No April Fool’s stuff here. I’m the kind of person who is really glad when this falls on a Sunday, because practical jokes are so not my thing. (Now verbal jokes… those definitely.)
The middle of this week will be the one-year anniversary of the release of my first self-pubbed book. I’m debating how to celebrate that. (OK, who was it just said I should post a free story??? Well, maybe. Although my beta readers are swamped and won’t have time to review it for me. So only maybe.)
I will be blogging on Chicks & Dicks on April 4th about the themes of Out-For-You and Gay-For-You in M/M romance. That topic has been on my mind since the release of The Rebuilding Year as I watch readers’ reviews come out and see that they are all over the map on that subject. It was great of Taylor Donovan and her co-bloggers to offer me their venue for my thoughts. You might wander over there on Wednesday and check it out.
So much has happened in a year. Much of it strange and wonderful beyond my expectations. I’ll have to give some thought to how to tell you all about it. In the meantime, may the practical jokes all befall people you want to see come down a peg. And may the Spring (or Fall for those Down Under) be a joyful one for you all.
Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary! May you have many more and find them exciting and fulfilling.
Question though–what exactly is a beta reader? A proofreader/copyeditor by any other name? That’s my profession, but I’ve only seen the term ‘beta reader’ in relation to ebooks. But then I’m old.
A beta reader is someone who will read your work before you submit it to a real editor and give you some kind of feedback. Some betas just proofread. Some just give you a few comments (“I think Joey needs to be less of a wimp.”) I have one who is a wonderful editor and critic, although still much too easy on my content.
A good beta is worth their weight in gold. The term may be new, and betas more visible, because e-format allows easy shipping of a manuscript back and forth, and easy marking of editing without having to know a written code for it. When I write a freebie, I don’t pay an editor to review it for me. I’ve considered that (well, ever since the first one when I was so ignorant I didn’t know you could pay someone outside a publishing firm.) But one piece of good fortune I’ve had in the past year is finding people who are friends enough to read and critique my rough work for me. They are a blessing.
The problem is that I just handed over a 61,000 word short story that will be a freebie in a month or two. So I don’t want to dump anything else on them. I do reciprocate with their work, but I’m more prolific, so it isn’t exactly a fair trade.
I love The Rebuilding Year!
Aw, thank you 🙂
Congratulations Kaje!!! And I said it, I said it!!! You should post a free story. Definitely! 😛
I cannot wait to read your post at C&D, OFY and GFY is a fascinating topic.
Thanks. Did you see Thorny’s intro to the subject – very funny.
I’m reading and editing the tentative story now, so…maybe.
Oh yeah, I have read it. It was hilarious!!!! And I left a little comment too!
*fingers crossed for the story*
Thorny is wonderful – I can’t wait to read actual fiction of his. He’s a master of subtext in a deceptively simple style, and always funny. My post will be more pedantic and academic, as befits the child of two university professors.
Yeah, he is. I like reading his blog
Sometimes, some topics need to be write in a more seriously style, nothing wrong with that. 🙂
It’s weird, on Matt&Brad blog roll, I see your post has been published and when I check C&D, nothing. O.o