Here is a basic rundown of how it works, but you can drill in for more information about each section.

After being invited to become a Beta Reader, those that accept will fill out a short survey about themselves and their interests, and will then begin getting emails about new beta books that they can sign up to read and answer questions about. 

Sign up forms are sent out a couple of days before the Beta Book is due to be sent, and will include all of the necessary details about the Beta Book job. This includes not only the standard details like cover, blurb and genres, but also the number of questions on the questionnaire, length of book, due date and payment amount. Beta readers can also sign up for available books via their dashboard.

Interested Beta Readers that are selected for that Beta Read job will be paid that amount provided they complete and submit their questionnaire by or before the due date, and that they are not in their Trial stage.

Once a Beta Reader has finished reading the book, filled out the questionnaire about the book in detail and submitted it, they will be available to sign up for new ones (in order to ensure readers are paying enough attention to the Beta books we’ve already sent to them, Beta Readers can only do one at a time, which means new offers will only begin once they have submitted their completed questionnaire for the previous book they committed to reading.)

Authors will be encouraged to rate the Beta Readers that have read their books based on the quality of the feedback provided, and this information may be used by Hidden Gems to help determine which readers should get the books they requested and even whether they should be removed from the program.

Payments will be made to the Beta Reader’s Paypal account at the end of each month for any Beta Books they were sent where ALL of the following criteria has been met:

• Beta Reader was not in their Trial Stage when they signed up for the Beta Book
• Completed Questionnaire for that Beta Book was submitted by or before the due date
• Due date of the Beta Book has passed (if it has not, payment for that book will be deferred to the following month)