Alpha / Beta Readers

Hi Readers,

I sit before you at my keyboard humbly admitting that I've made a mistake.  I have been sending drafts of chapters to a small group of people and have been calling them "Editors."

OOOOPS.

Here's the deal:  You guys aren't editors.  Not in the strictest sense.  Pointing out gross grammar mistakes or stylistic tendencies that don't work is A-OK with me, but detailed grammar nitpickiness is really unnecessary at this point.  Here are several reasons:

• I am going to grow as a writer during this process.  As a result, much of my roughest early work (ahem, Chapter 5) will need significant rewrite anyway.  I don't want any of us to spend too much time on grammar details when a good portion of the book will get heavily revised anyway.  First thing's first!
• Focus on grammar obscures the information I really need at this point.
• As my self-serving, pity-inspired last blog post obliquely pointed out...I need encouragement.  Encouragement may best come in the form of quick feedback and story-related comments, rather than a mountain of virtual red ink.  (I want to know what isn't working in the story at this point more than anything else)
• Before publication, I will no doubt be assigned a professional editor.  I may ask a few of you to help me out further down the line before I submit to a publisher, but I think it can wait.

I am re-naming you all.  You are now ALPHA READERS!!!  This is a much cooler-sounding title, you must admit.  It also removes the implication that you are expected to hunch over your PC's combing paragraphs for that one evil little split infinitive.

I encourage you to check out this excellent post on the purpose of Alpha Readers:  What is an Alpha or Beta Reader?

To summarize, I have 3 things to apologize for:

1. Sorry for the pity-party in the last post.  I'm better now.
2. Sorry for calling you Editors, and therefore possibly imposing a time-consuming burden of micro-scoping my prose on your busy lives.
3. Sorry for Chapter 5.  It sucks, it really does.  I know this, and I hope you enjoyed 6 through 8 a lot more.

P.S. If a spouse or anybody else wants to be an Alpha Reader, please let me know.  I have absolutely no problem with expanding the group.