I must have loads of chutzpah*. When I chose my second round of beta readers, I went right to the top. One is a senior librarian at the University of Toronto and three are academics/authors in fields directly relevant to Jim Higgins’ memoir.

Having people read your manuscript is like testing a prototype. Essentially beta readers look for “bugs”, and offer critiques from a reader’s point of view. They are not editors.

I should back up a bit; to spring 2018. My first two beta readers were my sister, glass artist Susan Higgins, and friend, Jan de Crespigny, a psychologist with an English degree.

I asked them to be frank, even brutal if necessary (it wasn’t). Each provided detailed feedback. It was exactly what I needed, and I reworked the manuscript.

In particular, it was apparent that I needed to add explanatory notes because of holes in my father’s narrative. I hadn’t wanted to insert myself into his story, so it took others to point that out; to give me permission.

Retired CBC journalist, Tom Alderman, also read the manuscript and provided thoughtful observations (no brutality there, either) and a great quote.

The people I chose for the next round are at the height of demanding careers.  I had no idea what to expect from my brazen approach.

They all said, yes! What a coup.

I provided a few questions to guide their thinking, hoping I’d made it clear that I wanted to have their honest reactions. That’s because it’s been difficult for me to step back and assess the true merits of my father’s memoir.

Am I on the right track? Does it add significantly to what’s already out there? Is it interesting?

Judging by my beta readers’ responses, the answers are yes, yes and yes. 

The first to respond was Michael Petrou, author of Renegades: Canadians in the Spanish Civil War (2008), a thoroughly-researched academic work about Canada’s Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion.  I had never met him, and my “big ask” was the first he knew of me.

He got back to me in three days! (I’m convinced he doesn’t sleep.) See his quote here.

I’ll be heeding Petrou’s advice about combining chapters for chapter-length consistency. He also provided a lead on a potential publisher, links to the Russian archives concerning the Spanish Civil War, and a suggestion about an introduction that I’ll pass on to publishers. 

I’ve now heard back from author, Jason Webster. I was acquainted with Jason because he led a Spanish Civil War tour I took last October, run by Historical Trips.

Jason has written many successful books about Spain. Besides Guerra, Living in the Shadows of the Spanish Civil War, he’s written a series of police procedurals, featuring Chief Inspector Max Camara. Set in contemporary Spain, they incorporate themes related to the Spanish Civil War.

Here’s what Jason had to say.

Hi Janette,

I have finally got a chance to read the book. I think it’s great. These kinds of memoir make up the building blocks of history writing, and there’s nothing better for taking you to the heart of a period than reading the account of someone who was actually there.

The fact that your Dad was involved in ‘secret’ ops makes his book particularly memorable. I haven’t come across that many first-hand accounts of people working behind the lines, so that was fascinating.

And you’ve done a marvellous job piecing it together from the various sources available to you. Congratulations. The book will be a key read for anyone interested in the period, particularly historians looking for new details about the Battle of the Ebro, etc.

I feel privileged to be one of the first to read the book.

Good luck with everything, and do let me know how you get on with publication etc. All the best! Jason

Besides these comments, Jason provided specific feedback, including the suggestion that I tighten the first third of the manuscript “a tad”. I’ll get right on that, Jason! Great advice and much appreciated.

Look for another blog post on feedback from my last two beta readers, James L. Turk at Ryerson’s Centre for Free Expression, and Tori Owen at the University of Toronto Libraries. 

I’ve come to learn that beta reading is essential to manuscript development. Each of my readers has seen it from a different perspective. Together, they’ve given me invaluable insights on how to turn a flawed manuscript into an excellent one. 

I am beyond grateful.

*audacity, cheek, nerve, guts, boldness, temerity

© Janette Higgins

NOW PUBLISHED: Fighting for Democracy: The True Story of Jim Higgins (1907-1982), A Canadian Activist in Spain’s Civil War (2020) is available worldwide from Independent Bookstores, Chapters-Indigo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Kindle version on Amazon. Orders of three or more: Friesen Press.

I encourage you to obtain it from your local Indie bookseller or library. And if you can leave a review or “star” it somewhere, like Amazon or Goodreads, that would be much appreciated!

Fighting for Democracy by Jim Higgins is the latest book about the Mac-Paps, Canadians in the Mackenzie Papineau Battalion, which was part of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Other books about Canadians in the Spanish Civil War include Not For King or Country by Tyler Wentzell , Mac-Pap by Ronald Liversedge with David Yorke and Renegades by Michael Petrou.