Beta Reader Guide¶

Welcome! Thank you for being a beta reader for The Witchglass Covenant. This guide will teach you what I’m looking for and how to leave comments directly on the chapters.

What I’m looking for¶

1. How you’d sell it¶

The one-liner. If you were recommending this to a friend in one or two sentences, no spoilers, what would you say? Your own words, however casual.
Comps, off the top of your head. What other books, shows, films, or games did this remind you of while you read? First things that came to mind — don’t overthink.
The hook. What’s the single most compelling thing about this book — the thing that would make someone need to read it?
Shelf and mood. If you were tagging this on Goodreads or StoryGraph, what shelves and mood tags would you use? And specifically: would you call this romantasy, or epic fantasy with a strong romance thread?
Expectation vs. payoff. Based on the premise, title, and what you expected going in — did the book deliver that, subvert it, or something else?

2. Quotes & imagery¶

The lines you’d screenshot. Was there a sentence or short passage you’d underline, screenshot, or quote to someone? Paste it if you can.
What landed hardest. Which moments or elements worked best for you — the bits that stuck?
The image that stays. What’s the one scene, moment, or image you can still see after closing the book? 4.The feeling. What did this make you feel, and where was the emotional high point?

3. Who it’s for, and how to reach them¶

Who, specifically. Picture the exact person you’d hand this to. Who are they — what else do they read, roughly how old, what would make them pick it up?
Where they live online. Where does that reader discover books — which BookTok/Bookstagram corners, subreddits, newsletters, Discords, shelves? Who should be talking about this book?
Who should skip it. Who is this not for — who’d bounce off it or be the wrong reader?

4. Craft & reading experience¶

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!¶

The three POVs. Did you stay invested in Vaye, Gadarien, and Adranaya, or did one thread feel weaker or skippable? Where, if anywhere, did you start drifting?
The opening. The book starts nine years earlier, with Belosveka and child Vaye. Did that pull you in, or did you want the present-day story sooner? And once in Thelenza — did the chapters before the three leads converge hold you, or were you impatient for them to meet?
The reveal. Grandmother turning out to be an ancient AI rather than a goddess — did it land as a real turn, feel telegraphed, or come from nowhere?
The betrayal. Ruelso’s attack — did his motive track for you, or did it come out of nowhere?
The central relationship. Does the bond between the three feel earned and balanced, or does one pairing dominate? Does the intimacy read as load-bearing to the plot or bolted on?
Magic and factions. Was the witchglass system clear without over-explaining? Did you ever lose track of who the Feiçeira, Tementeira, Vorkyrda, and Orumir are and what they want? And — would a character list or glossary up front have helped, or would it have felt like homework?
Names and register. Did any names or terms confuse you, make you picture the wrong thing, or feel out of step with the world?
Pacing. Flag any stretch where you’d have put the book down — I’m watching the academy middle and the marsh/wastes stretch of the journey in the back half.
The dark content. The torture sequences and the House of Breezes — did they read as purposeful to character and stakes, or did any of it tip into shock value for you? Did the content notes prepare you adequately?
The ending. Adranaya’s death and Vaye’s choice to renounce power — earned and resonant, or just bleak? Did refusing a triumphant ending satisfy you or frustrate you? Did Gadarien’s grief get enough room, or did you want more of him in the aftermath?
Anything that pulled you out. A confusing line, a name mix-up, a typo, a continuity slip — drop these as inline comments as you go

Giving feedback inline¶

Comments are built directly into the site — no extra sign-up. You're already logged in via the same Google account you used to open this page, and that's what identifies your comments.

Leaving a Comment¶

Navigate to any chapter you want to comment on
Hover over any paragraph — a small speech-bubble button appears beside it
Click the speech bubble to open a comment box right there
Type your feedback and click Comment (or press Cmd+Enter / Ctrl+Enter)
Your comment appears immediately below that paragraph

Tip: If you select a passage of text before clicking the button, that passage is automatically quoted at the top of your comment box — handy for pointing at a specific line. (Long selections get trimmed down to just the first and last few words, so the quote stays short.) You can leave the quote as-is or delete it before you type.

Your comments are between you and me — other beta readers can't see them, so don't worry about spoiling anyone or polishing your reactions. Paragraphs where you've already commented show a number badge instead of the speech bubble — click it to read your notes there or add another.

Editing or Deleting Your Comments¶

Every comment you've written shows Edit and Delete buttons beneath it, so you can revise or retract anything at any time.

Types of Feedback That Help¶

Here are some examples of helpful annotations:

Positive Feedback:

“Love this description! I can really visualize the marketplace.”

Constructive Suggestions:

“This dialogue feels a bit stiff. Maybe Vaye could be more casual here?”

Questions:

“Wait, didn’t she already know about this in Chapter 2?”

Confusion:

“I’m not sure what’s happening in this paragraph. Could use more clarity.”

Pacing Feedback:

“This scene feels like it’s dragging a bit. Could be tightened?”

Character Feedback:

“Belosveka’s motivation here feels unclear. Why would she do this?”

Just Taking Notes?¶

Since your comments are visible only to you and me, they work fine as reading notes too:

Tracking character arcs
Noting questions to ask later
Raw reactions as you go — I want those!

Tips for Great Beta Reading¶

Do:¶

✅ Be honest! I want to know what works and what doesn’t
✅ Highlight specific passages when giving feedback
✅ Ask questions if something is confusing
✅ Note both what you love AND what needs work
✅ Comment on pacing, character motivation, plot holes, etc.

Don’t:¶

❌ Flatter me. I only want honest compliments.
❌ Try to rewrite my sentences (suggestions are fine, rewrites not needed)
❌ Feel obligated to comment on every paragraph
❌ Hold back! I need your honest reactions

Viewing Comments¶

Any paragraph with a number badge instead of the speech bubble has comments of yours — click it to expand them. You'll only ever see your own comments; each reader's feedback is private between them and me.

Technical Notes¶

Mobile Reading¶

The comment button works on mobile too — tap the speech bubble beside a paragraph to open the comment box.

Privacy¶

Your comments are visible only to you and to me — not to other beta readers, and never to the public. The whole site sits behind the same Cloudflare Access login gating everything else.

Questions?¶

If you have any issues leaving feedback, email me directly.

Thank You!¶

Your feedback is invaluable. Every annotation, question, and comment helps make this story better. I’m grateful for your time and insights.

Happy reading! 📚

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