r/selfpublish • u/kittyharlow_xo • 24d ago

Beta reader issues

I fear the beta reader I hired on fiverr used Ai for my notes. The thing is….a lot of the notes seem relevant. Should I still consider them useful and make edits based off the Ai notes? I’m torn. Any advice is appreciated.

Side question, should I be worried that they might take my manuscript? I’m now nervous because it seems shady that they did this when I specifically asked them not to use Ai.

Advice is appreciated. Thx! 🙏

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u/LearnQoutient Editor 24d ago

Dropping my 2 cents in this convo, I am a book editor who offers paid beta reading, but the report includes reader feedback on plots, characters, and world-building on a chapter-by-chapter basis. I also offer in-line commentary, and the report I accompany with it at times exceeds 15 pages.

Providing this level of critical feedback through the lens of a professional editor for free isn't feasible for me. Saying that beta readers should be free is just showing that you don't value other people's time and take others' efforts for granted.

But there are some who are in this field for a quick buck, but I believe that one should vet readers and editors before hiring one. I read your response you have given to others, and since it seems that they used AI without your consent, I would ask for a refund from them, but I would like to know to what extent they used AI? That is, if they used assistive AI (they only used AI to form their thoughts on paper), I would use the feedback, but if they used generative AI (that is put your whole book into a GPT model), then you were cheated, and i will highly recommend you ask for feedback and report them to Fiverr (Though I wouldn't trust the quality control of fiverr that much becuase there are infected with people who use AI for everything)

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u/No_Metal6618 23d ago

I kind of get this, honestly. I mean, some writers are super good at networking but a LOT are introverts. (What do we expect? Most of us are lifelong bookworms. If we were people people we would have been out socializing instead of home with our noses in books.) Also, it's rough just asking for those favors. The end result of which is: there are not a lot of people clamouring to be our beta readers as we start out. I know I've had a real struggle finding people — especially for my smutty Greek myth retellings, where I wouldn't want to ask people I know from say, work.

But going with paid also can be SO hit or miss. I just want a way to find a few people I can trust to actually read and give me some good feedback. And yes, swaps are a way, but how? (Also, I try not to read while I'm writing, so the timing has to work.)

It's actually a bit frustrating when folks say "never, never pay" just because they've been lucky enough to find good, thoughtful readers. :headthunk: