Working with Sue has been a very positive experience. From our first interaction Sue was responsive and professional, always clear about timelines and deliverables. At the end of her assessment she provided feedback that was constructive and actionable.

Sue has a sharp eye for details and inconsistencies that may pass overlooked by the average reader. She will normally bring attention to these points by asking a question which suddenly uncovers a disconnect in the elements of the setting or the way the characters interact. Other times she will highlight the specific parts of the manuscript that require a reassessment.

Beyond Sue’s ability to identify errors and improvement opportunities, I found Sue particularly good at describing the things that did work for her as a reader. Often betas focus too much on the development points, leaving the writer clueless about which elements of the story (or which specific parts of the manuscript) helped in building a connection with the characters or maintaining the tension and flow.

Overall it has been a pleasure working with Sue and I would recommend her to anyone looking for an experienced beta reader.

Jaime

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Wow! I couldn't be more delighted I found Sue to Beta read my second in the series novel. I handed her a fifty lb sack of words (154,000 of them), and she handed me back a wonderfully concise, very diplomatic "I'll tell you what you need to hear" report in a very timely, ahead of schedule turnaround. It is clear to me she read every word of it. She picked up on even the more subtle references.

Great Beta Reader! I would not hesitate to recommend her services.

Sue is great to work with. She responds quickly and I could tell she took an interest in my novel. Her comments were 'on-point' and I had to laugh out loud at some of them. Her diplomacy nonetheless drove home the points she wanted to get across. It was clear she wanted to help make my work the best it could be.

Thanks so much, Sue

GL Cramb, author

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I had the pleasure of working with Susan on my novel, "Laviro and the Fate of the Universe."

One of the reasons I opted for Susan, was because she mentioned that she wasn't going to tell me what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear. If anyone aspires to become an accomplished writer, it is imperative to find someone who will tell it like it is.

Although Susan saw some issues in my manuscript that she brought to light, she did it in an appropriate and respectful way. Nothing she said made me feel bad or belittled as a writer.

I could tell Susan read everything with a keen eye. She caught a lot, if not all, of the hints I dropped. I've had betas skim before, and Susan is not one to skim anything.

I had a ton of fun reading her comments. (I definitely giggled some.) I appreciated all of her compliments and, equally, her pointing out my potential plot holes and issues readers may have.

Susan was always quick to respond, answered all of my questions, and gave me lots of valuable feedback.

I highly recommend using her as a Beta Reader and exploring the other services she offers.

I'll definitely be hiring her again in the future! :)

It was great working with you, Sue! I know I'll request your services again! Thank you so much for all the time, thought, and effort you put into Beta Reading for me! It was a wonderful experience! :)

Nicole Bible

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For more author comments, see my Testimonial page.

I will read your manuscript thoroughly, word for word, without skimming, and tell you what I really think. I will not tell you what you want to hear, but I will provide critical observations in a polite and supportive manner. I will not ghostwrite, fact check, or tell you where to take your story. My opinions are for your consideration. It is up to you to decide what works for you and what doesn't.

Manuscripts are not typically proofread or edited during the beta reading stage, so I do not provide any of those services in my standard beta reading package. If I do notice repeated grammar or punctuation errors I will note them in the comments or report, but it is not something I will be specifically looking for or marking up in the document. I will include proofreading elements in a custom package, but I suggest you take a look at my proofreading page while you are deciding exactly what you want.

If you have any special concerns or parts of your manuscript that you would like me to pay particular attention to, I am happy to take direction from you.

Email me at suemckerns@gmail.com to schedule a beta reading. 

Epic-length (125+K words) manuscripts are sometimes difficult to fit into my schedule and due to the word count can be costly to the author, so for these manuscripts I have flexible payment and scheduling options.

I take payments through PayPal. I require a 50% deposit ($35 minimum) and the balance upon delivery of report and comments. All prices are in US Dollars.

Barring the unforeseen, your work will be completed by the date promised. If for any reason I am unable to complete a project by the date promised, I will refund all payments previously made unless we agree to the contrary. 

I only beta read fiction. Go to my Goodreads profile to see if my interests are right for your story.

I will beta read all English variants, but no languages other than English. I will only proofread US English. 

All manuscripts should be grammar and spellchecked prior to sending for beta reading. It doesn't need to be perfect.

Submit your manuscript by attaching a doc or docx file to an email to me.