Romance Beta Reader

About the role We are a book development and publishing company hiring experienced romance readers to act as beta readers. You will read one complete 30,000 word romance story per day and leave detailed comments inside the document as you read. We publish across the full romance spectrum, from sweet Christian romance to dark romance, so you must be comfortable reading and giving feedback on a wide range of heat levels and themes. This is straightforward, enjoyable work for someone who already loves reading romance. If you finish a good romance novel and immediately want to talk about what worked and what did not, this role is built for you. What you will do Read one 30,000 word romance story per day, start to finish. Leave comments directly in the document using the comment feature as you read, in real time, capturing your honest reactions. Mark what you loved, what made you feel something, and the moments that landed. Flag anything confusing, including unclear character motivation, plot holes, or timeline issues. Note where the story fell flat, dragged, or lost your interest. Comment on the romance specifically: chemistry, tension, the build of the relationship, and whether the emotional payoff was earned. Give a short overall summary at the end with your honest verdict as a romance reader. How to comment so your feedback is useful This is the most important part of the job. We use your comments to revise the story, so general reactions are not enough. Every comment must be attached to the exact sentence or paragraph it is about, and it must say what specifically is working or not working, and why. Start each comment with one of these tags so we can sort your feedback: LOVED: a moment that worked and why. CONFUSING: something unclear, with what confused you. FLAT: a spot that dragged or did not land, and what was missing. CHEMISTRY: a note about the romance, tension, or relationship build. Examples of the difference we are looking for: GOOD: FLAT. His apology here feels too easy. She forgave him three lines after he humiliated her and I did not buy it. I needed to see her stay angry longer, or see him actually earn it. TOO VAGUE: I did not like this part. GOOD: CHEMISTRY. This is the first moment I actually felt the pull between them, because she noticed his hands shaking. More small physical tells like this earlier would help. TOO VAGUE: The ending was rushed. What we are looking for You genuinely love reading romance and have read a large number of romance books. You read across multiple sub-genres and heat levels, from clean and sweet Christian romance to dark romance. You can articulate why a story works or does not work, not just whether you liked it. You are reliable and can commit to reading and reviewing one story every working day. Strong written English and comfort using document comment tools. Big bonus points if you have Created any kind of book review content (a blog, Bookstagram, BookTok, YouTube channel, Goodreads reviews, etc.). Any editing background (developmental editing, line editing, proofreading, or critique partner experience). Content note: dark romance Some of our titles are dark romance and contain mature, intense, and sometimes uncomfortable themes. We need readers who can engage with that material honestly and give us their real reactions rather than softened ones. If you flinch at intensity, this is not the right fit, and that is completely fine. In your application you will be asked to confirm in writing that you are comfortable reading and giving feedback on dark romance with mature themes. Pay $40 USD per thoroughly reviewed story. Payment is per completed story that includes detailed, tagged, in-document comments and a final summary. We expect one story per working day, so consistent readers can count on steady, ongoing work. How to apply Please answer all of the following in your application. Applications that skip these questions will not be considered. Who are your favorite romance authors, and what do you love about their books? Roughly how many romance books do you read in a typical month, and which sub-genres do you read most? Are you comfortable reading and giving feedback on the full range from sweet Christian romance to dark romance? Confirm in writing that you are comfortable with dark romance and mature themes, and tell us honestly where your comfort zone ends, if anywhere. Tell us about the last romance book that truly worked for you, and one that fell flat. In a few sentences each, explain why. Have you ever created book review content (blog, BookTok, Bookstagram, YouTube, Goodreads, etc.)? If yes, share links. Do you have any editing experience? If yes, describe it. Confirm you can read and review one 30,000 word story per working day. Next step: a short paid test Strong applicants will be sent a short paid test passage to read and comment on using the tagging and commenting style described above. This is how we confirm your feedback is the kind we can actually use. Readers who pass move into ongoing paid work. We review every application personally and reply to strong fits. We are excited to find readers who love romance as much as we do.