BETA BUDDIES
Your book’s new best friends…
Every author knows it’s important to make sure their story hits with their target audience before submitting, but it’s hard to find good beta readers that are the right age—especially when writing for teens. Only an actual teenager will be able to provide the insight required.
That’s why Silverpen Productions is proud to present BETA BUDDIES—our very own brigade of voracious readers in YOUR target market!
Our (human) readers of various ages not only love reading, they’ve been trained specifically for beta reading. You’ll receive feedback right within your manuscript as well as a summary response and answers to the questions you need most. In addition to access to your target audience, each of our readers only focuses on one manuscript at time. That means your manuscript will get undivided attention, unlike the adult readers at the usual freelance sites reading multiple projects at once.
Tell us your target age group & how many readers you want, and we’ll match you with readers best suited for your story—it’s that easy.
WHAT TO EXPECT
If you’re interested in hiring our target beta readers, here’s what to expect:
Step 1: Contact us to say you’re interested. We’ll send you the interest form to tell us about your manuscript (genre, age range, “book jacket” paragraph, content warnings), how many beta readers and which package you’d like, age range of readers you’re looking for, your contact info, and a preferred deadline.
Step 2: We will match your story to our available beta readers. If you want to move forward, we’ll then send you the contract to sign.
Step 3: After you return the paperwork and payment link, you’ll email us your manuscript and we’ll get to work.
Step 4: You’ll receive back on-page comments, a summary sheet, and completed questionnaire from each of your readers by the deadline. Every one of our readers is prepped for giving valuable opinion-based feedback as well as looking for areas for improvement. We don’t want to just tell you how great your story is—we want to help you make it the best it can possibly be!
But remember, this is for a beta read only. You will not receive proofreading or editing feedback. If you’re interested in editing services in addition to a beta read, please click the “Let’s Talk” button in the top menu and indicate your editing interest.
Step 5: Now you can revise away to your heart’s content with real-world feedback from your target audience.
It’s as simple as that!
*Please be aware that we do not review manuscripts with AI content. If you have used a generative AI service for any aspect of your manuscript, we are not the right readers for you.*
“Finding quality beta readers can be a frustrating process—especially if you write for a younger audience. While I had some great beta readers in the past, they weren’t the high school students I was writing for. When I finally found a group of teenagers to read for me, the experience was undeniably different. Being able to see their emotional reactions throughout the story and pinpointing what really got them excited was invaluable! Their feedback was an immense help and unparalleled to any other beta experience I’ve had. I knew my other writer friends needed to have the same experience. They were also blown away by how good these students were. The students themselves loved the experience as well and were hungry for more, so we created the Beta Buddies to bring the experience to a wider network. Our goal is to be the go-to resource for knowledgeable beta readers in any age group!”
PRICING
Cost depends on the length of your manuscript, which package you select, and how many readers you prefer.
Basic prices are listed below. All packages include in-line comments.
More customized questions can be added to any package for an additional fee.
Rush Reads may be available at certain times.
Please contact us for details if you’re interested in a Rush Read.
SCBWI Member Discounts Available!
PACKAGES |
Up to 55,000 Words |
56,000 – 70,000 Words |
71,000 – 85,000 Words |
86,000 – 98,000 Words |
99,000 – 120,000 Words |
Beta Buddies
|
$65 |
$75 per Reader |
$85 per Reader |
$95 per Reader |
$110 per Reader |
Beta Brigade
|
$85 per Reader |
$95 per Reader |
$105 per Reader |
$115 per Reader |
$135 per Reader |
Beta Battalion
|
$105 per Reader |
$115 per Reader |
$125 per Reader |
$135 per Reader |
$155 per Reader |
RUSH READ(If Available) |
Based on Availability | Based on Availability | Based on Availability | Based on Availability | Based on Availability |
Don’t have a full manuscript yet but want to see if your story is off to the right start?
Our Vibe Check package might be the right fit for you.
Vibe Check
Up to 25 Opening Pages
Receive:
A summary on:
*Voice, pacing & audience vibe
*Is it engaging for your target-age reader
*Is your reader intrigued to continue reading
$45 per reader
AVAILABILITY
We currently have manuscript slots open in October & November for:
*Young Adult
*Limited spots for New Adult
*Limited spots for Upper Middle Grade
Check back for more slots opening soon!
Don’t see your age genre?
Contact us and let us know which genre you’re interested in, and we’ll put you on a waiting list.
ABOUT SILVERPEN PRODUCTIONS
Silverpen Productions is a content services company, specializing in creative works, business materials, and editing services for authors, publications, students, and businesses. We focus on customized services and personalized attention for every client. SP founder and professional writer/editor, Jenna Caputo, created the company to fulfill the need for professional services at prices that individuals and small businesses could afford without sacrificing quality.
Our beta readers range in age so we can match your story to your target audience. Each reader undergoes a training specific to beta reading before being matched to any manuscript to ensure you have an unparalleled beta reading experience.
Beta reading services are only for manuscript feedback. They do NOT include any editing services. If you are interested in editing help for your manuscript, please contact Jenna directly for a consultation for our editing services.
WORDS FROM OUR AUTHORS…
“How lucky I was to get a beta reader who is around the same age as my main characters! Even better, she was fast, thoughtful in her comments, and caught a few loose ends. I couldn’t be happier! I highly recommend Beta Buddies.”
“As an adult writer creating stories for tweens and teens, I tap into the timeless emotions from my childhood, but the world has changed in a million large and small ways since I was in middle and high school. To make sure I am writing authentically, I need to meet my audience where they are, and to do that I depend on beta readers who can give me actionable feedback. This isn’t always easy to find. Luckily, Beta Buddies is one of my go-to places to connect with helpful readers within my target audience. With Beta Buddies you’ll get smart, curious, thoughtful—and honest feedback at an exceptional price. Thanks Beta Buddies!”
“Sending a manuscript off to impartial beta readers in your target audience is a super-important part of every writer’s process, but it can be difficult to connect with kid/teen readers. The Beta Buddies provided thorough feedback through a completed questionnaire and specific comments added directly on the manuscript. Their input helped me make my story as appealing to today’s teen readers as possible. Highly recommend!”
FAQs
Below are some of the frequently asked questions we receive. If you don’t see the answer you’re looking for, feel free to send us a note with any additional questions you may have!
Why doesn't Beta Buddies offer a flat fee for all manuscripts?
It all comes down to time. A 100,000-word young adult fantasy manuscript will take much more time to properly comment on all the way through and consider the plot as a whole than a 50,000-word upper middle grade story. Many of our readers are teens and tweens who also have school and family obligations, and our adult readers have other jobs and personal obligations of their own. While we try to keep our prices low, we want to be respectful of our readers’ time, so we keep our pricing on a tiered system.
How long will it take to get my feedback?
Each manuscript is different, so we will discuss a specific timeframe for your project once we talk, however, you can expect that most manuscripts will take about 1–2 months to receive your feedback.
What is the difference between your packages?
Beta Buddies: The Buddies package offers you up to 3 readers and 3 additional customized questions on the standard questionnaire feedback.
Beta Brigade: The Brigade offers you up to 9 readers and up to 6 additional customized questions on the standard questionnaire feedback as well as one overall summary sheet.
Beta Battalion: The Battalion offers you 10 or more readers, up to 10 additional customized questions on the standard questionnaire feedback, and a summary sheet from each reader.
What is included on the standard questionnaire? Can I add my own questions?
The standard feedback questionnaire includes 15 commonly asked questions for most manuscripts and will answer things like: Did you connect to the MC? Which character did you like best? Which character were you not able to connect to? Did the first 10 pages draw you in and make you want to keep reading? Did you like the ending? Did you feel the dialogue was natural and authentic to a teen reader? etc.
You can view a sample standard questionnaire here.
YES! You may add additional questions customized for your manuscript and what your specific concerns are according to your chosen package. If you have more questions you’d like answered than what is available in your package, you may add more questions on to your package for an additional fee.
If I fill out the interest form, does that mean I am guaranteed a beta read?
No. Filling out the form only means that you’re interested. Once we determine the right match for you, we’ll send you the cost estimate and feedback return date. At that point, you can decide if you want to move forward or not. You are not obligated to move forward with a beta read until you have signed the contract.
Which readers will I get?
That all depends on your story. When you fill out the interest form, you’ll let us know the type of story you have, the age group of readers you’re looking for, and how many you’d like. Once we have that information, we will go to our reader brigade and match you up with the best available readers for your story.
For example, if you have a young adult fantasy story and would like 3 teen readers, we’ll match you with our high school students that love reading fantasy.
Every reader has gone through a beta reading training and loves to read. No matter who you’re paired with, you will have an enthusiastic reader ready to help you make your book the best it can be.
Who has access to my manuscript?
Your Silverpen coordinator and assigned readers will be the only people with access to your manuscript. Everything is performed digitally and no hard copies will be made. You will receive each digital copy back with comments from your readers right within the pages along with the summary form and completed questionnaire purchased with your chosen package.
Will your readers mark mistakes or suggest edits?
No.
Copyediting, proofreading, and developmental editing are separate services that should be performed by editing professionals. Many of our readers are teenagers and still in school. They will offer suggestions on what they feel is working or not in your story, but they will not be proofreading or looking for edits.
If you are interested in editing services provided by Silverpen Productions, please email us at info@silverpenproductions.com or click on the Contact Form above.
Do you use AI?
NO! Real readers read each manuscript and every comment is 100% their own. It is in our contracts that AI will not be used.
And, in fact, we ask the same from you. Please only send manuscripts that you have written and edited yourself. We are not the right match for an AI-written story.
How does payment work?
Once you are matched with your readers, we will send you the paperwork and a payment link through Venmo. You’ll need to return the signed paperwork, a digital copy of your manuscript, and complete the payment through the Venmo link before the readers can get started. Once all that is completed, the readers will be given access to your manuscript and you’ll receive your feedback by the agreed-upon date.
How do I get started?
Send us an email, hit the Contact Form below, or click one of the Sign Up buttons on this page. Let us know you’re interested in the Beta Buddies and what you’re looking for. We’ll send you the interest form, and then we’ll take care of the rest!
