Overall, a beta reader can provide valuable feedback on your memoir or novel's focus, quality of writing and reader engagement.

You can expect to receive a summarised report looking at big picture issues such as what's working and what isn't with your manuscript. A beta reader will look at whether the work meets the genre; whether your story or memoir stimulates an interest to read more; how well the story flowed; any confusing or unclear sections; and how well the reader felt connected to the story.

A beta reader will consider how invested they felt in the main characters; if anything took the reader out of the story; and who would read this work, plus answers to any other questions you may have.

This service is for writers seeking feedback on an except of their writing up to 2,500 words from a work-in-progress fiction manuscript. The excerpt will be of sufficient content to stand alone.

Feedback will be given on the overall quality and tone of your writing; signs of potential to be a compelling read; how well it resonates with the reader; what is curious about your story; and how the excerpt draws the reader in.

A report with comments via Track Changes will be given, but not detailed edits such as correcting spelling, grammar or punctuation.

The appraisal is a broad overview of the overall effectiveness of your writing with particular attention paid to plot, story and character development. The appraisal will help you see where your book fits into the market and whether it fits into a particular genre.

Other considerations will be given to whether you have a strong sense of place in your piece that is revealed through the senses, and is your voice, your unique fingerprint that brings your work together to form a story, natural and not contrived. Also, does every section of your work support your central message or messages.

You can expect to receive a report along these lines, and more.

Your manuscript will be converted from print to ebook (epub) format with reflowable text up to 500 pages, up to 10 hyperlinks and 10 images.

A synopsis is a short summary of your story from beginning to end. It gives the reader a sense of what the longer work is about. Start with "selling" your story in a paragraph or "hooking" your reader on the main point of your story in 20 words or less.

Your synopsis should follow the order of events presented in your novel and succinctly include every major plot point and twist, every major character, any big turning points or big climactic scenes.

Write your synopsis in the third person and in present tense, even if your novel is written in first person.

If your book is a novel, place main characters in capital letters when first introduced and a brief description of who they are, e.g. TONY SMITH, (34), brutally handsome, muscular and fast talking.

Don't forget to include the ending of your story.

Like all good stories, your memoir synopsis should have a theme, i.e. the angle or core message of your piece. Start with describing what your memoir is about, in other words, its main message. This is the foundation of your memoir and will help you select the information to include in your memoir synopsis.

Put simply, a memoir synopsis should be 400 words and have a beginning, middle and an end. It needs to be readable and not a shopping list of memoir memories.

Place a limit on characters, 5 or less. Any character not essential to your main theme should not be mentioned.

Showcase what makes your memoir different, unique or useful.

How does the narrator/memoirist change as a character from start to end of the memoir. Reveal how your memoir impacts your life today.

Include your ending.

Your novel synopsis or memoir synopsis should be 400 words and no longer, in Word (.docx) format, 12pt Times New Roman font, double spaced with generous margins (3cm) and left aligned paragraph formatting.

Sample pages for a beta reading should be the first 5,000 words of your manuscript, in Word (.docx) format, 12pt Times New Roman font, double spaced with generous margins (3cm), A4 page size, page numbered and left aligned paragraph formatting.

Sample pages for a short appraisal should be 10,000 words taken from the beginning of your manuscript in Word (.docx) format, 12pt Times New Roman font, double spaced with generous margins (3cm), A4 page sizing, page numbered and left aligned paragraph formatting.

Sample pages for a fiction excerpt should be between 1,500-2,500 words from a work-in-progress fiction manuscript with sufficient content to stand alone in Word (.docx) format, 12pt Times New Roman font, double spaced with generous margins (3cm), A4 page sizing, page numbered and left aligned paragraph formatting.

Provide a short statement about your background as a writer, further details about your current work-in-progress, including where the submitted excerpt sits in the work, and why this feedback would be beneficial to you and your writing.

For ebook creation provide your manuscript in Word (.docx) format only, to the above manuscript specifications, separated into sequential chapters, including front of book matter elements - title, copyright, reviews and praise, dedication, acknowledgements; and back matter elements - about the author. Provide a cover image, format jpg or png, 1600px x 2400px.

Discussion will centre around finding out more about your book project.

Expect to be asked:

• Is your work memoir or popular fiction?

• What is the genre, main point or hook of your story?

• Have you done your research and found out what books are similar to yours and how your story is different?

• What are your publishing plans – submit to traditional publishers, self publish, publish for friends and family, or some other reason?

• Who do you think is your target audience?

• What is the state of your manuscript?

• How many drafts have you completed?

• Has your manuscript been workshopped by other writers, beta read or edited previously?

• What is your next step with regard to your manuscript?

Your consultation will be held via Zoom. Use the contact form to set up a booking.

Beta reading - $150

Excerpt appraisal - $200

Short appraisal - $395

Ebook creation - $350

Full payment in advance.