My middle-grade historical fiction is aimed at girls
in the 4th to 6th grades and at 3rd grade
girls who read above their grade level, so I use students from a local school
as beta readers. I ask the school for volunteers—preferably two girls from each
of those four grades—and rely on the principal and the teachers to select the
right individuals. I was almost ready to send out the manuscript for my Erie
Canal novel when everything stopped. With schools scrambling to change their format
from in-person to online, it was clearly the wrong time to ask for their help
finding beta readers.
So I put the book on hold waiting for a better time.
Originally, I assumed that things would be back to normal by September and I
could return to my customary practice.
Wrong.
Schools are still adjusting to new ways of doing
things. Although the one I use is holding in-person classes now, the staff is
facing different challenges trying to implement the protections that come with that
system. I’m just not sure this is the right time to ask for their help
identifying the next group of beta readers.
Even when I do, the process may change. In the past, I
have dropped off hardcopy manuscripts, questionnaires, and parent permission
letters and the school has distributed them for me. That way, the girls didn’t
have to use their own printers and supplies to make a copy or to use the less
effective method of reading the book on a computer screen. But now they may
prefer PDF copies sent by email. That’s actually easier—and cheaper—for me but
harder on them. And they would still have to print out the questionnaire and
the parent consent letter to complete and return to me.
The principal has told me that the girls enjoy being
beta readers, and I’ve gotten that comment from several of them, as well. So
they may welcome the oppoutunity. But more importantly, their feedback is
extremely valuable and has resulted in significant changes to each of my
manuscripts. Beta readers are crucial to the quality of the completed book, and
I don’t want to continue without them.
But I’ll have to let the principal tell me when the
timing is right.
No comments:
Post a Comment