Inlet Beta Readers Club FAQ

TOP TEN BETA READER CLUB QUESTIONS ANSWERED 

  1. What is an Inlet Beta Read (IBR) versus a regular beta read?
  2. When do you know your manuscript is ready for an Inlet Beta Read? Or isn’t?
  3. What is the Inlet Beta Readers Club–and who is in it?
  4. How do I become a member?
  5. When does the club open or close?
  6. Am I required to read peer manuscripts?
  7. How should I prepare my manuscript for an Inlet Beta Read?
  8. What do I read for as an Inlet Beta Reader?
  9. Am I guaranteed an Inlet Beta Read?
  10. What’s the process? How do I sign up to receive a Beta Read, and choose a manuscript to read?

Plus others, such as:

1) What is an Inlet Beta Read (IBR) versus a regular beta read?

Here’s the difference between an Inlet Beta Read and a regular beta read:

When you ask someone to give your manuscript a traditional “beta read,” you are asking a reader to treat your novel like any other book they’d pull off the shelf. They’re reading for the overall experience and feel of the writing and the story. As they read they’ll monitor their gut reactions, and when they’re done, share their reader response with you.

Because gut-reaction is the name of the game, beta readers aren’t a writer’s critique buddies, teachers, or coaches—i.e., alpha readers who read first attempts or multiple attempts drafting and revising.

Your alpha readers help you build the book. They know your process, hopes, fears, where the duct tape is and where the darlings you killed are buried. Betas read AFTER the work has been critiqued by alpha readers, so they’re blissfully unaware of all the sweat, tears, and backstage hammer-and-sawing it took for you to put your manuscript together. 

Betas will offer a fresh reader perspective. They don’t read to examine the parts of the whole, they simply read for the feel of the whole.

Often a beta reader is not another writer. They may be a reader who simply loves reading and may even be a member of your target audience, or close to it.

But an Inlet Beta Reader isn’t just an “innocent bystander,” so to speak.

Inlet Beta Readers are craft-informed writers willing to provide a reader-focused read for a complete novel manuscript or partial novel manuscript they have not critiqued.

They will offer a beta read with double vision—as a writer who knows a bit about crafting, and a reader who knows what a good read feels like. Plus–they know what audiences are looking for–and what a reader wants. When they sit down to chat with you about your work, they will be able to say WHY they feel drawn in or shut out, and may be able to offer what readers of your subject matter and/or genre are looking for, and where, as well. They help answer questions the writer has about what’s working on the page and what’s not.

Because a reader-focused read means a causal, armchair read without pen in hand, I recommend reader and writer meet for a casual conversation over the phone or on Zoom, rather than a written critique. And I recommend meeting within a few days of the read–ideally 2-6 days, when the read is still fresh in your mind. 

Typically a beta read is provided for a full manuscript that’s complete or nearly complete. But an Inlet Beta Read differs here as well. An Inlet Beta Read is for ten pages, fifty pages, or a full manuscript in one of three phases (for those phases, read on below).

2) When do you know your manuscript is ready for an Inlet Beta Read? Or isn’t?

You’ll know if your manuscript is ready for an Inlet Beta Read after taking these considerations into account:

Even if you know your novel is at an early stage, you can test its current phase out on a reader. But first, get in the right mindset: right now, imagine your novel as a full book, even if it’s just a partial manuscript of 10 or 50 pages. (The Author Tip Sheet goes into more detail.) 

INLET BETA READ MANUSCRIPT PHASES

LAUNCH PROMISE IBR Manuscript Phase: Does your novel’s launch have the promise of a complete idea; does it cohere? Does it deliver the novel’s promise in the opening pages–or a version of that promise as you see it now, in this stage? If it has the promise of a complete idea, have you done deep self-editing? Have you received feedback from alpha readers, incorporated that feedback, and revised with intention, multiple times? If so, join the club for a reader-response on your first ten or first fifty pages to help you start your second pass.

SECOND PASS IBR Manuscript Phase: You’ve finished or are about to finish a first draft and have received feedback on that draft. Before you move on to deep revision, imagine this: If your first ten or fifty pages were the real launch, what promise do they hold? Can you polish for that starting promise, setting up the rest of the novel, as you’d like to see it, in those early pages? If so, you’re ready join the club for a reader-response on your first ten or first fifty pages to help you start your second pass.

REVISION PLATEAU IBR Manuscript Phase: You’re working on deep revisions, have taken your novel through two or more drafts, and received feedback on those revisions. You may be close to done, ready to move on to final draft stage. Or you reached a plateau in the midst of revisions. You’ve and polished portions of your manuscript, duct-taped others together. Some may be near-complete, others feel like sketches, others are pages you haven’t yet tossed but probably will. Maybe probably. Still, there’s something there—a novel forming, coalescing. And you are at the point where you could use a fresh pair of eyes to look at your manuscript AS IS, but don’t want another close developmental edit. Just a gut-check read—how does it FEEL as a BOOK, or the beginning of one? Look at your first ten, first fifty, or if you’re feeling ready, the whole thing. What must you do to get ready to ask for a gut-check read? What “next step” items do you want to add to your to-do list to polish? Can you accomplish those tasks for 10 or 50 pages, and be ready to share a profile between May 4th-12? Then join for a reader response on your first ten pages, first fifty, or a completed mid-stage draft of your full manuscript.

NEAR-FINAL IBR Manuscript Phase: You’re finishing what may be your final draft. You have begun to polish pages and clean up your prose after multiple rounds of feedback. You are nearly READY to submit your book to an agent or editor (or self-publish), even if there are a few more ducks to get in that row, there are enough right now for a practice run. Your novel is going to be “in submission” soon, so this reader’s read will help you with your next, maybe final, pass. Imagine THIS IS IT. Make your to-do lists. What must you do to get ready to ask for a gut-check read? What “next step” items do you want to add to your to-do list to polish? Can you accomplish those tasks for 10 or 50 pages, and be ready to share a profile by April 15th or for the Second Wind push between May 4th-12? Join to get a fresh perspective on your nearly-polished first ten pages, first fifty, or a completed draft all-but ready for querying.

When your manuscript isn’t ready:

If you haven’t gotten your work read by alpha readers, if your full or partial manuscript doesn’t have hold the promise of your novel’s premise, if you’re unable to have a clean manuscript formatted by April 15th (or for the Second Wind push between May 4th-12), then your manuscript isn’t ready to be shared for an Inlet Beta Read. But you can still join the club as a Reader Only Member. 

3) What is the Inlet Beta Readers Club–and who is in it?

Here’s what the Inlet Beta Readers Club is:

The Inlet Beta Readers Club is an invite-only group of novelists who either want an Inlet Beta Read of their manuscript and agree to provide a reader response for another member as well, or who want to provide beta reads for peers without asking for a beta reader of their manuscript. Inlet Beta Readers have worked with Angela at some stage of their writing, and/or have demonstrated knowledge of prose and/or fiction craft. 

My hope is to connect writers with readers for supportive, thoughtful, sincere Inlet Beta Reads that help novelists shift from first draft to second, deep revision to final draft, and final draft to polished manuscript.

Inlet Beta Readers Club Video Explainer

4) How do I become a member?

Here’s how you become a member: 

 

Once you RECEIVE your invitation

(if you haven’t received a personal invitation but would like to become a member, email Angela for an application at angelarydell@gmail.com) 

after you READ over the top ten FAQs here

and WATCH the Beta Readers Club explainer video above

if you decide you want to join the club, 

 

do a self-assessment of your manuscript and your mindset:

Here’s a handy test to see if your manuscript is Inlet-Beta-Read Ready. For a more in depth assessment, peruse the Author Tip Sheet. It includes a handy test to see if your manuscript is Inlet-Beta-Reader ready. It also helps you get your manuscript up to snuff so reading is a snap, and your readers will feel like they’re simply plucking your book off a shelf. 

Does your manuscript fit the bill, or will it soon, by April 15th or for the Second Wind push between May 4th-12th, the new dates to post your DOWNLOADABLE Manuscript Profile (click for a download)? Are you willing to provide an Inlet Beta Read for at least one other member after April 15th? Then you’re ready to join as a MANUSCRIPT MEMBER. Scroll down to “Agree” below. 

If your manuscript doesn’t fit the bill, you can still join as a READER ONLY MEMBER. Yes, you’re welcome to join and read at least one manuscript after April 15th without sharing a manuscript. Why join without sharing work? 

        • Use the club as a stepping stone to find alpha readers.
        • Come for the exclusive benefits like the Inlet Beta Readers Soiree and AMAs with Angela.
        • Build your community of writerly support.
        • Expand your network to make the “business of writing” more manageable.

        • Shift into the mindset of a reader and remind yourself what readers are really looking for.

To join as a Manuscript Member, or as a Reader Only Member:

 

AGREE to the Inlet Beta Readers Pledge (the pledge walks you through the promises you’ll make to share respectably and in a timely manner as writer, reader, and member)

and you’re in the club! 

 

5) When does the club open or close?

The Inlet Beta Readers is open now through the end of May. 

The cub’s current season is open until May of 2023. March-April 15th is the submission period (plus the Second Wind push between May 4th-12th) when writers prepare their manuscripts and fill out a Manuscript Profile. April 15th-May 31st is the browse period, when you pick a manuscript or two to read from the Manuscript Profile on the Club Hub. There may be more open reading periods to come. Stay tuned!

6) Am I required to read peer manuscripts? Swap pages?

To become a Manuscript Member, you’re asked to agree to be a Beta Reader, too.

All members are asked to read at least one manuscript by a peer. You can choose which manuscript to read from the Manuscript Profiles posted on the Club Hub. If you’d like, you can request to swap manuscripts with a peer–or you can just reach out to read one or more manuscripts as you’re so moved during the browse period (April 15th-May 31st).

As an Inlet Beta Reader, you will approach the Author via email, after browsing the Manuscript Profiles, and ask to “check out” their manuscript and offer an Inlet Beta Read. Tell the writer whether you’d like to simply provide the read, or if you’d like to offer a swap of pages. It’s up to you. 

How equitable is the process? It’s not a perfect science. Ultimately, if you’re asking for a full manuscript read, you should also be prepared to provide a full manuscript read. But you can work out swaps & Beta Reads in whatever way works.

It may feel like an uneven swap if you ask your reader to read a higher page count, while you read a much lower page count–but not always!

A reader’s role should not be underestimated. You have knowledge a writer needs. Especially if you’re super-knowledgeable in a writer’s genre. If you are a well-read mystery reader with a couple hundred mystery thrillers under your belt, have a 50 page manuscript and approach a writer with a 10 page mystery thriller manuscript for a swap, that writer will likely feel quite appreciative of your readerly expertise, and find that swap equitable.   

Keep in mind that it’s going to feel generous if you go into a swap with 10 or 50 pages while offering to read a full manuscript from a peer. And that a full manuscript is a much heavier lift than 10 or 50 pages. So don’t take it personally of the Author of a 10 page manuscript turns down a swap if you have a 50 pager or a full manuscript. 

But be mindful of the options, and the spirit of the club–to share pages and share knowledge. 

7) How should I prepare my manuscript for an Inlet Beta Read? And how can I prepare to respond to my reader in the Afterwords conference?

Here’s how to prepare your manuscript, and get in the right mindset to chat with your reader:

  1. Get your pages read by an alpha reader first.
  2. Do a manuscript assessment using this link, and/or using the Author Tip Sheet, and 1) identify whether you can begin to see your manuscript as a full book, 2) test whether to your manuscript holds the promise of your novel’s premise in 10, 50 or full manuscript form, 3) determine whether you can polish a clean manuscript by April 15 (or for the Second Wind push between May 4th-12th), 4) prepare a Manuscript Profile by April 15.
  3. Format your manuscript so it meets your readers needs. 
  4. Anticipate and prepare questions for your beta reader, to ask during your Afterwords conference, by picking and choosing from pool of questions in the Author Tip Sheet. 

The handy Author Tip Sheet helps you get your manuscript up to snuff so it’s as easy for your reader to read as it would be to pluck the book off a shelf (first get it read by alpha readers, proof it, and format it so it meets your readers needs). Plus you’ll get tips on whether or not to ask a few questions ahead of time, and how to discuss your manuscript with your reader, once your reader has completed their read. 

8) What do I “read for” as an Inlet Beta Reader, if not for craft?

Here’s how to give a “Beta Read” of an Author manuscript. 

This Beta Reader Tip Sheet helps you orient to the Inlet Beta Read experience. The goal is to read for a natural reader response. Simply pick up the book like you would pick one off the shelf. You’re not critiquing. You’re simply reading to feel the novel’s momentum & style and voice and expression–rather than to fix anything. Remember, you’re not an alpha reader, so fixing stuff on the back end isn’t your role. It’s simply to BE A READER and talk about what you felt as a reader–where you lost track of time and couldn’t stop turning pages; where you wished you could have read more–or less. And other “reader-feel” responses. The tip sheet walks you through it all. 

9) Am I guaranteed a Beta Read?

Joining the Inlet Beta Readers Club isn’t an automatic guarantee you’ll get your manuscript read this round. 

Most writers will be eager to swap and share, but there’s a chance you’ll turn down a request from a reader who is asking for a swap that doesn’t feel equitable to you, or for the same reason your swap request will be turned down. There’s also a small chance that no reader will reach out. It’s a very small chance! But there are no guarantees. Asking for a swap makes it more likely you’ll have your manuscript read. If you don’t find a match in the end, contact Angela at the beginning of June, and she will recommend other resources for you. 

10) What’s the process? How do I request an Inlet Beta Read, and give an Inlet Beta Read?

The Club Overview page walks you through the process of requesting an Inlet Beta Read, and giving an Inlet Beta Read.

Other Inlet Beta Readers Club FAQs

Can I share more than one Manuscript Profile?

Yes! You can share two Manuscript Profiles for the March-April submission round. 

Want to mix things up? If you’re feeling ambitious, you can submit two Manuscript Profiles–one of 10 pages, the other 50 or a full. Why two? A full manuscript read is a heavy lift. Not everyone is able to give a Beta Read for a manuscript that long, let alone be ready for one. A short 10 pager is a way to connect with others more easily if you do have a full manuscript in particular. So if you don’t get a bite for the full, you’re more likely to get a bit for the partial–and who knows where that may lead. 

Can I join the club if I haven’t had my work critiqued by alpha readers yet?

What if you want to join but still haven’t received feedback from alpha readers? Can you still become a member?

Alpha readers are first responders–coaches, workshop peers, critique buddies, or otherwise–who read the earliest drafts of a manuscript and provide feedback and critique. Just as the letter b follows a, a beta read comes after the front line alpha reader response.

So if you want to join to both receive as well as give a beta read, you need to already have received an alpha read. (Though you can just join to read without submitting pages.)

BUT there may be a chance to get your work read before the deadline. If you’d like to have help finding a coach or workshop peers for an alpha response to your pages first, before the beta read, while I can give you a list of potential coaches, at this time it’s unlikely they’ll be able to read and respond to your pages before April 15th. But you may be able to meet with peers for a peer critique if you get back to me ASAP (in particular before April 1). Email me and I’ll see if I can help you out: angelarydell@gmail.com 

 

What’s the difference between a Reader Only Membership and a Manuscript Membership?

Here’s the difference between a Reader Only vs a Manuscript Membership:

Manuscript Members  are craft-informed writers willing to provide a reader-focused read for a complete or partial novel manuscript they have not critiqued. They post a Manuscript Profile in the hopes of receiving one or more Beta Reads of a full manuscript or a partial manuscript of 10 or 50 pages. 

Reader Only Members, like Manuscript Members, are craft-informed writers willing to provide a reader-focused read for a complete or partial novel manuscript they have not critiqued. But they join without a manuscript that’s ready for a beta read, to receive the many benefits of the club, which include:

  • Using the club as a stepping stone to find alpha readers for workshopping or a buddy system. 
  • Building community writers for accountably, support and camaraderie. 
  • Reaching out to network with an eye towards future publication. 
  • Attending exclusive bonus events, like the Soiree in March, or pop-up AMAs with Angela.

What is a Manuscript Profile?

The Inlet Beta Readers Club Manuscript Profile (click for a download) is the template you’ll fill out introducing your novel to your potential Inlet Beta Readers.

It includes everything from Author name to manuscript length to the blurb you’ll write up to summarize the kind of book your reader expects to read. Here’s the template: 

  1. [“Your name & email address.”]
  2. I’m seeking a beta reader for my novel: [“Your Title Here.”]
  3. Length of manuscript: [first 10, first 50, full manuscript of XXX words]
  4. Genre of manuscript: [mystery, literary mainstream? fantasy? historical middle grade?]
  5. This is a request for a [Second Pass, Revision Plateau, or Near Final] Inlet Beta Read.
  6. I can share the document as a (include as many formats as you can accommodate): [Word doc, PDF, epub, Kindle, or otherwise]
  7. Preferred format for our Afterwords with the author meeting: [Zoom, over the phone, or either on Zoom or over the phone].
  8. Here is my novel’s blurb [xxx]. (100-250 words)

Writing that blurb may feel weird, like you’re being asked to tame a whole different kind of animal than a novel—and you may struggle with snappy language, or ways to hook, despite the fact that you wrote the darn thing you’re describing. That’s normal. You are creating marketing copy—and unless you’re a marketer by trade, it probably won’t feel natural.
The profile tip sheet helps you through the process. 

What are the many benefits to being an Inlet Beta Reader Club member beyond receiving an Inlet Beta Read? Will there be Soirees? (Yes!)

Soooo many benefits! 

Yes, you’ll get a fresh read on pages already critiqued by your closest readers.

And you’ll shift your mindset. Imagine your book in the hands of a reader who just plucked it off the shelf—and find out what that reader experienced while reading it or its opening pages. You’ll start to think about audience in ways you don’t when you send to critique buddies or a coach. It’s read-centric thinking. Rather than think critique group, you may start to think book group. 

So there’s more to the club than just getting more eyeballs on your pages. You’ll also expand your network and build relationships with other writers!

You’ll commiserate, develop friendships & find writing buddies, even an accountabili-buddy (a writing friend who helps keep you accountable, a la Elisabeth Blair).

Some writers in the club either are published authors or will be some day (maybe soon). And authors need to rely on other authors for things like burbs, reviews, publishing tips, reading opportunities, podcast interviews, panel talks, more gut-feel readers’ reads, more intensive critiques, and more (there’s always more). This club is one of many ways to make those connections. After you agree to share reader responses, you may decide to meet again for something more informal, chatting about writing and the writing life. 

And you’ll get at least one bonus soiree! We’ll also have an (optional) Inlet Beta Readers Soiree the evening of March 29th. So you can meet live on Zoom for some camaraderie and breakout conversation.

To swap or not to swap?

You don’t need to request a swap. You can simply post your Manuscript Request, and let the chips fall where they may–as long as you read at least one other manuscript. 

You may decide you’d like to volunteer to read a 10 page manuscript first, then reach out for a swap the second time. 

Most requests will be eagerly accepted. But there may be circumstances in which you turn down a request to swap manuscripts, or the writer you reach out to turns down your request.

If you turn down a request, you may have already made arrangements with another writer and neglected to include a “closed” note on your post. You may not be able to swap during the timeframe a reader requests. You may be asked to read a full manuscript and you have a 50 pager and don’t have time.

Also, consider genre & subject matter. If another member reaches out to offer a read and wants one in return, but their genre or their summary doesn’t grab your interest, especially if that writer is asking for a full manuscript read, you can simply pass. 

Another reader may do the same with your manuscript. So whatever the reason, please don’t take it personally. 

What differences should I expect swapping 10 pages vs 50 vs full manuscripts?

When swapping 10 pages vs 50 vs full manuscripts, here are a few differences to expect:

Lower page count swaps are good for networking and building relationships.

If you decide to swap, you’ll find a 10 page share is much lighter of a haul than a full manuscript swap. You can sample the work of others in the community this way–and may want to reach out for a handful of 10 page swaps. If you LOVE a writers 10 pages, you may want to invite that writer to share more pages at another time, even consider a more traditional critique. Or not. You may not have time, or the energy right now–or interest, even if you do love those pages. But you may find that you’d like to build a relationship with that writer. No pressure, folks. It’s a light share at 10 pages. 

A medium share at 50 can be super useful for writers AND readers. For writers, responses to partials are gold: Is the launch going in a direction the reader’s excited about? Yes this, no that? Good to know. File the info away, and open the file tomorrow or next week or month. For readers, 50 page reads mean one or two days of reading, so the lift isn’t heavy, so you may want to read two or three 50 pagers, and connect with multiple writers.  

Is there a membership fee?

Inlet writers are invited to become members of the club free of charge.

Why are you offering this club free of charge at the Inlet?

There are many good reasons not to charge a fee. 

I’ve been working with writers for twenty years, so my email list includes hundreds of novelists who want to connect with other novelists yet don’t quite know where to find peers. They just need a little help. 

With no fee, the club makes it easier for you to find each other, get more eyeballs on your work, and a get fresh read without the stress of red marks–just the challenge of piquing the curiosity of a reader so they’re eager to sit back in a comfy chair and read your book.

A club like this can only work when enough writers agree to participate. A decent number means readers can browse Manuscript Profiles and pick and choose for a good fit.

A fee would mean lower numbers, and fewer options for reading and swapping manuscripts. Fewer writers without means could join. And no fee means there is no expectation of payment to receive feedback from a professional coach–you’re providing support for each other.

I don’t need to tell you how hard it can be to find a community of craft-informed novelists willing and ready to read your work as a beta reader.

And if you’ve taken a class, gone to a conference or convention, you know that swapping and networking usually happens there, and at other fee-based events–but isn’t always that easy to facilitate unless you sign up for a kind of “speed dating for readers” event.

That’s a bit of what this offering is–a matchmaking service, where you make your own match with another writer on their work, based on peer profiles.

I’m giving you access to my curated group of novelists, many just like you.

So I’m taking a bit of a leap, offering this service free of charge. I hope that if you join, you’ll consider bringing a writer or two with you, to help the Inlet grow. You’ll help support each other on your writers’ journeys. 

For all these reasons, and more, I want to offer this club free of charge. But the truth is, along with the many wonderful connections I’ve made with writers along the way, the club requires development and maintenance of infrastructure to work.  And I’m here to support you and answer questions as you go. 

If you’re able, please consider donating to the Inlet to help me maintain the site–and help me help you connect with others for a beta read, connect with others through the Inlet Write-Alongs and other Inlet offerings. 

Thank you for supporting services at the Inlet. 

How much time do I have to complete an Inlet Beta Read?

Author and Reader get to negotiate the length of the reading time between each other. 

I recommend approximately two to three months for a full manuscript, and one week to one month for a partial. And I recommend the Inlet Beta Reader attend the Afterwords conference at least 2-3 days after finishing their read, and no longer than 7 days after finishing, for the freshest response.  But each pairing can negotiate timing as you see fit.

Can I recommend a writer I know join the Inlet Beta Readers Club?

Yes. Just give that writer Angela’s email address. They’re welcome to request an application into the club. As long as the writer you know has experience with the craft of fiction (via classes, critique groups, or otherwise), I’m happy to review their application.

Why should I spend time reading the bios?

Read up on your peers and reach out to the network as you’re moved to do so. Read a Beta Reader’s bio more closely after the reader requests your manuscript, or a swap, to find out what kind of books and reads that reader enjoys. 

How many members are in the club?

I’m not sure! As club members accept invitations, they will post a profile on the Inlet Beta Readers Club profile page, so you can track the group size on that page once you accept your Club Invitation.

Who will my Inlet Beta Reader(s) be?

Readers self-select the requests they want to respond to, so only fate can answer that question for you. I may nudge a few matches depending on what I know of writers interests, genres, and backgrounds. But it’s ultimately up to each Reader to choose whose manuscript they’d like to read. So create a profile that invites the kind of readers you’re hoping to get when you get published–and entice readers to connect.

Writers in the Inlet Beta Readers club have either taken classes with Angela or have demonstrated knowledge of the writers’ craft. So your Inlet Beta Reader will also be a writer, and may also be looking for craft-informed readers with whom to swap partial or full manuscript—not for critique, but for a reader-focused read.

How well will my Inlet Beta Readers know my genre?

The Inlet Beta Readers Club is small at this time, and readers self-select requests they prefer responding to. So I can’t say for sure who will reach out to you, or how well versed they will be in your genre.

The reader may be a big reader of your genre, may write in that genre, or love the subject matter but not read in your genre specifically. They may become hooked by your write up though they’re no huge readers of your genre, or may be a reader of a books in an adjacent genre and thought your manuscript was a fair genre match in the context of the club. Ultimately, they will be readers curious about what your novel is about, and eager to help you achieve your vision.

How sophisticated is an Inlet Beta Read compared with a critique?

An Inlet Beta Read is all about gut reaction and feel. So it’s not a sophisticated craft read. There are no line edits, there is no craft analysis. It’s a basic “what this novel felt like” reaction, shared with the Author by an Inlet Beta Reader.

Do I ask other writers to give me an Inlet Beta Read, or do I wait for readers to volunteer to read my manuscript?

When you post an Manuscript Profile, it effectively means you’re asking, will you read my work? So let the readers reach out to you.

Do I have to have a manuscript to share in order to join?

No. You can join as Reader Only Member. 

As a Beta Reader, how many manuscripts can I read?

You can volunteer to read as many as you’d like.

When does the club meet?

There’s no common time for everyone to gather regularly. 

The Beta Readers Club is an ongoing interactive page here on the Writers’ Inlet site, open now through April 15th for submissions (plus the Second Wind push between May 4th-12th), and April 15th – May 31st for browsing Manuscript Profiles. You meet with your Beta Reader after your reader reaches out to you. Together you’ll make arrangements for your one-to-one.

BUT… Angela is offering a Bonus Club Soiree! While there isn’t a regular group meeting time, I will be running an optional Inlet Beta Readers Soiree the evening of March 29th from 6-7:30 CT. All members will be invited. And I may offer a pop up AMA here and there. Join the club to get the skinny.

Can I join just to read other writer’s work?

Yes, you’re welcome to join as a Reader Only Member!

Reader Only Membership: Writers without manuscripts, or with manuscripts that aren’t Beta-Reader-Ready Manuscripts just yet, are still welcome to join the club for a Reader Only Membership, to be Inlet Beta Reader for others.

Why join the Inlet Beta Readers Club if you don’t have a manuscript to share?

  • Use the club as a stepping stone to find alpha readers (peers also looking for a workshop or a writing buddy, or recommendations for coaches or classes). Maybe you are writing a novel and want to share work eventually—but you don’t yet know other writers with whom to share work. Use the Inlet Beta Readers Club as a way to meet potential readers for workshopping or a buddy system, or get recommendations for coaches or instructors. Once you have alpha readers, that unread manuscript may become ready for a beta read sooner than you think!
  • Join to build your community of writers. Use the club as a chance to meet other writers–simply talk writing, meet with others for accountability challenges, connect with others around genre interests, talk books, etc.
  • Reach out to expand your network. The club also invites writers to network—over time you may need a review of your own book on Amazon. You may want to give a reading in Dallas Texas, and someone from the Inlet owns a bookstore there. Who knows what the future will hold. We’ll help you make connections for the “business of writing” too.
  • Come to attend exclusive bonus events: Attend Inlet Beta Readers Club Soiree, and potential pop-up AMAs (“Ask Me Anything” sessions) with Angela.
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