This Writer’s Life

You may have noticed the Buy Me a Coffee button that now appears at the top of my blog posts and in my social media feeds. It’s a popular, user-friendly platform that allows readers, and fellow creators, to directly support their favorite authors in a simple, low-pressure way. Think of it as a digital tip jar. You can ignore it completely, of course. But if a story made you think, smile, or linger a little longer on the page, you can leave a small tip and even send a short message.

I like modern technology. It’s what allows me to sit at home, in slippers, and earn a living.

I think everyone who follows my blog or social media knows that I’m an author. That means I sit here and write most of the day, occasionally pausing to stare into space and call it “thinking.” Recently, however, a rainstorm brought flooding and knocked out power to much of the local area. You might assume this meant an unexpected vacation until the electricity was restored.

I certainly did.

That thought lasted less than five minutes.

Every time I complete a manuscript, I need beta readers—and people often ask me, “What is a beta reader?”

In the general sense, a beta reader is a test reader of an unreleased book. They provide feedback to the author from the perspective of an average reader. A good beta reader offers an unbiased opinion on plot, pacing, consistency, and character development. This helps the author identify and fix issues before the work is published. Unlike an editor, who focuses on sentence-level corrections, a beta reader gives feedback on the overall story and its emotional impact.