Hooray and welcome!
How does it work?
Pretty simple. I have a rather sporadic and haphazard way of dealing with my writing, admittedly - though I'm trying to get better, this year is the year of organisation (*snort*). So, your email won't be bombarded with newsletters or updates or anything. The way the process works is, once you're signed up to the Beta Crew, then you have access to Beta and ARC versions of all my books. You get to choose whether you're involved in the beta stage, the ARC stage, or both!
In the beta stage, I post the books up chapter by chapter in their own category and you can read and make comments and suggestions on how the story's going. I also endeavour to have a full beta version available for download for those who prefer to read the whole thing in one go - I've got some who prefer the as-we-go method, which I personally love. I sometimes post questions to go along with these, but they're separate from the story for those who don't like to be spoiled by them before they've read the story. If you download the full beta, you'll be given a date as to when to get the feedback back to me.
Giving feedback on stories is not mandatory - you can pick and choose what you're interested in. If you want to be involved with a particular story, make sure you select the little bell on the right of the category to follow it (if you're on your mobile or using the app, you'll need to click the three vertical dots), so you know right away when there's more to read.
In the ARC stage, a link to download the full ARC will arrive in your email. Reading and reviewing a book is also not mandatory - you can just get the ones you're interested in. However, as I say in my T&C's, I keep track of who downloads these - if you get a reputation for downloading ARCs and not leaving a review, then you will be suspended and/or removed from the Beta Crew. There isn't a hard and fast time limit for leaving reviews, but the timelier the better.
Which books will I have access to?
All of them - this includes everything from the Middle-Grade/YA to the NA/Adult books. There's no easy way for me to separate them here, but I'm working on how to set up sections of the newsletter so you only get notified of what you're interested in. If you only want to review the YA, that's totally cool. If you're just interested in the Adult stuff, also all good. And, if you want to be involved with everything, that is most awesome.
Do I have to read everything?
No. As I've said, nothing is mandatory. If you don't have time to be involved with a certain book and/or my impressive (lack of) scheduling skills, then that's not a problem. If you're not interested in a specific story, give it a miss! The only mandatory thing comes in after you download a full beta copy or an ARC - then I'll need either feedback or a review. So if you just want free books and don't want to get caught, then you'll have to navigate the forum.
How do I Join?
Joining the Beta Crew is a two-step process: sign up to the newsletter (this is mainly so I have a registered list and so I can give you updates) and then apply for exclusive forum sign up (I'm trying to work out how to link this more easily, but atm you'll just have to click on a Beta Crew Exclusive category and go from there). You'll need to do step one first so that I can quickly and easily approve your sign up to the exclusive forum areas.
I will also send you a link to invite you to the app - some people prefer using it and some like the web version, it's totally up to you.
What if I have other questions?
Pop them in the comments and I'll get back to you asap. Or, shoot me an email at contact@elizabethstevens.com.au.