07/02/2026
THE COURIER
I’m looking for a handful of beta readers for my finished novel,
The Courier — literary historical fiction, ~74,000 words, set in post-Civil War Appalachia.
The story: A Confederate deserter and a freedman carrying a land deed are forced into an uneasy alliance, driving toward a recording office in Charleston with a man named Vance Holt closing in behind them. What starts as a simple theft becomes a reckoning with what each man is willing to risk for what he’s carrying — and why.
In the tradition of Cormac McCarthy, Charles Frazier, and Ron Rash: spare prose, hard country, and the weight of what goes unsaid.
What I need from you: A beta reader isn’t a proofreader — I’m not looking for grammar catches. I want your honest reaction as a reader:
* Where did you get pulled in? Where did you drift?
* Did the pacing work, especially through the middle chapters?
* Did the ending land?
* Any characters or scenes that confused you, or that you wanted more of?
No writing background required — just an appetite for this kind of story and a willingness to give me real, specific feedback (a few paragraphs or notes as you go is perfect).
The ask: A read within 3 weeks, plus a short call or written notes after.
DM me if you’re interested — I’ll send the manuscript July 15.
Thanks!
