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Finding an editor, Beta Readers and Grilled Cheese and Bacon Sandwich

After several months of dealing with family issues I’m back to looking for an editor. My experience with editors is approaching the experiences I’ve had with software programmers. To find an editor I dug out a bunch of Steampunk books and looked to see who edited them. About half were edited by a publisher, so that is no help. Most of the rest did not give credit to the editor, even if the book cited the formatter and cover artist. I got the feeling that the author didn’t think much of the editor.

I have found a copy editing service that is cheap. But I am looking for an editor that I can establish a relationship with. I don’t want a service where I get an editor that they have taken away the editor’s name and given her a number and I will never know the editor’s name. Also I would have no guarantee that I would get the same editor for the next book. I want a human being I can talk to, but knows what they are doing. I would also like an editor that has helped the authors that she has worked go on to earn an award with the book she edited. I guess I’m just dreaming and about to get stiffed again.

Beta Readers

For years I have been looking for Beta Readers. Other authors say go to Facebook or writers groups. Facebook is a big place. The other day I found a blog that listed several places to find Beta Readers. Email me and I will send you a copy of the blog or direct you to the blog.

I joined the Facebook; Beta readers and critique partners, group. Watch it there are two other groups that have names that are almost identical. I have gotten three authors who volunteered to Beta Reader my second book. Now if I don’t terrify them with the violence in my story I will get some needed feed back. I have been working on this book for a long time, but I know there are things I can’t see that need fixing. At least I spell checked the book twice before I sent the book to them.

All this time I was looking for Beta Readers and there were dozen of places to find them. It’s just the authors I talked to said they were out there. I needed a map.

Recipe is below add;

Grill Cheese and Bacon Sandwich

Ingredients

Bread (I like the boraro rolls I get from the local Mexican grocery store)
Butter
Bacon (I like turkey bacon, meatier, bigger after cooked)
Cheese (I like mild cheddar cheese, long horn is good to. American cheese may not even be cheese.)

Directions
Take two slices of bread, or slice the roll in half. Butter one side of bread.
Cook bacon in skillet. Cover plate with paper towel. Place cooked bacon on plate to drain.
Wipe skillet clean with another paper towel.
Grill the buttered side of one piece of bread. Place cooked bread to one side.
Grill the buttered side of the other piece of bread.
While the second piece of bread is cooking place cheese on grilled side of bread. Then place bacon on top of cheese.
When second piece of bread is done Place the grilled side on the bacon.
Lower heat under skillet to medium.
Place sandwich on skillet. Cover sandwich. (I use a deep lid from a big pot. This helps the cheese melt without over cooking.)
When that side is browned flip sandwich over and recover.
When other side is brown remove from skillet and eat.

Stay strong, write on, and have some comfort food.

Professor Hyram Voltage

Beta Readers, What a Writer Will Do To Get

I need all the feedback I can get. Beta Readers are a great source of feedback, except they’re hard to find and half of the ones I do find don’t give me actionable feedback.

A comment like; I don’t understand this paragraph (or sentence, or page), is worth it’s weight in gold. I know what I wanted the reader to get out of that paragraph and I failed to communicate. Writers are communicators and in that paragraph I blew it. I can fix the paragraph if someone points out something wrong.

Comments like; I didn’t like it, are useless. With no specifics I have no idea of what to fix or if the reader doesn’t like that type of story.

I’m on a constant search for Beta Readers, and I’m desperate. At ConDor convention in San Diego I talked to an author and we got around to discussing Beta Readers. She said she get them from the Romance Writers of America. She doesn’t write romance, but does belong to the group.

I’m desperate, I’m thinking of joining the Romance Writers of America to get Beta Readers. I’m not a romance writer, I’m a recovering engineer. Think Dilbert, not a romantic bone in my body. I’m a failed comedy writer (but that’s another story). Would I read romance stories to get Beta Readers. Yes, hey I’m desperate.

I have subscribed to authors patreon pages and pay them so I can have access to the Beta Reader section of their group. Some of the writers in the patreon page Beta Reader section need way more help that I do. And I’m leery of trying to give them help. I have tried to help so many writers only to have them disappear on me. I wasn’t hurtful or mean. I gave them advice I use, things I do, but if I’m talking to a writer that has published seven books and sold about that many I suggested trying something a little different. Never did hear anything from her again. Seven books, I wish I could write that much, fast, consistently. Still I would rather write one book and sell seven copies than seven books and sell one copy each.

Am I nuts for joining the Romance Writers of America just to get Beta Readers? Am I so un-social that I’m shooting my self in the foot all the time? Write me and tell me your opinion and advice at professor at professorvoltage dot com.

Stay strong, write on.

Professor Hyram Voltage