Reviews

I made a Goodreads account because I really want to help my fellow authors and let them know, in my opinion, which beta readers I believe offer the best value and do an amazing job while still being constructive. I have worked with a lot of beta readers in this Goodreads group and I’m only writing reviews for the ones who I think other authors would benefit from using as well as the ones who DEFINITELY deserve to be hired and earned their five star rating from me. I can take criticism, but what separates the high-value criticism from the not so high value is based on some of my factors I look for

 

1.) It’s obvious the beta reader actually read the book and didn’t skim it or try to put it through AI programs. I can tell which beta reader is trying to skim to say they offer a fast-turn around or they took on too many projects at once and who’s actually reading it.

2.) They don’t charge so much and then only give very little feedback or in-line comments. I know other authors feel the pain of being charged so much and then the feedback is small or unhelpful because the beta readers focus on only fixing commas or anything not related to big picture ideas. Or the in-line comments comprise one-word responses such as “fantastic” or there are several pages with no comments at all, as if they didn’t read it. Or the feedback makes little sense because it’s obvious they skimmed it or ran it through AI.

3.) They approach the work as a READER, not an editor. It’s frustrating for me to hire a beta reader and then get a developmental or line edit I didn’t ask for. It’s clear these betas go into the book with the “fix-it” mindset instead of actually reading the story as a reader and giving me feedback on that. I can tell who’s hunting the story for problems and how THEY would write it (essentially hijacking your story and vision) and who’s focused on what you wrote and their emotional response to it.

4.) They don’t take on books they know they won’t enjoy just to make money. I love the beta readers who reject books they would in a bookstore because then it makes the feedback a lot more valuable. It’s frustrating when beta readers say they read anything, but in reality they don’t, and they take on a genre/style, POV, etc. they don’t like and then go into the book already disliking it. It leads to unhelpful feedback.

5.) They are open-minded and adapt to a non-western story structure, which honestly I think is a big key to a great beta reader and editor. Not everyone is from the west, so beta readers and editors shouldn’t automatically expect that and try to change your structure to fit it.

Based on these factors, I can proudly say Khadeeja offers HIGH-VALUE feedback. I’m actually a little sad to write this because I’m scared she’s going to be too busy to work with me on my next book, but honestly she DESERVES to be hired. It’s very clear she doesn’t skim the book; she offers TONS of in-line comments and it all relates to her emotions as a reader. For example, one page had about ten comments in it and she didn’t skip putting at least one comment on a page, so you’re getting a response to everything! Not only that, she offers a huge reader report; mine was about 24 pages and it wasn’t all negatives; she detailed how she felt in the beginning, middle end, gave character analyzation, plot analyzation, where she felt bored/pacing was off, etc. She surprised me quite a bit by remembering my characters long after she had finished reading it. And she remembered them ALL. It was so amazing to witness! She pays close attention to your specific feedback questions as well.

She gave an overall review of the story and what I love so much is that I can tell her feedback is honest and it makes it so much better knowing she is offering feedback on the entire book instead of trying to give feedback here and there. She’s a developmental editor but didn’t go into the book with a “fix-it” mindset, which was so helpful to me. I almost cried. She focused on what I wrote and I loved seeing her emotional reactions and a lot of her comments made me emotional such as smiling, laughing and being like “wow this is so amazing.” She lists on her website what books she doesn’t specialize in, which I also love because it makes her feedback one hundred times more genuine. And she does all this for a reasonable fee!

She’s kind yet constructive and doesn’t have the “you should have done it my way” mentality. She’ll tell you if something doesn’t make sense or feels off, is boring, etc. but in a very kind way. And her reader suggestions fit my vision and story and honestly, my new ending which I love so much, is thanks to her. It fit my story so well and I believe it’s because she went so deep into my story she knew what would work. And she was right. I thank her so much for that. And she adapted to my non-western story structure! She even took the time to read an article I sent her and she answered ALL my questions long after she was done with my manuscript, so she means everything she says on her website. And she’s SO positive. When I expressed concern about my book not doing well because it’s not western, she sent me a beautiful paragraph telling me every book is sellable and not to let anyone tell me otherwise. It really gave me the push I needed to finish my draft. She dives into your manuscript in wanting you to succeed and with a positive mindset all without changing your style or vision. She is also very professional with her email updates, her report is so organized, and her blurb writing skills are fantastic. She’s getting an acknowledgement in my book because she truly deserves and earned it. I’m so proud to attach her name and information to my book, which, as authors know, is like our “baby.” Please, fellow authors, hire her. You really get the best feedback and someone who really wants to help you succeed without being rude, trying to run stuff through AI, or ghosts you. She fit all of my check marks for a high-quality beta reader and I know she will for you, too.