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Programmers often collaborate over code by using pastebin. They drop sections of code for others to read and assist in improving or removing errors. Does anyone know if a similar app exists for writers? I have a Wattpad account but that focuses more on whole stories or serial chapters, not on portions of a story. Beta Readers prefer lengthy or competed manuscripts. Is there any app or service that reads only small sections of a novel to provide group feedback on readability, grammar or how interesting a concept is to readers?

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up vote 4 down vote

Google Docs is an extremely helpful tool for Beta reading, and is used by several writers of my acquaintance.

  • It allows commenting on individual selections of text, so it's easy to comment on a particular snippet or section. (It also allows replying to comments, so people can discuss the comments or expand on them.)
  • Viewers can make suggested edits, which the document-owner can accept or reject.
  • It is extremely helpful that Google Docs can be shared with anybody with an email account; they don't need to belong or sign up to a service.
  • Google Docs is high quality, easy to work with, and free.
  • You can easily create a Google Doc for the one specific section you want reviewed at the moment. (Merging multiple documents with different reviewers' comments is, alas, not really support in any way.)
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Yes, I use it also with an editor friend but it requires others finding and accessing your doc. I do love the real time editing though. I was hoping for a group of readers sharing snippets of their writing for quick turn around review. And thank you for the edit. – Richard Stanzak 10 hours ago
    
"it requires others finding and accessing your doc" -- Can you expand on this? I didn't quite understand you here. Wouldn't any beta-reading depend on sending out a document, in some form, to a group of readers? – Standback♦ 10 hours ago
    
yes, the platform exists, it is the users that are needed. I have very few outside of this group I interact, Preestablished groups of readers who read and comment on snippets of each others works is what I would like. I didn't know if groups like AW share paragraphs or chapters with others for suggestions to improve – Richard Stanzak 9 hours ago
    
Ah! You're looking to find readers -- rather than a tool to share material with readers you've already "got"? – Standback♦ 9 hours ago
    
yes, I tried random betas but so far one didn't read my work after i gave her detailed comments on hers and the others style was WAY different than my own. He had way too much detail in scenes about eating and I prefer heavy dialogue stories – Richard Stanzak 9 hours ago
up vote 1 down vote

I don't think it is wise to try to do this online. You have no idea who you is giving your the critique. Some people will just always be nice. Some will just always be nasty. You can't tell who are are dealing with if you don't meet them face to face.

If you want feedback, join a critique group or take a writing class.

BTW, at least as I have heard the term used, a beta reader is someone who reads the whole MS after it is finished and gives you feedback on the whole. At that point it should be polished enough that they are not stumbling over local details. Reading small pieces and giving feedback it generally called critiquing. That, at least, is how I have always heard the terms used.

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