The Secret Beta Book: How One Reader Shaped Magbean!™

When I look back at the journey of creating You Can’t Rush Friendships, one of my favourite memories is sharing the very first beta version of the book with Anna.

Before the illustrations were finalised and long before the book was published, I wanted to see how the story felt in the hands of a real reader.

So I printed a trial version through Vistaprint and gave it to Anna to review. She became my very first product tester.

Her response meant the world to me. Anna told me she loved the kindness in the story, and her father Michael shared that he thought it was a delightful book with an important lesson for children. That feedback gave me so much encouragement at a time when I was still shaping what the Magbean!™ series could be.

What made this even more special was Anna’s excitement. She loved the book so much she could not wait for me to finish the illustrations that were planned for the published version. She wanted a copy right away, so I printed another one just for her. In fact, in that beta copy I included a special note in the copyright section that said it was created just for Anna. It is a one of a kind book, and she was absolutely delighted to have something made especially for her.

Anna’s enthusiasm also pushed me to keep writing. In order to list all ten titles at the back of You Can’t Rush Friendships, I needed to finish naming each book in the series. Michael helped me by providing feedback on the titles, and his support has been part of the creative process from the very beginning.

Seeing Anna’s smile in the photographs her dad sent through is a reminder of why I do this work. Her joy says everything about the importance of stories that celebrate kindness and connection. She is already looking forward to reading the rest of the Magbean!™ series, and I cannot wait to share those adventures with her.

This journey started with one little beta book and one very enthusiastic reader, but it has grown into something so much bigger. I will always be grateful to Anna and her family for being there right at the beginning.

Nat 💚

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