I don’t typically talk about what I do “for a living”, but I’m an editor. Yes, that means I get paid to read and be the grammar police, among other things (it’s for a marketing department and nowhere near as glamorous as it sounds!). And even though I don’t take my work home with me, I do actually enjoy doing the editor/proofer thing in my free time as well. 

A lot of my friends write and a few of them actually publish their works. So when they need volunteers to give things a once over, I’m happy to oblige. Sometimes it’s a matter of straight proofing for errors, but other times it’s a deeper read for consistency issues and plot points. Ultimately I end up as a beta reader, which I’m cool with. (If you don’t know what that means, basically a lot of authors use beta readers to “feel out” the almost final version of their books, make sure the plot makes sense, characterizations are consistent, humor doesn’t fall flat, etc.)

That’s why I also like keeping up with certain publishers and websites to find out when ARCs (advance reader copies) of books I’m interested in come out. They are typically provided free of charge (sometimes only in e-book form) in exchange for feedback to the publisher and/or an honest review posted online (on Amazon, Good Reads, etc.). I have read a lot of books this way – even graphic novels and trades. And the review writing part means I can share my thoughts with others and, perhaps, influence whether or not someone will choose a particular book.

If you’re interested in the ARC, beta reader, reviewer sort of thing, feel free to contact me via geekwatchone@gmail.com and I’d be happy to pass along some information. All the sources I use are free and if any sign-ups are required, those are free as well – hey, I’m doing this for someone else’s benefit, I’m not about to pay for the “privilege”!