Eek it’s gone to beta readers!

[trailblazer42]

After nearly ten years in the making, I’ve finally got to the point of sending the book out. I set up a Google form for feedback so now begins the wait for it to come in!

Well done! That’s an amazing achievement 💐

I’ve just finished “act 1” of my first draft. I’ve been planning and outlining for about a year for this book so to finally feel able to write is a great feeling.

Well done!

How did you find them? Mine I ready after four years. I'm stalling on the next steps.

Mine as mostly from the wider Women’s Institute community as I’m a member and we have a Facebook group with thousands of of members, so I just asked for some volunteers. And then my writing group and a couple of friends.

Feedback so far has all been very positive so later this month I intend to make tweaks and then start sending to agents. I’ve written my covering letter and synopsis which I’ll just tweak for each individual case.

How did your betas go? Mine went out last week. I am so nervous.

It was all really positive in the main…as I structured the feedback through putting a form together it came back useful. Interesting that people had different favourite characters for example…I found this reassuring. I asked if they’d recommend to friends and all came back positive. I included a blurb for book two (unwritten!) and asked if they’d read it and they all said yes.

That said I’m now on four out twelve for rejections from my first set of emails to agents so that’s bought me down to ground!

But I’m giving myself a year to try the traditional publishing route and then I will have more time and money to go down the self publishing route.

Did you have to do much to it after the feedback?
Sorry about the rejections! Sure that will be me next year.

No, there were some typos still which were picked up (although I said they didn't need to proof read it) but I changed little with the story. Just a couple of things that were historically less accurate as part of it is set in the 60s and there were a couple of terms I'd used that weren't quite right.