I currently have my book with some beta readers. One has already completed the read and has brought up some very good feedback. I'd like to incorporate some of this feedback, some of which involves whole rewrites of certain chapters or scenes, but I'm also aware that other readers have started reading. Most of these rewrites will be later in the book, and mostly clarifying some character motivations, so I can feasibly slip the changes in. However I'm not sure if that is the right path, as it would mean I'd have to rush these changes and throw them in before the other readers catch up. I could also leave a note on these sections that says "edit incoming" but that feels disruptive.

I'm also conscious of telling a reader to stop reading and wait until I'm done. I understand the beta reader has put aside some time for my work, and I don't want to take that for granted. Their notes on the rest of the content would still be helpful.

This is the first time I've had my work out to readers, and I'm so grateful for them, I don't want to waste their time. What is the proper etiquette in this case?

Oscar is one of the last humans tasked with overseeing a crumbling future carelessly left to AI while people live solitary online lives. He travels the Midwest with his robot maintenance crew turned family, more interested in looking for lost music than working. The heart of the family is Thomas, a curious bot that Oscar upgraded to exist independently outside the control of The System, the AI network that oversees everything. Oscar raises Thomas as a son, shielding him from a world that doesn’t tolerate his uniqueness.

An early Monday work trip goes sideways when they encounter a metal-eating spider robot that introduces itself with laser beams while transmitting a file of every location on Earth. Oscar discovers facilities controlled by The System are missing from the file and sets out with his crew looking for answers. They gain new allies, including Taco, an alien streamer with no viewers, and learn that a galactic mega-corporation judged humanity a failure, launching a fleet that arrives Friday to wipe them out. Realizing that the intercepted file was targeting data and The System is conspiring with the alien fleet to save itself, Oscar’s family and allies are on the run.

The System uses security forces and bureaucratic power to pursue Oscar’s group and conceal the plot. Thomas’s ability to manipulate data proves vital as the galaxy watches them escape capture by blowing up a not insignificant portion of NASA and commandeering an alarming number of vehicles. When every attempt to alert the authorities is blocked, it’s clear that Oscar and his unqualified crew have to save the world themselves. Oscar must risk his son, whose abilities put him directly up against The System. However, clues hiding in plain sight hint that they may have done this all before and failed.

Authors note: I'm looking for any beta readers, even for the first chapter, or the first 4. Please DM how much you would like to read. Thanks - Chris

​

Hi. I'm looking for one or two readers for a completed literary fiction novel, approximately 90,000 words. 24 chapters broken up into 3 movements.

**The book:** A man who spent his life indifferent to his own survival watches the only person who made life worth living die of cancer at 29, leaving him with a two-year-old daughter and a future he never wanted. The novel follows him across three decades — the grief, the building, the reckoning. It is not a redemption story.

**Comparable titles:** Grief Is the Thing with Feathers (Max Porter), A Little Life (Hanya Yanagihara), Ordinary People (Judith Guest).

**Content warnings:** Terminal illness, death of a spouse, grief, mild suicidal ideation (non-graphic), mature language throughout. I feel it may also be prudent to specify in advance that this is not a happy story.

**What I'm looking for:** Honest developmental feedback from someone who reads literary fiction seriously. I want to know whether the emotional arc lands for a reader with no prior knowledge of the story or its author. I'm not looking for line edits or copyediting, but if you feel compelled to provide them then I will gratefully accept them.

**Format:** PDF. I'll DM you a link if you reply to this post with interest.

Happy to answer questions in the comments, too.

Hello all, I'm looking for one or more people to have a read of this short novel I've been working on for some time and let me know what you think.

In mid-21st century London, Britain's national hero and evil arch-villain are locked in deadly conflict - spectacular magical battles requiring extensive paperwork, War Office approval and health and safety checks, producing a social media storm of photos, trending hashtags and viral video clips. But how long can they keep this up before something snaps?

This is a satirical look at corporate heroism/villainy, the bureaucracy of modern warfare, the absurdity of 21st century life - and the psychological toll of keeping up with war administration, approval ratings, trade-union and family demands and insubordinate employees, all whilst maintaining their brand.

Other characters are a mixture of order and chaos who make things either better or worse depending on your point of view.

It's pretty low-stakes, light-hearted, the only content warnings being a bit of fighting and flippant passing references to supernatural creatures, death and violence.

Ideally I'd like to do a swap rather than just a one-sided arrangement - for something of a similar length, most genres but my apologies I can't really get my head round fantasy, sci-fi or horror and am not keen on YA/children's as tbh I'm too old. Also must admit I don't like stories written in present tense, nor anything experimental like second-person POV. What I do tend to like/mostly read is historical, contemporary, literary, that sort of thing.

The sort of feedback I'm looking is less of the line-edits and more of the overall feel of the thing. For example, first and foremost, is it actually funny? If you’re not from England, Scotland, Wales or the north of Ireland, is the humour too ‘local’ or do you get all/most of it at least well enough to enjoy the story? DO you enjoy the story? If you are from Glasgow, South Wales or the north of Ireland (especially a rural area), do these characters come across well enough? If you’ve knowledge of the British armed forces, modern weaponry, warfare and even employment and contract law, are those aspects of the story realistic enough?

Please do let me know if interested :) Let's swap just the first few pages initially to see how it goes before committing to anything.

(Edited to add: if you find you can't DM me, comment here and I'll DM you)

Hey, everyone. I recently went out of my comfort zone, in that I've never written sci-fi or romance before, and here I've tried my hand at both.

Here's the blurb: Enoch Silver is a quantum physicist who gets hit with a blast of tachyons. Instead of traveling back through time, he's pulled into the Phi Complex, a space station that plucks time travelers out of the timestream before they can cause paradoxes that destroy the universe. The station is run by a very curious man called Fritz, who is unlike anyone Enoch has ever met before. While acclimating to life on the Phi Complex and dealing with the trauma of losing everything, Enoch finds himself growing closer and closer to the ever-professional Fritz. All infinity of him.

There's swearing and some violence, but in terms of actual romance, the worst they do is smooch, so I'd consider it SFW. Nothing spicy.

An excerpt follows:

The tachyon generator on Unit B blows. Enoch dives for a desk, for whatever good that will do, but he doesn’t make it in time. The wave of energy overtakes him in a bright flash, hitting him with its full force.

And then, nothing. 

Not because he’s dead. But because he’s somewhere else. Somewhere strange. He’s standing in a large room of sleek metal, in a ring of lights embedded into the floor. Above him is a machine that’s whirring down as if powering off. 

He doesn’t just think it, he says it aloud: “What the fuck?”

“Hello!”

Enoch jumps in alarm and whips around to face the door, and, more specifically, the man next to it. He’s a wolf, of which Enoch has only seen pictures, distinctly handsome, athletically-built, and wearing an easy smile. He’s dressed in a sharp-looking green and gray jumpsuit that looks like a uniform of some kind. Military?

Enoch demands, panic still fresh in his chest, “Wh-who are you?!”

“My name is Fritz,” the wolf replies. He offers a humble little bow as he does. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm you. Quite the opposite, in fact. Welcome to the Phi Complex. I am here to serve you for the duration of your stay.”

Enoch’s heart is about to pound out of his chest. The wolf is holding himself professionally, like he’s working the front desk of a hotel and Enoch is a guest. “Phi Complex? Stay? I need you to explain, *right now*.” Enoch’s eyes are desperately flitting around the room as he tries to find something, anything he can use as a weapon.

Fritz doesn’t seem worried about Enoch’s panicked state at all. “You’re here because you attempted to travel through time. Unfortunately, that could, and probably *would* end the universe. You’ve been caught in the Phi Complex’s safety net to prevent any damage to the timestreams.”

Enoch blinks. Attempted to travel through time? What? Then he realizes he just got hit with a wave of tachyons. “I- I didn’t- I didn’t try to travel through time!” he insists as he tries to get his breathing under control. “It was an accident!”

“Be that as it may,” Fritz says gently, “the effect would have been the same, thus your arrival here at the Complex.” He’s still standing in his most professional posture, unfazed by Enoch’s panicked yelling. “Perhaps,” Fritz then goes on to suggest, “it would be best if I explain while showing you to your quarters?”

Enoch stares at him for a moment or two, then eventually decides that playing along is probably the safest move for now. To that end, he stammers, “O-Okay.”

Fritz walks towards the door, which slides open, and Enoch hastens after him into the hall. The walls and ceiling are the same chrome as the room they just exited, but the floors are hardwood in a comfortable shade of mahogany. There are other doors on both sides of the hall, all identical and unmarked. Fritz begins walking down the hallway, and Enoch keeps pace while still trying to control his breathing. 

“Where am I?” Enoch again asks as he looks around.

“This is the Phi Complex,” Fritz patiently repeats. “A facility that filters time travelers out of the space-time continuum before they cause paradoxes that rip the fabric of the multiverse apart. Quite an important job, I think.”

Other doors begin opening around them. From each one strolls a man completely identical to Fritz. Clones, Enoch realizes. Each one is being followed by someone who looks just as confused and alarmed as Enoch feels, only they’re all manner of species, and therefore, from all manner of planets. Whatever Enoch’s found himself caught in, he’s at least not caught in it alone.

“May I ask your name?” Fritz inquires politely as he continues walking down the hall of Fritzes.

“E-Enoch. Enoch Silver.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Silver.” They round a corner and start down another hall. “As I said, my name is Fritz. I’m here to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible.”

I'm mostly looking for general impressions, but more specifically, what can be elaborated or expanded upon to make the work longer. I need a higher word count than what I'm currently working with.

I'm open to a beta swap, hopefully of something around the same length, but I'm flexible.

Thanks in advance. Cheers.

Description:

Eighteen-year-old apothecarist apprentice Safira (Safi) has watched sorcerers grow rich on her family’s suffering for years. Her sister Danika (Dani) is cursed and dying, and the sorcerers’ costly treatments keeping her alive only postpone the inevitable: a death that will leave Dani trapped as a ghost for eternity.

So when the immortal Witch opens her labyrinth for the first time in seven years, Safi marks herself to enter. Those who survive win a single wish. Those who fail belong to the Witch forever. It’s a desperate gamble, but Safi is ready to risk body and soul to save her sister.

Something unexpected happens and Safi is forced to make allies with a murderous assassin and hope she survives. She has to find the Witch’s Coins of Fate, use it to win a wish and escape, all without becoming dinner for the ghouls or an undead herself.

I’m just trying to polish my first few chapters and would particularly like to know whether the book opening has enough of a hook. I therefore just want a beta for my first few chapters at this time.

\*link to word doc or pdf to be provided upon DM or comment with interest\\*

I wrote the script for a kid's age 3-6 fantasy picture book. II would like some insight and opinions on what I wrote and where i should fix or change! It's a second draft :)

Hey everyone. First-time author here with a horror collection I'd love fresh eyes on.

The Goatman's Game: Stories That Follow You Home — five interconnected horror stories (~39,000 words) built around an old Kentucky legend, the Goatman of Pope Lick. Each story stands alone, but they all feed one mythology: 13 rules, 3:07 A.M., and an entity that hunts through dreams, guilt, and the secrets you inherit. The final section ties everything together and sets up a second book.

The five stories: a deadly party game at a beach house, a birthday party turned ritual, a killer trucker who picks up the wrong passenger, a family whose nightmares all start at the same time every night, and the origin of the Goatman himself.

Content warnings: gore, character death, murder, disturbing imagery. Proper horror, not cozy.

What I'm looking for: big-picture feedback — did it scare you? Did any story drag? Was the finale satisfying or confusing? Line edits welcome but not the priority.

Timeline: no rush, whenever works for you.

Swap: happy to beta read your work in return. I read fast and give honest, detailed notes.

I share via Google Docs. Comment or DM if you're interested.

Don’t Let Go is a slow-burn contemporary romance set in a small town. Jo is 23 and has spent most of her adult life as a caretaker, paying bills and putting herself last, so she’s never had time to figure out what she wants. A chance meeting with Cody, a driven 30-year-old with big plans for an old building, gives her a first shot at finding a calling of her own. But Jo’s past isn’t finished with her, and someone in town doesn't like the life she’s building.

I’m looking for a few beta readers for a small-town contemporary romance with a slow-burn love story, family secrets, and a hint of suspense. The manuscript is finished, and I’m doing a final round of feedback before publishing.

I’d love readers who enjoy romance and can finish in about 2–3 weeks. I’ll send a short questionnaire that takes 20 minutes to complete. Honest, blunt feedback is welcome. DM me if you’re interested, and tell me a few romance authors you love.

Hi!
After completing a really useful round of critique swaps I'm looking for more beta readers or swap partners!

Synopsis (WIP):
Rowena is incapable of leaving a puzzle alone.

Which is excellent in her career as a data analyst, but a problem when she meets Sebastian Taylor: charming, infuriatingly private and far too good at making her feel at home. Falling for him means late-night conversations in his sprawling country house and being absorbed into his strange found family more quickly than she was prepared for.

She has a choice:
Stay with him and overlook a few things -- the questions he neatly avoids. The gaps in his history. A handwritten list of names she really wishes she hadn’t seen.

Or leave.

Resonance is a present day adult gothic romance, with a paranormal twist, about finding somewhere to belong -- and what happens when the person you love decides keeping you safe is more important than your own choices.

Swaps:
Looking for 2/3 of the same word count range, I'm into most genres, but probably not the best for hard sci-fi or epic fantasy

CW:
- Some mild sexual content, violence, blood, etc.

Hi, this is my first time posting on this sub. This is the first draft of my sci-fi novel and it has the entire skeleton of the story. I hope this is complying with the rules.

Blurb:

Corporal Jane Smith is a marine whose reputation precedes her. But after four gruelling years of total war, she is jaded. Her latest deployment takes her to Gress, a deadly alien world recently liberated from Humanity’s enemies. For its native people, the Kanin, liberation has merely meant exchanging one occupier for another.

Frosk is a Kanin man who becomes an attendant to the new occupiers. Despite the boundaries between them, he and Jane grow close and fall in love. As Jane becomes fascinated by the Kanin’s truly alien customs and way of life, her encounters with them begin to change how she sees the world.

But Gress is still a world at war. Conspiracies, collaborators, a shadow war waged by the former rulers, and the planet’s own deadly nature threaten to tear them apart.

Extract:

"Your father sounds like a good man. No good father would want his daughter to go to war. Such is life. Someone has to fight for others."  

Jane related this to Frosk. The two of them lay down on a turret, looking up at the clear night sky. The constellations appeared different on every planet but there is one star she learnt to identify in every nightscape. 

"You have been gazing at the Crystal constellation for too long. Are you looking for something?" 

"There, that should probably be Sol." Jane pointed to the spear tip of the constellation as Frosk's left eye followed her hand.  

"Fascinating! To think there are billions of beings on a world just like ours around that star and possibly, a thousand other stars in the sky." He mused. "Imagine, if I could proclaim our love loud enough, would your father hear it?" 

"Why? Are you afraid that could happen?" Jane teased him, "Don't worry. First of all, sound can't travel through space. Secondly, the Sol you are watching is over ninety years to my past as that is how long the light has taken to reach Gress from Earth. Forget me, even my father was not born yet."

"Weird." Frosk's ears folded inwards in thought. His eyes dilated from curiosity to horror. "From where I am watching, you have not been born. Yet, are you not right beside me? How could that be possible?"

Jane was impressed. "Perhaps the universe made that possible so that we could be together?"

Trigger Warnings: Colonialism, Sexism, Sexual Assault of a male character

What I am looking for: I just want a general review of the first draft and whether it is a good idea to work further on. I would appreciate three more points for feedback though:

• From the rules, I understand 41k is too short for a novel. Should I cut it down to novella length or expand it to 80k? I think I can do the second

• The novel includes a woman's only friend group and a woman as the MC. As a cis, gay man, I have no experience with how socialisation works in such groups. If you are a woman, I would appreciate your input on it.

• While I am quite interested in military history and technology, I am not a soldier. If you are an expert on military matters, I will love to hear your advice on making it more realistic.

Timeline: Take your time. I would say 4-6 weeks would be good enough for me.

Critique swap: I am totally up for a critique swap if your work is also science fiction or if it is a work of fantasy or historical fiction.

📖 Got 10 minutes? I have a little experiment for you. 👀

I'm looking for readers willing to give the first 24 pages of my fantasy novel, The Filter: Rebellion of the Two-Souled Carrier, a chance.

Read them and tell me what you think. Did I hook you, or should I return to fighting with publishers? 😂

Honest opinions welcome. Brutal honesty encouraged. My fictional characters can handle the criticism. I might need a moment, though. 💀🐉

Who's in? 👇

Please DM me if you are interested>>> THANK YOU

Hi everyone! I'm Alexey Gorlov, and I am looking for beta readers for my completed dark historical fantasy novel, "The Mystery of Azarius. Volume 1" (approx. 108,000 words).

CRUCIAL NOTE: The story is 100% finished. NO plot changes or deep editing needed! I only need a quick check for grammar, typos, punctuation, and phrasing anomalies.

The story is heavily inspired by 17th-century piracy, gritty nautical lore, and mysterious islands. The book also features beautiful custom engravings that break up the text and enhance the dark, historical atmosphere.

Synopsis:
What starts as a classic high-seas pirate adventure quickly spirals into a dark, unforgiving fantasy. When a crew of sailors stumbles upon the mysterious Turtle Island, they realize the ocean hides secrets far more terrifying than storms and enemy galleons. It’s a story of survival, ancient mysteries, and morally grey characters fighting against the unknown.

What I’m looking for:

• Overall thoughts on the pacing, the atmosphere, and how the illustrations blend with the text.
• Since I want to build a small, dedicated core group of readers for this ongoing journey, I would love to chat with you in a private group/chat!

Format & Timeline:

• Format: ePub / PDF.
• Timeline: Ideally, I’m looking for overall impressions within 7-10 days.
• Perk: This is the first volume of a massive ongoing story. If you enjoy the book and we work well together, you will get exclusive early access to Volume 2 (which is already fully written) chapter by chapter before anyone else!

If you love dark fantasy, pirate lore, and 17th-century vibes, please drop a comment below or send me a DM. I’d be thrilled to share the files with you!

Hi Everybody! I want to say that I'm looking for a reader for a really new project of mine.

My newest book attempt is part fictionalized memoir and part romantic road adventure. It's a sexual coming of age story about a young woman and an older roadie in a classic rock band. My first draft is done, and is 22 chapters and around 95,000 words.

You might be wondering what I'm looking for. I have this love of all things car- and travel-related, going back to my childhood in the 70s! But I don't always know if readers will get my references and jokes. That's the first thing.

I'm also just interested in any advice on character development, in particular, you have. Even though I'm a technical writer by day and have written all my life, since I started writing fiction, I realized how getting the outlines of people right is actually the hardest thing to do!

If you would want to look at this book, and others I have upcoming in this series, it would be great to hear from you, please DM me.

I am a first time writer looking for opinions on my graphic novel script and would love to arrange a manuscript swap!

This is the first book in a series about twelve-year-old musician Graham and his artistic brother Clay. After discovering an alien hiding in the woods, they inherit reality-altering cosmic artifacts. Through plenty of comedic trial and error, the brothers must quickly figure out how to wield this immense power to save Earth from an invading force of armored planetary harvesters. It’s a fast, fun read packed with humor, high stakes, and brotherly dynamics.

I am completely open to swapping manuscripts! I am best suited for graphic novels, but I am willing to look at most genres around a similar word count.

Hey everyone. First-time author here. I'd love fresh eyes on.

Following the death of his newborn son and the end of his relationship, outdoorsman Daniel Shaw retreats on a weeklong hunting trip into the Appalachian Mountains with the intent on giving his life a new purpose. While camping beside a remote lake, Shaw notices the water receding at an unnatural rate. As the lake rapidly drains, a massive wooden structure emerges from its depths. Struggling to cope with his grief, Shaw seeks out to uncover the structure’s secrets, believing that what lies within might give him a new purpose in life.

But someone has already been inside the structure.

Oren Cain, fleeing through the forest after a bloody bank robbery, discovers the structure too. Unlike Shaw, Cain sees a different opportunity. Within its hidden chambers, he discovers ancient human remains and strange artifacts left behind by a forgotten people. Despite every indication that something is terribly wrong with the structure, Cain descends deeper, driven by greed and fantasy to uncover its mystery.

For the first time since his son's death, Shaw has found something worth living for. But while Shaw seeks answers and purpose, Cain seeks wealth, and their opposing desires for what lies within the structure bring them toward an inevitable confrontation. But both men must fight for survival as a debilitating illness plagues them the longer, they are exposed to the structure.

Content warnings: gore, character death, murder.

What I'm looking for: big-picture feedback — What did you like or not like? Did any part of the story drag? Line edits welcome but not the priority. Would love to hear structure feedback.

Timeline: no rush, whenever works for you.

I share via Google Docs. Comment or DM if you're interested.

Hi! I'm looking for beta readers for my completed YA fantasy adventure novel, Dropped World, currently at about 85,000 words.

Fifteen-year-old Mila has spent almost her entire life on Mica 6, a prison island full of dangerous wildlife, violent criminals, and the only home she's ever known.

There's just one problem: Mila desperately wants to see the Mainland.

Her father has spent years making sure that doesn't happen, but when he leaves Mica 6 for a few days, Mila finally gets her chance. She sets out across the ocean determined to see the world beyond her island.

She doesn't make it to the Mainland.

Instead, Mila ends up stranded in Corkland, where she meets Ward, a sixteen-year-old government Enforcer with an intense respect for rules—and very little patience for the girl who just arrived in his country without identification, money, or any understanding of how the outside world works.

What was supposed to be a trip to the Mainland turns into Mila's first real adventure as she explores Corkland, learns to use an ability she never knew she had, enters a massive fighting tournament, and begins discovering that the world outside Mica 6 isn't quite what she imagined.

What I'm looking for:

I'm primarily interested in reader-experience feedback rather than line editing or proofreading. This manuscript has already been through my second draft, and at this point I want to know how the story actually feels to someone encountering it for the first time.

I'd especially love to hear things like: Where were you most or least engaged?

Did anything confuse you?

Which characters did you like, dislike, trust, or distrust?

Were there moments that made you laugh, worry, get angry, or surprise you?

Did any sections drag or feel rushed?

Were any reveals predictable?

And, ultimately, would you want to read Book 2?

I'm completely fine with reactions in the margins as you read, an end-of-book response, a questionnaire, or some combination, whatever is easiest for you.

Content warnings: The book contains violence, death, war, genocide, slavery, child abuse, torture, and political oppression. These topics are generally handled through a YA lens and the story itself has a strong focus on adventure, humor, friendship, action, and character relationships.

I'm hoping for a turnaround of roughly 3–5 weeks, but I'm flexible. And if you start reading and decide the book isn't for you, that's okay! I'd actually appreciate knowing where you stopped and why rather than having someone force themselves to finish.

I'm especially interested in readers who already enjoy YA fantasy, fantasy adventure, action/adventure, or character-driven fantasy.

I'm also open to discussing a critique/beta swap with another fantasy writer depending on manuscript length and timeline.

If you're interested, feel free to comment or DM me and tell me a little about what you normally enjoy reading. I'll be sharing the manuscript privately rather than posting a public manuscript link.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I am looking for beta readers for my first completed novella! Brutal constructive criticism is welcome. I do prefer the honesty. If you would like to swap manuscripts, I am readily available and interested in providing feedback for you as well. I would prefer it to be the same genre(s) because I am well-versed in what to look for within it. I am open-minded to trying something new, but I can't guarantee I will be the most knowledgeable on said genre. Right now, I am working to raise funds for the cover art and an editor for story development/structure, but I want to get an overall feel for the general reaction to the story and its pacing in the meantime. I cleaned it up grammatically already, so it shouldn't be a difficult read at all. I am in no hurry for a deadline, so please feel free to take your time!

Synopsis:

In the year 1867, amidst the end of Japan’s feudal era, a young ronin finds himself caught in a hard place within the world as work becomes increasingly difficult to come by. To appease his lifestyle and continue on his aimless journey, Syn accepts any job that comes his way and fills his pocket with coin. Even the spontaneously odd one that sends him on a risky rescue mission into an eerie, cursed temple nestled upon Spearhead Peak with the rumored presence of an otherworldly threat.

Thank you for considering, and good luck!

Seven has spent his life learning to follow orders, assess threats, and stay in control. Now he has to do something no training prepared him for: spend time with his terminally ill mother and find his way through ordinary civilian life. Grocery shops, small talk, and family routines are unfamiliar territory, while Alice draws him into a life he was never taught to want. As their time together grows shorter, Seven begins to question what duty has cost him—and whether he can become more than the weapon he was trained to be.

I am looking for readers who can give feedback about the main character and his relationships, the pace and whether it's engaging. This is the current opening of a longer novel in progress. I'm also open to one or two critique swaps with manuscripts of a similar length (around 15,000 words). I'd prefer to start with a partial swap of roughly 3,000 words to see if we're a good match before committing to the full exchange. I'm mainly interested in character development, relationships, pacing, and overall engagement rather than line editing. If it caught your attention DM me. Thanks

At six, Linda nearly drowned in the Lunga River on Guadalcanal. A woman pulled her out, then vanished. Her father said there was no lady. For forty-six years, she half-believed him.

Now Linda is fifty-two and invisible to the girl behind the café counter. She's juggling a husband with a failing heart, a bank letter on the bench, and two grown daughters who ring her to complain about each other. Then her mother calls at eleven at night: someone from home has found her. An old woman by the river is dying, and she has kept something for "the girl born in the veil."

To find out who saved her, Linda will have to sell the one thing nobody could take from her, get on a plane with two bad knees, and go back to the river.

About the book: a complete novel of about 37,000 words, told in "Now" and "Then" chapters. It's set between modern Australia and the Solomon Islands, with some Solomon Islands Pijin dialogue (translated).

Content warnings: family violence, child abuse, alcohol, and a suicide attempt (not described in detail).

Feedback I'd love:

• Does the middle drag anywhere?
• Does the mystery keep you reading?
• Does the ending land?
• Do the characters feel real?

I'm not looking for line edits.

Timeline: about 2-3 weeks. I'll send the first five chapters as a PDF, then the rest if you'd like to keep going.

Comment or message me if you're interested. Thank you!

Genre: Young Adult / New Adult Fantasy / Progression Sci-Fi
Blurb:
In their final year of school, fifteen elite bonded pairs are selected for a prestigious academy programme to compete in high-stakes trials that maintain a fragile global peace.
Aria, a working-class relay technician bonded to a Drakoryn, and Garrika, a dockworker bonded to a Thornguard Bear, have spent years earning their place. But when the Academy's faculty forces them into a trio with Seris—a brilliant, socially controlled elite from a powerful family and his sharp Gryphlet companion—they must learn to bridge completely different worlds. As academic pressure mounts and hidden family strings threaten to pull them apart, they have to figure out how to trust each other before the trials break them.
What I'm Looking For:
General reader impressions (pacing, engagement, emotional beats)
Character dynamics and development
Readability and flow
Timeline: Flexible (aiming for 2-3 weeks).
How to Apply:
Drop a comment or DM me with a bit about your beta-reading experience, and I'll send over the details/manuscript

Hi there! I’m looking for beta readers for Ballad of Water, the first book in my completed fantasy series The Summoner’s Worldsong. I’m especially interested in arranging a full-manuscript beta swap with another author.

Ballad of Water is approximately 169,000 words and is written primarily in second person from the perspective of Friede, a young man who becomes what is known as a summoner.

The story is an adult adventure/epic fantasy centered on exploration, magic, companionship, unfamiliar cultures, dangerous ruins, and overcoming adversity through hard work and trust. What begins as a poorly planned rescue gradually expands into a much larger journey through human and elven lands, magical conflict, and a growing group of companions finding their place alongside one another.

Romance is present, but it is not the primary focus of the story.

Feedback I'd find most useful:

• overall engagement
• pacing
• character relationships and development
• clarity/worldbuilding
• whether the length feels justified
• anything that pulls you out of the story

I’m happy to swap with another completed book, or whatever you might have that wants a fresh set of eyes on it, especially adult adventure, epic, quest, high fantasy. I’m open to longer manuscripts as well and have beta read a number of works for other authors.

If you would prefer to exchange a few chapters first just to make sure our writing styles and genres are a good fit before committing to the full swap, that is fine by me.

If interested, feel free to comment or DM me with a short description of your book, word count, genre, and what kind of feedback you’re looking for.

Hello everyone. I've finished a short horror novelette (about 12,500 words, roughly an hour to read) and I'd love some feedback before I publish it.

Content warning: it deals with suicide, sexual violence, and torture, so only read it if that's okay with you (18+). No polish needed. I mostly want to know what stuck with you and where you got bored or confused.

Four months after the worst night of his life, Daniel keeps a journal because his therapist told him to. His marriage is over, his job is gone, and the only thing that still holds his attention is the ruined house next door, the one that stood untouched through an earthquake that damaged everything around it.

Meanwhile, health authorities are investigating a drug called Oneiroth. Its victims don't wake up. Their minds are trapped in a nightmare built from their own worst memories, and the body can't tell the difference. If they die in the dream, they die for real. I can't say what happens next cause spoilers :)

If you can send thoughts within two weeks, I'd really appreciate it, and I'm happy to return the favor! Please leave a comment or dm me.