What's next? Beta Readers?

I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but the more I read my manuscript, the more disjointed the paragraphs seem to get. I'll read a sentence that catches my attention for some reason, so being the good editor girl I'm supposed to be, I read it again.

It still reads funny. So I read it again, and again. It just gets worse. The word "It" looks like it's in bold now, maybe even a different font, or a different language. I don't know. I hate that word, I loathe it. That's it, I'm deleting that sentence. It's annoying me, it's taunting me, ruining my life. Yep... I deleted it. Yay for me! I feel better now.

I miss that sentence. Why did I delete it! Why god why!

This is what I'm experiencing after editing my manuscript for the oh my god, seriously not another edit time. I honestly don't think I can edit it anymore. I love my story, love my characters, know everything about them, right down to their snoring patterns, but I think I'm a little too close to my characters now. I can't read the same god damn story again. Imagine reading the same book over and over and over again, every day for the last 3 years.

So what do I do?


Image by DGlodowska at Pixabay 

Well, I'm thinking about posting my manuscript on a Goodreads.com Beta reader forum. I've checked out a few of the comments, requests and administrator posts, and think that it's definitely a viable option.

It's one of those things that makes you nervous because you don't really know what response you're going to get. Maybe they'll say it sux, maybe they won't respond at all, and maybe my worst fears will be realized and someone who claims to be a beta reader, will steal my hard work.

As with anything, taking that leap is scary, but staying where you are, means never moving forward.