I can’t tell you how helpful it was to have readers who were prepared to read through my novel and provide constructive feedback. They picked up inconsistencies of place or date, tone-jars, wise-cracks placed in the mouth of an inappropriate character, repetition and repetition.
It can be difficult to spot errors
It’s difficult as a writer to spot certain errors, even though one might read and re-read a passage of fresh writing. Think the missing speech mark or, my celebrated failing; the over-use of the semi-colon. I very much hope to have the opportunity to name these narrative-cleaning and grammarian readers in the acknowledgment page of my novel when it’s published. Did I mention that they often pick me up for over-optimism?