[Discussion] I read every single comment on my last post. Here is what I want to address.
A few days ago I posted here looking for some advice on how I can get writers to trust me when it comes to paid beta reading work. They have been so many stories of scams and whatnot within this service. So, I want to ask directing to writers for advice coz I am just getting started and I want to do it right and well.
I read every single comment and I want to address the ones that came up most.
One - My qualifications.
This is a fair thing to ask. You are being asked to trust a stranger with something you have spend months or years writing. You deserve to know who I am.
I am a college student studying Business admin with a minor in creativity writing my goal is to work in the publishing industry, and I was working at a part time job until I got fired because of budget cuts.
This whole thing lead me to this service. I have been beta reading manuscripts for free for the last few years because I genuinely love stories and I thought it will look good on my resume. I have read over 20 full manuscripts across fantasy, romance, thriller, horror, literary fiction, and more. I was not doing it for money. I was doing it because I could not stop. Authors kept sending me their work and I kept saying yes because I loved being the first reader.
I am not a published author yet. I am not a literary agent. What I am is a dedicated reader who notices things, the scene that loses momentum, the character whose voice disappears halfway through, the plot thread that never gets resolved, the continuity error on page 200 that contradicts page 12. That is what you are hiring me for.
Two - Why pay for a beta reader at all?
I get it. Free beta readers exist. Writing communities exist. Friends and family exist.
But here is what I kept hearing from the authors I read for free, their writing group gave them conflicting opinions that left them more confused than before. Their friends told them it was great because they did not want to hurt their feelings. Their free beta reader disappeared after chapter three and never came back.
What you are paying for is not just feedback. You are paying for someone who finishes. Someone who is honest because honesty is literally the job. Someone who delivers on a deadline because their reputation depends on it. Someone who reads your work like a stranger would, because in publishing the only opinion that matters is a stranger's.
Free is not always better. Sometimes free costs you more in the long run when you spend six months waiting on feedback that never comes.
Three - Pricing
Several people pointed out that my original flat rate pricing was not fair to either of us. A 20,000 word novella and a 100,000 word epic fantasy should not cost the same amount. You were right and I listened.
I have updated my pricing to reflect the actual work involved:
$0.003 per word - delivered in 14 days
$0.002 per word - delivered in 30 days
$25 minimum charge on all manuscripts
To give you a clear picture of what that looks like in practice:
20,000 words - $60 fast / $40 standard
50,000 words - $150 fast / $100 standard
80,000 words - $240 fast / $160 standard
100,000 words - $300 fast / $200 standard
And my promise stays the same. If I miss your deadline you get a full refund. No questions asked.
I still have 9 spots open this month. If you have a manuscript that needs honest critical feedback from someone who will actually finish it and tell you the truth... I am here.
Drop a comment or DM me if you are interested.
And to everyone who engaged with my last post, thank you. This community gave a stranger on the internet a real chance. I will not forget that.