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Join Our Advance Reviewer and Beta Reader Teams

Our memoir and memoir-writing titles can’t reach their audiences without you! We have an ambitious publishing schedule that extends months into the future, and we need you on board to make it happen!

We welcome you to pitch in either as an advance reviewer or a beta reader for any or each of these new books!

 

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If you enjoy reading memoirs and books about how-to-write memoirs and welcome spreading the word about memoirs, join our advance reviewer team.

Why this writer became an advanced reader:

Your writing and The Memoir Network site have greatly helped me and my friends as our writing group gathers to keep on writing and polishing our stories.  So it just seems fair that I help you to publish your books by contributing reviews.  Plus, as a pastor I’m very interested to hear Martha’s side of the story!

Mary Anne Harris

What You Do As An Advance Reviewer

  • read our newest memoirs and memoir-writing books first and for free.
  • practice optional editing. While we have a small group of editors on hand, we welcome knowing about any edits you deem necessary.
  • write a review for placement on Amazon, Goodreads, Smashwords, etc., on or soon after launch day. (You will receive addresses.)
  • do at least ONE thing on social media. Send a tweet, post on Facebook, do a LinkedIn update, upload a picture to Instagram. (Two things are better and you can guess what three is!)
  • enjoy the gifts we will send you in deep gratitude for your help.

 

NNCcover2What An Advance Reviewer Can Expect to Receive

  • A FREE digital working copy of the next new Memoir Network book you choose to review. You will receive your review copy up to two months before anyone else can get it—and for free. 
This time (usually a month) is your reading and review-writing time. The following month before publication is for us to incorporate any suggestions you send us and to finish book production. We will alert you as to the proper review submission date.
  • Regular communications to help you along in the process. This is an easy process. You leave a short book review on Amazon and/or Goodreads and/or Smashwords on launch day or during the book’s launch week. If you find fault with the book, I’d appreciate your telling me before you share on Amazon, Goodreads or Smashwords. The pre-publication book you receive will be still in the creation stage—and you will be a co-creator. Changes are usually still possible.
  • Heartfelt appreciation for your contribution.

“I read Martha’s memoir in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will post the review with my 5-star rating on Amazon and Goodreads.”

Kathy Pooler

author, Ever Faithful to His Lead / My Journey Away from Emotional Abuse

krpooler.com

How We Thank You Once Your Review Is Published

  • A FREE copy of the polished e-book will be sent to you.
  • A $25 coupon for any e-product in our bookstore.

We are always writing new books, and so we are also always looking for new book ideas. Got an idea? Drop us a line.

We will have individual sign ups for each book… so expect to be alerted when we are nearing our publication deadline! If you review one book, you are not committed to reviewing any other.

 

2. Beta Readers

We work with only 3 to 5 beta readers. A beta reader is an advance reviewer with this additional layer:

  • we also ask you to undertake an edit of the manuscript in addition to writing a review.

Who Should Apply

Two sorts of people do well as beta readers:

  • you are launching yourself as a professional editor and would like both experience and a reference. Your skills are excellent but they have not been tried yet. We can provide you with both an editing experience and, upon completion of satisfactory editing, a professional reference for your topnotch editing.
  • you are a person who may be retired or working only part-time and are looking for an interesting project to occupy your attention and considerable talents. Your knowledge of writing and of English are impeccable. Perhaps you are thinking of writing a book and want the experience of mucking around in someone else’s book for practice or you too want to launch yourself as an editor.

The Memoir NetworkWhat A Beta Readerr Can Expect to Receive

  • A FREE digital working copy of the next new Memoir Network book you choose to edit. You will receive your edit copy up to three months before anyone else can get it—and for free. 
We ask you to return the book with your edits in the designated time. This time (usually a month) is your reading and editing time. We incorporate your edits and then send the book out to advance readers for their reviews.
  • Solid directions to help you along in the process. This can be a fun process. You check the manuscript out for all the regular elements: concision, clarity, completeness, coherence: pacing and shaping; sequencing of elements; use of metaphor, simile, imagery; development of character, action and setting as well as theme; point of view, voice, style of narration, etc.
  • Heartfelt appreciation for your contribution.

“This was stimulating to be using my editing skills after so many years. I remembered how much I enjoyed working with a story. I’m looking forward to another of your book projects and hope you will call on me.”

Wayne Bechtel

How We Thank A Beta Reader Once Edits Are Submitted

  • A FREE copy of both the polished e-book and the hard copy. (If there is a hard copy.)
  • A $150 coupon for any e-product(s) in our bookstore.
  • Acknowledgement within the front matter of the book and reference letters upon request.

We hope beta readers will also choose to submit an advance review. In this case, the beta reader also becomes an advance reviewer and receives all the benefits of the advance reader.

To be added to our beta reader list, email us.