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Belinda Missen

You’ve finished your draft, now what? This is where a beta reader can help make your story the best it can be. Recently, I’ve teamed up with Element Editing Services to provide professional beta reading services.

Beta Reader vs Professional Beta Reader – What’s the difference?

Beta readers are people who read your manuscript once you’ve completed its initial drafts. These readers help to point out what is and isn’t working, as well as what they did and didn’t like. Beta readers provide a general opinion of your manuscript.

Historically, beta readers have been unpaid friends, family, or writers. More and more often, however, authors are having a hard time trying to locate beta readers who provide quality feedback — if they provide any at all.

Because of this, paid, professional beta readers are becoming more and more popular. Professional beta readers are people dedicated to providing quality feedback for a fee.

So, What’s Included?

Each beta reader must read your manuscript and then fill out a 5-7 page questionnaire. The questionnaire covers big-picture items, and each big-picture item is broken down into smaller questions, giving a total of 42 questions.

I’ve included examples — one per item here, but Characters alone has 14 questions.

  • The opening chapter (does it hook the reader?) 
  • The characters (are their motivations believable?)
  • Character relationships (are these developed organically?) 
  • The plot (are the threads tied up?)
  • Pacing (does it track well?)
  • Setting (are the settings clear?) 
  • Dialogue (is the dialogue authentic?)
  • Craft (is the story unique for its genre?) 
  • Overall impressions (was the reader tempted to skim st any time?)

Authors can include their own questions for the beta readers, and if they are not already in the questionnaire the questions will be placed in the Author’s Corner at the end of the document.

For more information and pricing, please head to the Element Editing Services website.

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Welcome!

Welcome!
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About Me

Author and sometimes foodie, Belinda is a ridiculous romantic who met her husband after being introduced by a friend two states away.

Residing in country Victoria, surrounded by books, cat-fur, and half-eaten cake, Belinda divides her days between writing rom-coms, baking, and indulging her love of comic books.

Belinda holds a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing from Federation TAFE. She'll finish her degree one day.

Popular Posts

Guest Post // Marie Landry

If you haven’t heard of Marie Landry, where the bloody hell have you been lately? Marie writes gorgeous romantic books that make you feel, laugh and fall in love. And, this week, she releases her latest book, A Very Perry Christmas.  I’m thrilled to have her as a guest contributor on my blog today.   […]

Hey fam - I’m really enjoying my time away from Hey fam - I’m really enjoying my time away from social media [so much less pressure - phew]. I’ve made some huge decisions these past few weeks - promise I’ll share them just as soon as I can put them into words. ❤️

I hope you’re all well!
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas - however From my family to yours, Merry Christmas - however you celebrate it. Today, I'm off to see some family I've not seen all year so I'm a little excited. ⠀
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This is also the end of me for the year. I'm taking the rest of December and January off the old socials. There are books that need to be written and plans that need to be enacted to make sure 2021 is bigger and better than the last few. ⠀
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Thank you for all the comments, laughs and support this year - you've all been fab. ⠀
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x B⠀
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#christmaswriterswipchallenge
What's my MC's biggest wish? It's simple: happines What's my MC's biggest wish? It's simple: happiness. ⠀
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I think that's basically it for all of us, isn't it? ⠀
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#christmaswriterswipchallenge
While I won't be incorporating Christmas is this b While I won't be incorporating Christmas is this book I'm writing at the moment, the next one is going to be 4000% yuletide fun! ⠀
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#christmaswriterswipchallenge
Right now, the worst person my MC could get as a S Right now, the worst person my MC could get as a Secret Santa would be her sister. It's not that they hate each other, they simply lead very different lives, so find that they don't know each other very well. ⠀
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Let's flip this on it's head - who would you LOVE to have as a Secret Santa? ⠀
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#christmaswriterswipchallenge
Shout-out to my circle of friends who've kept me b Shout-out to my circle of friends who've kept me bobbing along this year: @katie_ginger_author, @sweetmarie_83, @helen_j_rolfe, @portiamacintoshauthor, @rebeccaraisinwrites, and everyone else I've missed because brain is mush right now. ⠀
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Thanks for being amazing.⠀
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#christmaswriterswipchallenge

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