How I revised my memoir for beta readers
My book is a good read! If I do say so myself. Part 1 of 2
Part 2 is here. I finished the first draft of my book on Dec. 28, 2022 and plunged right into rewriting it. The second draft took 13 months -- until the end of last month, January 2024. Then I plunged into an as-fast-as-possible run-through of easy revisions, giving myself until the end of February. I printed the book 15 pages at a time and marked it up with notes like:
This is repetitive.
Is this a true statement?
Did I really think that at age 12?
Move this to later, because at this point we don't know bla bla bla.
This is boring. Delete or rewrite for more meaning.
On most days, I input revisions to the previous day’s printout, then printed another 12 to 15-page section and marked it up in the evening. My promise was that by the first week of March, I will have mailed printed copies to several early readers (beta readers, a term I just learned in 2023).
My notes led to complete rewriting of certain scenes, and even a small amount of new writing. I'm happy with it, and I think my book is good. (Celebratory emoji! Hmm, I don’t see emojis on here… Substack is more SERIOUS.) I reduced the length from 96,000 words to 88,000 words / 250 decently formatted printed pages.
Yesterday, I sent the book to Office Depot to print and plastic-comb-bind seven copies. (Holy smokes, is that ever more expensive than I thought it would be: $26 each, black and white, cheap paper, double sided, no covers.) When the copies are delivered to me -- pick-up was not an option -- I'll head to the mailing shoppe with the books and a sheet of feedback guidelines for each of the six readers. I hope I can remember to ask for a prepaid return-mail label for each person.
Regarding print versus reading the book online: Most people wanted to read it in print AND have a Google doc share. They can mark up the copy if they want to, and/or enter comments in the shared doc.
I made a separate identical G-doc for each individual. Then I asked them to make a their own online copy before they start making comments in it -- that way I won't see a notification every time they do something. And then they'll share their copy back to me in a couple of months. (Ask me how I caused a hurtful faux pas by not making my own copy of a shared doc. I won’t make that mistake again.)
I anticipate lots of feedback to compile and think about, but I have no idea how extensive my revisions will be. I've never done this before!
My eight beta readers comprise: four almost-total strangers; six writers; three motherless daughters with early loss; and three people who know me well and support me.
Next post will be how it feels to have reached the first occasion on which I have to let go of my book and let it belong to (eight) readers.
My book is Girl Next Door: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Early Loss. A mom who dies in her 40s leaves her little girl with inner strength to get through the hardest of times, and to make a safe-enough path to adulthood.
An eleven-year-old only child in Chicago, alone with her feelings, Fran resolves to have the life she thinks her mom intended: a life with her mom’s family in their beloved, beautiful rural Arkansas. Reality erases this childhood vision, but to Fran’s surprise, happiness trickles into her real world. Journal-writing, bike rides, and well-chosen neighborhood friends ultimately help teenaged Fran appreciate the real life that is uniquely hers, and she begins to integrate her loss into her memories and her pathfinding.
This is The Tender Bar meets Harriet the Spy plus lyrical natural beauty.
Super excited for you, Fran!
Good luck with your beta reader feedback.