1
The Beta Reading Request
What happens when Bram Stoker submits Dracula through my request form? Here's how I evaluate the manuscript and decide whether to accept it.
A COMPLETE BETA READING WALKTHROUGH
Beta Reading Dracula: Behind the Scenes
Follow my complete beta reading process, one chapter at a time.
I'm beta reading Bram Stoker's Dracula as if he had hired me to read his manuscript, from the initial request form to the final report.
Explore the ChaptersWhat you'll find inside
- ✓ The beta reading request and acceptance process
- ✓ Chapter-by-chapter YouTube walkthroughs and Substack articles
- ✓ Full chapters with all my inline comments
- ✓ Original and edited chapter notes
- ✓ My final beta reading report
- ✓ Completed author questionnaire
A hypothetical beta read of a public-domain
classic, created to document my real
professional process.
CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE
How to Follow Along
Follow the series however you'd like. Watch the videos, read the companion articles, or read Dracula alongside me.
Watch the series
See the highlights and hear me talk through my reader reactions.
Read the companion articles
Dig into the process, patterns, and observations in writing.
Read Dracula
Follow the same public-domain text as I move through the manuscript.
THE SETUP
Before the Reading
Before I open a manuscript, there's some work to do. Here's how I evaluate a request, communicate with the author, and prepare for the reading.
2
The Acceptance Email
Once I've decided to accept a manuscript, I send the author an email confirming the details and next steps. Here's what that looks like.
EXPLORE THE RESOURCES
YouTube walkthrough
Watch Video ↗
Substack article
Read Article ↗
Beta Read Acceptance Email Template
View Template ↗
THE BETA READ
Chapter-by-Chapter Follow Along
Follow the beta read from Chapter 1 through Chapter 27. Each chapter includes my YouTube walkthrough, companion Substack article, original inline comments, edited inline comments, original chapter notes, and edited chapter notes.
1
CHAPTER I
Jonathan Harker's Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
2
CHAPTER II
Jonathan Harker's Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
3
CHAPTER III
Jonathan Harker's Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
4
CHAPTER IV
Jonathan Harker's Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
5
CHAPTER V
Letters—Lucy and Mina
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
6
CHAPTER VI
Mina Murray’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
7
CHAPTER VII
Cutting from “The Dailygraph,” 8 August
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
8
CHAPTER VIII
Mina Murray’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
9
CHAPTER IX
Mina Murray’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
10
CHAPTER X
Mina Murray’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
11
CHAPTER XI
Lucy Westenra’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
12
CHAPTER XII
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
13
CHAPTER XIII
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
14
CHAPTER XIV
Mina Harker’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
15
CHAPTER XV
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
16
CHAPTER XVI
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
17
CHAPTER XVII
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
18
CHAPTER XVIII
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
19
CHAPTER XIX
Jonathan Harker’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
20
CHAPTER XX
Jonathan Harker’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
21
CHAPTER XXI
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
22
CHAPTER XXII
Jonathan Harker’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
23
CHAPTER XXIII
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
24
CHAPTER XXIV
Dr. Seward’s Phonograph Diary, spoken by Van Helsing
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
25
CHAPTER XXV
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
26
CHAPTER XXVI
Dr. Seward’s Diary
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
27
CHAPTER XXVII
Mina Harker’s Journal
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Original inline comments
Coming soon
Edited inline comments
Coming soon
Original chapter notes
Coming soon
Edited chapter notes
Coming soon
THE FINAL FEEDBACK
After the Reading
Once I've finished the manuscript, I answer the author's specific questions and then pull everything together into the final beta reading report.
1
Completed Author Questionnaire
After I've completed the full manuscript, I answer the questions the author asked me to focus on so they can see my responses in the context of the entire story.
EXPLORE THE RESOURCE
Completed author questionnaire
Coming soon
2
Final Beta Reading Report
After answering the author's questions, I pull together my experience of the full manuscript into the final report, including the bigger patterns, strengths, questions, and areas that stood out while reading.
EXPLORE THE RESOURCES
YouTube walkthrough
Coming soon
Substack article
Coming soon
Final beta reading report
Coming soon
Final Beta Reading Report Template
Coming soon
