The Beta Readers meet the 3rd Sunday of every month from February to November. 1-4pm.

We are a supportive group helping writers understand how readers respond to their work, and we seek to help bring works to publishable standards.

Convenors: Ivy Bazley and Sharon Leahy

PCWC members only. While all members are welcome, if you would like to join this group please email Sharon: petercowanwriterscentre@outlook.com to express your interest. This group is not able to take walk-ins so please register your interest first. Thank you.

Group Overview:

Having completed the 15th (at least) draft of your opus, you might be at a stage where you require feedback from readers. Beta readers give feedback on a manuscript from a reader’s perspective, which is a different process to a writer’s feedback because it’s less about technique and more about impression, although, depending on who you are working with, it can be both.

As an author you know the meaning within your own work but what is the reader’s experience? Working with readers gives confidence that your ideas are working as you intended and allows for surprising insights. Readers are not professional editors, they are not there to ‘fix’ your work, their feedback allows an author to understand how their work is resonating with an audience.

Completed works of any genre, in any form, be it a novel, piece of flash fiction, or anything in between are accepted. Beta reading is about assessing the work as a whole so partially finished works are unable to be considered. Works that are at a stage where the author is confident they could be submitted to a competition/publication but needs polishing are ideal.

If you are looking for feedback on an idea within your work or need help with a section you are stuck on you will find The First Drafters will suit. For those working through the development of a short story The Short Storyists will be helpful.

Structure will be group led. We want to be able to respond to individual need rather than stick to specifics. If a work of yours is being read, you might also be reading another author’s work. Readers happy to just read are welcome and encouraged. You do not have to have a completed work to be part of the reading group as reading is one of the best ways to improve your own writing.

Feedback given will be negotiated with the writer and reader for clarity around expectation and an assessment will be made around what will work best for each individual.

At each meet a short talk on a writing topic might be presented or a discussion about current writing issues held.

It is a wonderful privilege to read a work-in-progress and to have some small measure in helping any work be the best it can be!

Adults over the age of 18 welcome.

Venue: Edith Cowan House, Building 20, ECU Joondalup Campus, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup.

Parking: Free on weekends. You can park in any bay on weekends. Carparks 14 (enter from Lakeside Drive) & 8 are closest to the house. Click here for a directional map.

Cost: $5.00. Members. Includes light refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits).

Sessions for 2025:

February 16. If you are interested in joining this group please come to the conversation session being held on this day 1-4pm.

March 16

April 20 - Easter Sunday. Meet will be guided by participants.

May 18

June 15

July 16

August 17

September 21

October 19 - Festival of Fiction day. Meet will be guided by particpants.

November 16

Health/Covid-19: Please do not attend the group if you are unwell, have tested positive to Covid-19, are awaiting a test result, or are still recovering from infection. Thank you.