story.

definitely not

  • Content that is hateful or promotes discrimination
  • Content intended for a religious audience
  • Content written in part or whole by generative AI
  • Extremely rough drafts that contain numerous issues and mistakes

examples

These are some of the titles I’ve enjoyed in recent years. I was not a beta reader for any of these; they’re just examples of the content and styles I tend to enjoy.

  • Normal People by Sally Rooney
  • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
  • Circe & Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  • Wellness by Nathan Hill
  • Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
  • This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
  • Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
  • Recursion by Blake Crouch
  • Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker
  • Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
  • There There by Tommy Orange

my promises to you

If I accept your manuscript for a beta read, I promise you that:

  • I know you authors put your hearts and souls in your work, and I promise to treat it with kindness and respect.
  • I’ll provide you with a timeframe if I accept the beta read, and I’ll stick to it as closely as I can.
  • I’ll stay in communication. I won’t ghost you. (However, I also expect you to be communicative and respectful in kind.)
  • I won’t share your words with any third parties, including generative AI.
  • I won’t try to upsell you on paid services. The agreement is for a free beta read only.

how to submit

Use this form. Note that the form will ask you for a single-page sample from your manuscript. If I agree to beta read for you, I’ll send you an email with instructions on how to send the full manuscript, an estimated timeline, and details about the beta reading process.

You can submit more than one manuscript for beta reading. Use the same form for each submission.