at the National Maritime Museum.
After all of the Beta reader feedback is considered and the manuscript adjusted accordingly, the next step is sending to a professional editor for the final read-through, after which comes the decision for which type of publisher to target. Ideally, I would love to find a small publishing house, though practically speaking, I will probably go with a hybrid publisher. I have been participating in an online “publishing school” to learn the ins-and-outs of the business, which has completely changed since I last shopped a book in the late 1980’s! Here are Beta reader comments so far:
Beta reader 1: Forevermore when I hear about the Royal family, that will include you!!! You are the teller of your story that is on a “vision quest,” not necessarily a “character” but the fact that you have “character” definitely comes through; as a reader all the way thru I was like, “I love her, what a character, free spirit, person I would like to hang with…” All the way thru I felt like I already knew you; the level of independence and confidence it takes to go off on a quest like this alone.
You come across as eternally curious about so much, questioning yourself and decisions you made along the way, which is why the ending resonates with me soooo much. When you met the older woman, and see your future self in her, it’s like you got the answers you wanted in your research but that wasn’t really the only purpose for the journey, it was about finding you, too, or validating the person you are becoming and why. It’s blurry to me cause I am typing thru tears. I LOVED THE BOOK!!
Beta reader 2: I am in awe of you! I actually finished the book while I was on vacation and absolutely loved it! I devoured it, and am so glad you asked me to read it. I found the flashbacks engaging and powerful—especially the ones about your family. And the journey of your research equally engaging. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Beta reader 3: I’m engaged! I definitely want to follow this adventure and know how the mysterious connection unfolds. As each door opens onto a different part of your life, you draw the reader in, making us want to fully explore THAT world. You make each setting and related events feel real, as if they’re unfolding now in real time, as if we can inhabit the place with you and can feel what you felt. When one incident moves to the next, I eagerly anticipate the next visit to that time and place: to find out what
happened, how it shaped you, and how it led you to Oxford.
I am truly eager to continue the journey through the next chapters! It’s like reading Charles Dickens when it was serialized: I’m waiting for the next installments. As with Dickens, there are so many layers of narrative to follow. I wasn’t sure if the narrator character was intended to be self-deprecating, maybe a complexity, or a conflict with the pluck or badass-ery we see in her actions. She’s a survivor, she’s independent, and she’s a risk-taker. She often trusts her instincts, even the vision taking her back to England to solve a mystery. But self-doubt is an understandable trait, especially for women, especially for women of a certain era, and especially for abuse survivors.
I can’t wait to share Rain Dodging with YOU!
