Proof reading and comment exchange

[france-eesti]

Hi there!
This idea has been running in my heard for a while! So you'll tell me what you feel about it!
how would you like to read each other's book (before publication) to give opinions and comment and help the other to get better? This way the writer gets an external point of view for free

So, if anyone's wishing to make a proof reading and comment exchange with me, I'm more than willing!
I can read French, English, Portuguese, simple Italian and Spanish. I'm unfortunately not ready for Hungarian yet...

In exchange, I write French and English I'm always ready to welcome comments!
Okay, let's see if this works

[vijayjohn]

I might be interested. Can you remind me again what kind of literature you write again? It's fiction of some sort, right? How long is your book? (My grandfather's memoirs as I've edited them are currently 71 pages single-spaced).

[france-eesti]

Hey, thanks Vijay!
I actually don't like to count in pages because it depends on the font and lots of things... It is about 31 000 words, but I think in ebook format it may be around 70 pages as well.
I write only fiction, perhaps that can be classified in "Woman fiction", though the one I just published is more like a drama (the ones in English are generally more like fictional dramas). I've had it proof-read for the correction of English, of course, so I just need an external point of view about the story and the characters My friends have "kindly" been enthousiastic about it but you know, sometimes people just want to be nice

What about your work? What kind of edition did you finally choose?

[vijayjohn]

I still haven't made a decision about how I want to publish it, if that's what you mean. (My brother and his family were staying at our house for about three weeks, and since he has a two-year-old daughter, I didn't really get any time to do anything else. Besides, there are a lot of things I have been trying to squeeze into my free time).

Mine is 37,431 words. It's divided into eight chapters, each with about six pages on average. I'm getting kind of worried about whether I'll manage to make enough time to proofread yours though, sorry.

[france-eesti]

There's no hurry anymore (when all is said and done). I mean, my book is published so anyway, no rush now
As for yours, it's your schedule! Let me know when you're ready!

[vijayjohn]

Oh OK, I didn't realize yours was already published. I also just realized I never told you I never had it proofread by a native speaker of English. I will, though. I hope that's okay. I think I'll just send it over to you just in case.

[france-eesti]

I'm 20 pages into your book Vijay! It's easy reading, but the style does look too much like a translation for me for the moment I carry on! I was also a bit surprised by the choice of the tenses - mixing present and past - maybe you should chose another font when you add notes and introductions, and another one when your grandfather actually speaks

[vijayjohn]

maybe you should chose another font when you add notes and introductions, and another one when your grandfather actually speaks

Yeah, I agree, I think I will do that because somebody else has suggested that, too. Maybe I'll try to look more carefully at the choice of tenses, too. Your book is easy reading, too, even though I've been kind of procrastinating over it. I think I'll try to help you proofread it, though. I like the way you described the ending of the first part in Orléans - very dramatic, but not overly so, just enough to keep the reader hooked.

[france-eesti]

Don't worry, I've procrastinated yours since today when I put aside my Hungarian book and decided to do something else (else I'd go crazy )
Thanks anyway for this exchange and let's carry on then

[vijayjohn]

I agree, we should keep going.