Hi There!

Thanks for expressing interest in being a member of my Beta Reader Team! Below is some more information on what it means to be a beta reader generally, and a full-transparency disclosure of what it means to be a beta reader for me.

If you get to the end and think to yourself “yeah, that sounds like something I’d like to do!”, then please complete this super-quick form! Contrastingly, if you get to the end and think “hmm, no thank you,” then there are absolutely no hard feelings!

Thank you for reading, and if you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to email me directly at tamara.s.harker@gmail.com.

What is a beta reader?

Simply-put, a beta reader is someone who reads a piece of writing (in this case, a book) at an early draft stage and provides either detailed or overarching, general commentary on what’s working and what isn’t, depending on what the author asks for. 

The beta reader may receive the whole book at once, or may receive it in parts. The book may be a first draft (though commonly not), or it could be a later draft, but in all cases will not be publication-ready; the book read by a beta reader may vary greatly from what ultimately ends up on the shelves.

Beta readers are sometimes called “first readers”, because that’s often exactly what they are! An author’s beta team is vital to the early, gestational stages of a book – you need strong foundations, after all! – and highly appreciated.

Do I need an editing background?

While it’s very helpful to have, it’s not necessary! If you read a lot – especially in the epic and/or dark fantasy genre – then that’s enough! Likewise, I’m not expecting you to have an English degree / be good at writing, just willing to tell me honestly what you think!

How is it different from an ARC reader? Can I be / do I have to be both?

The beta reader sees the book at an earlier drafting stage than an ARC reader; ideally, an ARC reader receives a book when there is no more drafting or polishing to be done. While ARC readers may point out a typo that snuck through or other issues, unlike beta readers they are not expected to do this.

ARC readers are also asked (though not obligated) to review a book when they finish reading – beta readers are never asked. In other words, they’re much more in conversation with the author versus other potential readers. 

Being a beta reader doesn’t mean you have to be an ARC reader, and being an ARC reader doesn’t mean you have to be a beta reader. Both roles are valued and amazing! 

If you don’t have the stamina to read a book more than once, then it’s definitely not recommended to be both a beta reader and an ARC reader. However, if you enjoy reading a book more than once, can keep different versions straight in your head, and can retain some objectivity by the end, then being both might be something to consider!

What would 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎'𝑠 Beta Reader Team be like?

I’m primarily looking for folks to read the sequels to Stone and Flesh, though it’s more than likely I will need help with smaller related projects too! My ideal beta reader would:

  • Like and read a lot in my genre (epic/dark fantasy)
  • Be familiar with giving feedback on writing
  • Like a good chunky book, and be able to read one of comparable size to Stone and Flesh (~600 paperback pages) in one to two months
  • Have read Stone and Flesh already

However, these aren’t hard-and-fast rules! For example, readers of other genres can have valuable perspectives, or if you’re a regular fantasy reader you may be able to pick things up quickly if you haven’t read Stone and Flesh first.

A general idea of my expectations:

  • My first drafts tend to be pretty polished, since I edit as I go (i.e., typos will be rare), so I will be looking for more than a proofread: clarity, continuity, consistency, cool factor, etc. 
  • Book 2 is in the works, and I hope to have a completed draft to send out in Summer 2026, all being well. The faster commentary comes back to me, the better, because that means I can release Book 2 sooner and sustain momentum – a month turnaround is ideal, but I understand things happen!
  • I will try not to ask you to read something more than once, but if something wild happens, it’s possible I will. You’ll never be under any obligation to finish a first read much less agree to a second, only to tell me if you can’t so I’m not left wondering.
  • While I haven’t landed on an exact method, files will be sent digitally and feedback will ideally be given digitally, too.
  • I expect full confidentiality of my work, including prohibition of its use in AI training; similarly, I expect all commentary to be your own.

It’s also important to emphasize that this is a voluntary position: alas, I am still poor, and cannot pay you in anything but eternal gratitude, love, and immortalization in my Acknowledgements forevermore.

Finally, I will have a Beta Team Hub in the same manner as the ARC Team Hub to gather together all the essentials for your convenience! I’m keen to support you however I can – I see this as an incredibly important partnership that I’ll likely spend the rest of my life repaying.

This might be for you if... This might NOT be for you if...
You’re enthusiastic about The Fruit of War Saga! You don’t have the stamina to read a book more than once.
You enjoy reading a book more than once. You don’t like reading early drafts / something that might be different to the published product / don’t like spoilers.
You don’t mind reading potentially less polished writing. You aren’t interested in actively critiquing writing.
You enjoy giving feedback. You 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 want to read a book really, really early compared to everyone else.
You like seeing early versions / reading spoilers. You can’t dedicate the time to reading, commenting on, and returning a book in one to two months.
You can dedicate the time to reading, commenting on, and returning a book in one to two months. You haven’t read Book 1 (though this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule).
You’ve read Book 1 (though this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule).

Where do I sign up?