Beta Reading for Paid Subscribers
Because receiving feedback from other writers can be invaluable
Since starting
over a year ago, I’ve been brainstorming ways to make a paid subscription even more valuable for subscribers. And then it hit me, I have extensive experience reading, writing and offering written feedback.In fact, one might say it’s the thing I’ve done the longest. It probably doesn’t count, but in first grade I had a very popular series of books I wrote about two main characters named Juliet and Tyler (inspired by my first nephew— I became an aunt at five years old.) The books all had titles like, “Juliet and Tyler on Space Mountain” or “Juliet and Tyler in the Mysterious Church.” Those are two of the stories I actually remember writing, though admittedly I don’t remember the plot nor the title of the church one. Clearly, my father must have made us go to church that year, something we mostly did on Christmas and Easter and never in between as good, suburban Catholics do.
All of that to say, the books were a hit and our teacher encouraged us to leave feedback in the backs of each other’s books. So essentially you could say I have 30 years of experience providing feedback on other’s people’s writing—if we are keeping count.
But in all seriousness, I’d like to try out something new!
Beginning today all Yearly Paid and Founding Member Subscribers1 will be eligible to receive four yearly beta reads through the —esque Beta Reading Program.
Why should I have someone beta read my work?
There’s so many reasons why a beta read is productive, and why most craft books will tell you that you should have someone beta read your work before you submit it for publication or push publish on Substack.
Here’s a few questions to ask yourself to determine if a beta read is right for you:
Have you written something and are now reading it back and wondering: do I have something here? Are you stuck at a specific spot and unsure of how to move forward? Do you think another person’s perspective could be useful? Do you want one final eye to correct easily missed errors that your brain now ignores because you’ve read the text 1,000 times?
Or do you just want an inside look on how someone is reading your piece and the response they have while doing so?
Whatever the case, having someone beta read your work is valuable because of the space they have from your work and the perspective they provide.
How the —esque Beta Reading Program works:
When you are ready to submit your work, please fill out the —esque Beta Reading Program form. It will ask you for specifics on genre, word count and your goals for the read. I will then schedule when you can send me your work and when you can expect to receive my comments.
Here are genres I’m particularly well-versed in: poetry, literary fiction, creative non-fiction, short journal / substack-style pieces, memoir and upmarket fiction.
All submissions must be 5,000 words or less. If it’s an excerpt of a larger work please include a brief summary or synopsis for context if you feel it would be helpful.
What you can expect from me: in-line comments including my reactions as a reader, input on what could make the piece stronger, minor line edits (though this won’t be the focus, I will correct any grammar or spelling mistakes I come across) and a paragraph summary explaining what I enjoyed about the piece and my thoughts on next steps.
Please note: If a piece contains material that is racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, or otherwise offensive, I have a right to refuse to respond to your work and will email you to cancel our engagement.
Why me?
My experience includes:
Undergraduate poetry and fiction workshops at DePaul University where I received a Bachelor’s of Science in Education with a concentration in English and Spanish.
Four semesters of fiction workshops through The University of Chicago’s Graham School Novel Writing Program where my work was nominated to be read at Printer’s Row Fest.
I am an alum of StoryBoard’s 2024 fiction cohort with Matt Bell through StoryStudio Chicago, and have been accepted into the 2025 Tin House Winter Workshop for fiction studying under Mac Crane.
I have also had poems published in Hypertext, Chicago Literati, Rust + Moth, The Wayfarer, and was the guest editor for Clever Fox Literary Magazine’s Fourth Issue.
Are you ready to get started?
If you are not ready now, you can submit your work at anytime during the duration of your Yearly Paid or Founding Member Subscription. I can’t wait to read your work!
You must have an active Yearly Paid Subscription or Founding Member Subscription to take advantage of the —esque Beta Reading Program. If you are currently a Monthly Paid Subscriber and you have paid for twelve months, you can also qualify. The reason for this is simple. It is to protect myself from someone paying for four months, requesting four beta reads and then unsubscribing.
Thank you for sharing!