Ghost Readers
As far as I know, I'm coining a new term here, so in future when people start using Ghost Readers and it appears in the dictionary, please remember where you read it first.
What is a ghost reader? It is not, as some have joked about ghostwriters, a supernatural author entity. Ghostwriters write for other people and are called ghosts because they are invisible; that is, their name does not appear on the book or as a byline for the article. They, and I am one of them, are also called ghostwriters because it sounds cool.
Does it follow that ghost readers read for other people? It does not. So what is a ghost reader? Let me give you an example and you will understand.
I have a completed manuscript for a short story anthology called I Beg Your Bard On. Since completing the manuscript, I have been seeking beta readers to provide feedback on the stories to help me gain some perspective on them and improve them further. The use of beta readers is standard practice for most writers. Finding beta readers is easier said than done though, despite the preponderance of online groups and communities which purport to be filled with people looking to read pre-published manuscripts and provide feedback on them.
To date, I've used seven beta readers for I Beg Your Bard On, although only one of them has read the entire manuscript. I keep posting and re-posting my beta reader request in all the groups and occasionally I get replies. Liking my post is not a reply, by the way, and I don’t understand why people do that. But what about ghost readers? What's that about? Who are they?
On at least half a dozen occasions, I've had people say they are interested in reading more work so I've followed up with them to talk turkey. I message them and guess what? Nothing. They ghost me; inexplicably and suddenly losing interest in me and my project.
To be more accurate I should call such impolite people ghost beta readers but that is too much of a mouthful and in any case, I have had a gutful of being ghosted. Ghosting is the epitome of rudeness.
I'll leave you with this example of a recent exchange, although I'll admit that in this case I may have contributed to the subsequent silence.
Me: Message me if you're interested. (Last line in the original post) AV: I'm available. Do you still need one? Me: Do you charge a fee? AV: I work based on the buyer's preference so what is your preference? Me: My preference is for straight answers to simple questions. [end of chat]
Now, I’m left pondering whether to continue my search or just take a flying leap into the query trenches. What’s your advice? Maybe you’d like to do some beta reading for me. If so, get in touch.
About the Author: Heavy metal lover and cricket tragic D.A. Cairns lives on the south coast of New South Wales where he works as a freelance writer and ghostwriter. He has authored eight novels and had over 100 of his short stories published, as well as three anthologies and a superficial, unscientific memoir, I Used to be an Animal Lover.
His 12th and latest book is The Secret to Happiness is Death; a little book that could change your life. What if the only way to be happy was to stop trying to be happy? Discover the true secret to happiness within these pages. Let go of the things holding you back. Break the chains of the things which oppress you. Kill the enemies of happiness. Learn what true happiness is and discover ways to find it and maintain it.
Website: DaCairns.com.au
Check Out the Books: Amazon
