Beta Development
Get the feedback now, not in your reader reviews.
Service
Beta Development
Cost
From 4c per word
Details
Intensive development of your story at an act, chapter, and scene level. Described as a "podcast for your book" feedback is shared via in-depth audio notes, plus a text transcript of all notes, recommendations, and new story ideas.
Unnecessary characters, flat scenes, episodic plot developments…No mere mortal writes a perfect draft. But when you're still working out your story, receiving detailed, in-line feedback can be premature. Beta development focuses on big-picture questions like whether the premise is compelling, if the protagonist is engaging, and if the overall structure and pace is satisfying. We'll ascertain if you’re within striking range of a commercially successful novel or memoir, and the specific fixes and new ideas needed to reach the story's full potential.
Beta Development FAQs
Beta development is 4c per word, for works of 80k words and over.
To calculate your total, take your word count and multiply by 0.04. For example, an 80k word manuscript would be 80,000 x 0.04 = $3,200.
Shorter manuscripts of 50k to 79k words are 4.5c per word.
Novellas and short stories are quoted on a case-by-case basis.
In professional editing terms, beta development is equivalent to what editors call an Editorial Letter. Editorial Letters generally include a 3+ page report detailing key insights and recommendations. My service is far more extensive, shared via audio notes that achieve the same scope and depth of a 30+ page report. After many years of providing this service I’ve discovered that voice recordings allow writers to comprehend feedback more effectively and emerge with greater clarity and motivation.
Beta development serves two different groups of writers. The first is at the start of the writing journey and has not yet received objective external feedback. This group wants to ensure their story architecture is strong before refining scenes and fleshing out the novel. The second group is made up of writers who’ve undergone development and are now at an advanced draft stage. They are ready to proceed with final services like copy editing and proofreading but want to ensure there are no glaring structural issues before taking that step.
The wait time for bookings generally runs at about 8 weeks and can be longer at certain times of the year. Once the process begins, most beta reads are completed within 7-10 working days.
My primary aim is to ensure the process leaves you feeling excited and inspired, versus overwhelmed. After the edit has been completed, I answer any questions you have and ensure the feedback is clear and actionable. If you’d like me to re-edit your new and improved draft, that is categorized as a new job and quoted accordingly.
As a developmental editor it’s difficult to provide effective feedback on a fragment of your story read out of context. For that reason, all edits are performed on opening chapters, and complete outlines or manuscripts.
The rates quoted above are all for long-form manuscripts, so if you have a custom project feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to provide a quote.
The first step is an Opening Hook Edit, where I perform an initial assessment of your opening scenes so you can determine firsthand if I’m the right editor for you. This also provides an opportunity for me to gauge the current needs of your story, and which form of development will achieve the best results moving forward. If you want more information, you can also contact me, and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
All dreams start with action.
“I recommend Cate to anyone serious about getting published.”
- Thomas Ryan, Bestselling Author
Introductory Edit Form
Now is the time to discover the full potential of your story.
Feel free to send the opening scenes of your novel to cate (at) catehogan (dot) com, or simply start the conversation by submitting your contact details.
