by Katherine Reay, @Katherine_Reay
This is a big week for me. I am twiddling my thumbs and wondering…
Right now my new manuscript is in a few select hands. My Beta Readers are hard at work and they are very silent at the moment.
If you are unsure about what I’m talking about, here’s my thoughts on who a Beta Readers are. They are unpaid readers — not an editor you hire — who will give you that reader-from-the-street opinion. They can be friends, other writers, trust readers — really anyone you feel will give you an honest and informed opinion.
The idea of letting Beta Readers into my process is fairly new for me. It has taken several manuscripts for me to cultivate that base and for them to trust me when I say, “Tell me everything that’s wrong.” I suspect such honesty is painful for them — they know how hard I’ve worked and how much I infuse into each story — and it definitely can be painful for me, especially as they do take me at my word and tell me everything that’s wrong.
Painful? A little. Vital? Without doubt.
At the time I hand my Beta Readers the story, I am unable to substantially affect change. I’m too close to the characters and to wed to my plot to see what’s wrong. But these readers have a fresh perspective. Their input pushes me and fuels my imagination — along with pointing out all my derivative thinking, two-dimensional characters, cliches, and “telling not showing” moments. As I said, it’s invaluable.
So if you’re working to submit your first manuscript to an agent or your tenth to your publishing house, I suggest you consider forming a small group of select readers. Step out in courage, offer your stories for critique, assistance, and even criticism – knowing that each will sharpen your work and make it more powerful. Some suggestions you won’t accept — and that is part of art and part of this important process. But some will be just the lightening bolt you need. And no matter how good we are, or how many stories we’ve written — we all love it when a lightening bolt, that brilliant idea, strikes our stories.
Have courage and have fun!
Now back to my waiting…
Katherine
Katherine Reay returns to the cozy and delightful town of Winsome where two people discover the grace of letting go and the joy found in unexpected change.
After fleeing her hometown three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. Then the Silicon Valley start-up she worked for collapsed and turned her world upside down. She is broke, under FBI investigation, and without a place to go. Having exhausted every option, she comes home to Winsome, Illinois, to regroup then move on as quickly as possible. Yet, as friends and family welcome her back, Alyssa begins to see a place for herself in this small Midwestern community.
Jeremy Mitchell moved from Seattle to Winsome to be near his daughter and to open the coffee shop he’s been dreaming of for years. Problem is, the business is bleeding money-and he’s not quite sure why. When he meets Alyssa, he senses an immediate connection, but what he needs most is someone to help him save his floundering business. After asking for her help, he wonders if something might grow between them-but forces beyond their control soon complicate their already complex lives, and the future they both hoped for is not at all what they anticipated.
With the help of Winsome’s small-town charm and quirky residents, Alyssa and Jeremy discover the beauty and romance of second chances.
Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including Dear Mr. Knightley, The Printed Letter Bookshop and the upcoming Of Literature and Lattes. She has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books and brings that love to her contemporary stories. Katherine’s has also written one full-length nonfiction work, Awful Beautiful Life. She holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and currently lives outside Chicago, IL with her husband and three children. Publishing credits also include Redbook, USAToday, Christianity Today and FamilyFiction. You can meet Katherine at www.katherinereay.com or on Facebook: KatherineReayBooks, Twitter: @katherine_reay and Instagram: @katherinereay.