SquarePegBooks

I did it again.

After I’d sworn off beta readers for multiple issues, I found another person whose interest was piqued and expressed that she’d like to read my work sometime. Selena often complains that as a voracious reader, it can be difficult to find books that are both good and cheap (or free).

Well, of course *I* think my work is good. And beta reading is pretty damn cheap on her end (read this in 6 weeks, then answer these questions).

But I hesitated. I’ve been burned so many times by one of two camps (the “ooo… I got busy” crowd or the “You should write it this way because that’s what I want you to do” crew) that I’d sworn off the whole idea. I figured I just wasn’t that good at finding my demographic, so I shoved the concept of “beta readers” in my mental trash can and moved on.

It turns out the idea didn’t want to stay in the trash. It clawed its way out and then hid behind some furniture, waiting for the chance to sneak upstairs to my room and slide under the bed.

Then, every once in a while, it would whisper.

After months of resistance I finally cracked and sent Selena Book 1 of the Fantasy series. I warned her that women haven’t liked it (but  most men do, for some reason). I told her she didn’t have to finish, but she did have to tell me why she didn’t finish. I gave her a list of questions to keep in mind as she read it.

She seemed excited about it.

I felt wary. Having been disappointed several times in the past, I didn’t want to get my hopes up.  Maybe I just have a very narrow demographic? Maybe I’m one of those weird authors that only appeals to the opposite sex?

Maybe I’m just not as good as I want to believe I am.

I won’t know the answer until she finishes.