Dear Readers,

 

Thank you for being interested in helping me fine tune my stories into the kinds of books you love to read and I love to write. Your help will be invaluable in getting my books polished and ready for publication. There are so many things I might miss because the whole life stories of my characters are in my head. I may forget to give you, the reader, an important piece of information because in my head it is not necessary.

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My first beta reader already caught an important plot omission. In a scene from the first chapter of Into the West: Sharon Springs, I had a search party going out looking for a missing person. They asked me why I didn't have them looking for this person and their child as they went missing together. I hadn't mentioned the child because in my head they were already dead, so why would they need to look for the child. However, the reader didn't know this yet.

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These are the kinds of things I hope you can help me with. There will be no editing work. I have a wonderful editor who does that for me. Your job, as a beta reader, will be to make sure the story flows in a way that is logical to you. Can you follow along without any trouble? Is the story reaching you at an emotional level? Do you care what happens to the characters? Do you need more information in a scene? Is there too much description and not enough dialog? Is there too much dialog? These are the things I hope you can help me with. 

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If you are interested in becoming a beta reader, I promise to do my best to show you my appreciation in various ways as my budget allows but keep in mind that this is an unpaid position and there is no promise or guarantee of any compensation other than reading the books as I write them and my deepest heartfelt thanks. 

 

Below you will find the terms and conditions for beta readers. If you are interested and agree to these terms, you can download the PDF copy of the beta reader agreement, fill in your information, sign the document, and sent it to me at s.burckhardt@stephenburckhardt.com.

 

If you are chosen to be a beta reader, you will receive the first chapter of Into the West:Sharon Springs within a few business days for you to review.

 

Thank you again for your interest. I hope to be working with you very soon!

 

WIth gratitude,

Stephen 
 

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Beta Reader Terms and Conditions:

1. You cannot share, copy, distribute, reproduce, or alter the pages shared with you. All rights will forever remain with Stephen Burckhardt and Dianne Burckhardt in perpetuity. Should you do any of the aforementioned actions, your position as beta reader will be instantly terminated and you forfeit your rights to all benefits and claims. You will be blocked from all media associated with Stephen Burckhardt and Dianne Burckhardt. If your actions result in lost income for the author and/or the publisher, action may be taken to reclaim lost income including but not limited to arbitration by a third party.  

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2. You must agree to read and review the files sent to you in a timely manner. Stephen Burckhardt and Dianne Burckhardt will be working on a very strict timeline for the Into the West Saga Serial and will need your reviews back within 10 days of receiving the pages. If you do not meet this deadline, you will receive one warning. If your review is not returned within three days of the warning, your position as beta reader will be terminated. If your feedback is not constructive or beneficial, your position as beta reader can be terminated without notice.

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3. If your position as beta reader is terminated before the book has been completed or put on sale, you forfeit your rights to any and all benefits, including but not limited to acknowledgements, copies of the book, and gifts.

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4. You agree that any comments you make within the feedback you submit to Stephen Burckhardt or Dianne Burckhardt regarding any creative works that have been presented to you for review become property of Stephen Burckhardt and Dianne Burckhardt. Your comments can be used in perpetuity regardless of the status of your position as beta reader. These comments can be used without further compensation for any promotional endeavors including but not limited to: future book covers, press releases, promotional materials, and advertising. 

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5. You understand the beta reader is not a paid position. If you are chosen to be a beta reader, any and all gifts, acknowledgements, or promotional materials you receive from this series is solely at the discretion of the author. For beta readers in good standing, the intention is to give credit in the acknowledgements of the particular book the beta reader reviewed and a free PDF copy of that book when it is published. Additional gifts may be given out at the author’s discretion (dependent on author’s available resources) but are not guaranteed. The author and/or publisher are in no way, shape, or form liable for remunerations not given to beta readers.

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6. Stephen Burckhardt reserves the rights to update or change these terms and conditions as needed without prior notice.

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                             PDF Beta Reader Agreement