I think this week finally marks the moment the first readers will get their hands on a digital copy of The Dead Shadow. We’ve made the last changes and green-lighted the e-version to go out.
This is extremely exciting.
Of course, the manuscript has gone through countless hands before it finally found its readers. Friends who agreed to read and review it, agents (but we have no way of knowing whether they have read it), the team at Cranthorpe-Millner who believed in the story enough to want to publish the book, and the editing team working tirelessly to improve the text.
So, our first readers are technically not the first eyes to discover the story. But for a pair of hopeless dreamers like us, they matter even more. It’s been a long journey to bring the book to you, and we really hope you will enjoy it.
Can I Be One Of The First Readers?
While our lovely publisher has already been in touch with the advanced readers, this doesn’t mean that there won’t be any more opportunities to read The Dead Shadow.
Our advanced readers are here to help the book gain some traction and find its true audience. They have agreed to read and hopefully review The Dead Shadow for free. They are gifting us their time, and we are immensely grateful for it.
But, if you were not among these first readers, the next opportunity to read the book is to pre-order it from any of the big bookshops, from Waterstones to Amazon. The book will come out this August.
So, you could become one of the first readers to actually buy the book, which would mean the world to us.
How Did You Choose The First Readers?
It’s hard to tell. There are so many books coming out these days that the top priority for first readers is purely practical. Do they have time to read it?
We certainly hope they do! Unfortunately, everybody’s TBR list (to-be-read) is constantly growing. In other words, someone who agreed to read the book when we first reached out may be short on time now.
On the plus side of things, we’ve gone through The Dead Shadow many (MANY) times. First, as writers, as writing in a tandem arrangement means that you are regularly re-reading scenes you didn’t write. Second, as initially proofreaders, taking on the feedback from agents and advisors to improve the manuscript. Third, as nervous writers going through the editing notes from the editing team. Fourth, as exhausted almost-published authors checking a last time the text before giving it the green light.
So, there’s one thing we can say for sure to all our first readers: The Dead Shadow is a book that reads fast, despite being over 300 pages. We intentionally kept it on the short-ish side of fantasy novels because, as the first book of a saga, we wanted to reveal the world slowly. The more our characters discover, the more readers will learn about the world and its challenges. Think of it as dipping your toes into the sea before diving for a swim. The Dead Shadow is that initial dip where you confirm that everything is safe and nice.
How Can I Be Among The First Readers For Book 2?
The truth is that there is a multitude of criteria to choose first readers. The most important of all is the fact that first readers are not beta readers. First readers get to enjoy the final version of the book, rather than being a part of its journey.
Will there be beta readers for book 2? It is an option. As we write as a duo, we are our initial beta readers, which means a lot happens and changes during this early stage. While this doesn’t necessarily reject the possibility of beta readers, we’re at a stage where we have a clear map of the story and chapters, and we’ve already started to work on it.
We go through a lot of iterations and improvements before we are confident and happy to show the manuscript to others. Will beta readers ever be as harsh and critical as we are ourselves? It’s impossible to know, but given how quickly we proceed to alterations, it would be a waste of beta readers’ time if they come in too early in the process!
As for first readers as advanced readers, we will be very grateful to meet new readers who would love to discover book 2. Just be patient and give us the time to finish writing it first!
The best way to find out about opportunities to become first readers is to follow this blog and/or follow us on our social media platforms.
Stay tuned for more and thank you for the support!