Beta Readers

Have you finished the first draft of your manuscript and you’re wondering where to start with the editing process? Or have you finished the final draft of your manuscript and want to test the reception with readers before you publish? Our Beta Reader service might be just what you need at this point in your writing journey. Share your manuscript with up to five experienced beta readers who will provide you with feedback on your book and let you know which elements they loved and which could be improved, and how.

In A Nutshell

We will match up your manuscript with up to five beta readers who are regular readers of your genre. Many authors send their manuscript off for beta reading so that they can gain some feedback from their target audience, and ensure that their book is well suited for readers, is conveying the right message, and is enjoyable, before they move on to editing or publishing.

Our beta readers understand what makes a good book and will help you develop your plot, characters, structure, writing style and purpose.

Why Do We Do This?

We know how daunting it can be, anxiously wondering how your novel will be received after publication, so why not be one step ahead and see what kind of reaction you’ll get before you publish?

Your beta readers’ feedback will be sent to you promptly (within a week or so) and from that point on, you can polish your novel to your heart’s content knowing exactly what your readers are looking for.

What It Costs

Total cost = Set-Up Fee + (Per Reader Fee, based on word count of book x Quantity of Readers)

  • Set-up fee of £88.23 (covers time contacting readers about your book)
  • Per Reader Fee (cost of beta reader's time reading and producing report, depending on word count) x quantity of readers
​      - £14.56 (0-10k)
      - £22.89 (10-50k)
      - £31.22 (50-90k)
      - £39.56 (90k-150k)*

*For word counts of more than 150,000w, please contact us for a bespoke quote.

We only require the set-up fee initially. Once you have ordered we will be in touch to discuss how many readers we send the book to.

OUR GUARANTEE: If there is no interest for your title, we refund your set-up fee, so there is no risk to the author!
"The Beta Reader service is brilliant! It gave me a real sense of how readers are likely to react to book themes, plot and characters and provided plenty of direction on how I could improve the quality of my manuscript. I liked the questions put to the Beta readers - the detailed responses were most helpful in giving me material I could take further to improve the quality of my manuscript."
 - Chris Archer

 "I would be completely lost without your Beta Reader program too. Thank you very much for everything."
- Camilla Hillberg


PLEASE NOTE:
This is Option 1 and 2 of our Beta and Book Review Service. Option 3 is our Book Review Service only; Option 2 includes both Beta Readers and Book Reviews. We strongly recommend that authors opt for beta reports as well as reviews to gain valuable feedback about whether readers are enjoying (or will enjoy) the book. This gives them the opportunity to work on aspects that are not well-received, before reviews are published online. 

How Do We Do This?

  • An electronic copy of your book will be shared with our team of beta readers, and those most interested in your genre will be chosen to read the title and give their honest feedback and thoughts
  • Detailed feedback forms arranged into plot, characters, setting, dialogue, writing style and overall impression, can be expected to be returned as fast as you require them (time-frames usually range from 1-6 weeks)
  • You can then use this feedback to guide your editing process and ensure that your novel resonates with its future readers​

Get In Touch

Learn more in our free publishing guide, which gives you a more detailed look at the process, or by speaking to one of our Publishing Advisors, who would be happy to walk you through all the details you need to begin the process.

“When I found Rowanvale, they seemed like the perfect publishing house for me and my books, almost like it was too good to be true! But they really are everything they say they are.”

– D. Bishop