Not all beta readers are editors, but editors seem to be the best type of people to take on this task. This episode explains what it takes to perform this high-value task of providing writers with useful feedback. Beth Wojiski (https://www.bethwojiski.com) is an editor, writer, threshold singer, and artistic soul passionate about offering editorial support to other creatives. In addition to proofreading and copyediting, she provides beta reading as a professional service and explains how she discovered it, how to set rates, and most importantly, how it’s a fun and interesting way to supplement your editorial income.
Beth Wojiski's career spans more than twenty years in positions varying from legal assistant, development associate, or analyst with a major tech firm, but a common theme with every job has been perfecting written communication and analyzing language for its best use. In one past role, she trained machine learning algorithms to understand language to surface better search results. Several years ago, a friend and mentor asked, "If today were your last day alive, what would you regret?" Beth realized she was living for other people's goals, not her own, so she took training in proofreading, copyediting, and line editing and hasn't looked back. She is also writing her first book, a memoir about thriving after a traumatic event. Beth lives in southeastern North Carolina and enjoys reading (especially cozy mysteries), singing, and making pretty things with yarn.
Listen to this episode to learn how you can add beta reading as a new service line to your successful editorial business. For more information on the specifics of beta reading, visit Beth’s website at www.bethwojiski.com/services/beta-reading. Learn how she breaks it down for her clients and the specific mindset required to support writers in their publishing journey.
The Editor's Half Hour