Good afternoon my dear reading friends!
Today marks a new beginning (mostly because yesterday has ended). But another end is coming soon, and with this ending there will be a new beginning. Keep reading to see what’s on the horizon.
Opportunity: I’m Looking for Alpha Readers
By the end of the day today, I will have completed the first revision of the first story in “The Merkabah Chronicles”. Originally, I titled it 100 Days for Abel. However, I’ve shortened the timeline for our protagonist, an angel named Merkabah. The ophanim will no longer have 100 days to investigate Abel’s murder. He will have 60 days. My new working title is Strangers and Aliens: 60 Days for Abel.
Along with this change, I’ve begun working with a cover artist and will soon have a cover for the novel.
I’ll also be looking for alpha readers. These are the first readers whose sole responsibility is to point out the story's flaws. I’ll be looking for 3-5 alpha readers willing to read the story and tell me everything wrong with it. I am not looking for nice people. Rather, I’m looking for people who enjoy telling authors how lousy their stories are. And I’m not being hyperbolic.
You should be someone who can spot a plot hole from the moon, see a character flaw without a mirror, and find that one little detail that will kill an author’s credibility just because it’s absent. I’d rather hear the bad news from you than from a paying reader so that I can fix the problems before the paying readers see them.
If this description fits you, I want you on my team.
The benefits to being an alpha reader: I’ll want you to read the novel (I’ll provide it in a digital format for free) and tell me everything that doesn’t fit or doesn’t feel right to you as a reader. For your assistance, I’ll include your name on the Acknowledgments page and send you a signed print copy of the finished product.
Caveat: These benefits only apply if you provide me with real, actionable feedback. If you read the book and come up with nothing, I’ll assume you didn’t give the book a fair reading. After all, I expect that it will have some flaws. That’s why I’m asking for your help.
So … if you can throw an axe and slice the core out of an apple at 100 yards, you’re my hero. Please apply.
To apply: Send me a memo here on Hive or leave me a comment on Substack. I’ll let you know when I’m ready (probably by the end of the year).
Where to Find Me This Week
I will not be selling books in Kroger this week. I’m taking the week off. However, I will sell books at a merchant festival in Malakoff, Texas. Winterfest 2024 will be held Saturday, November 30, 2024, from Noon to 6 p.m. at 104 S. Terry Street in Malakoff, Texas. You’re welcome to drop by and say, “Howdy!”
Happy Thanksgiving!
For my U.S. readers, Happy Thanksgiving!
Whether your meal consists of turkey and dressing, tacos and apple pie, or tortellini soup and Graham crackers, I hope it will be a great time of rejoicing with family and friends. End the day by reading a chapter in your favorite book.
Allen Taylor