Your detective knows too much. Your reader too little.

A fascinating tool, recommended to me by a colleague in the industry. It delivers deeply considered feedback with a handy breakdown by chapters and areas of work. I recommend it to the authors I collaborate with as their first beta reader, and to editors as a supporting tool that generates ideas.

I was skeptical about "AI for writers", I expected yet another tool that would tell me my sentences are too long. Vellam actually tracks plot threads. It showed me that the subplot with Detective Nowak disappears after chapter 14 and never comes back. I had it in my head, but I couldn't see it on "paper".

The text analysis made a positive impression on me. You could see exactly what needed improvement and what was missing. Unlike typical AI, the tool picked up on the very things I myself felt needed polishing. I like that it automatically detects characters, analyzes geography and other elements that a person wouldn't normally notice on their own.

Vellam pointed out things none of my beta readers noticed, for example, that one of the characters appears in chapter 8 as if the reader already knows her, but I don't actually introduce her until chapter 11. A minor detail, but exactly those details knock you out of the reading experience. I also got a great thread map that made it clear I was wrapping up three plotlines too quickly.

I self-publish my books, and before Vellam, every editing round was a logistical nightmare: notes in Word, margin comments, an Excel spreadsheet for plotlines, plus sticky notes with a timeline on the wall. Now I have it all in one place, and more importantly, in a format that can actually be used.

I used to wait two, three months for feedback from beta readers, sometimes longer, because everyone has their own life and reading someone else's text isn't always a priority. With Vellam I got specific, actionable feedback in a matter of minutes.

I am writing my debut novel. Every new chapter fills me with joy, but I also have plenty of doubts. I analyze them with Vellam, which has become an important partner in my creative process. Its suggestions take into account character traits (not just appearance, it handles psychological character analysis very well), as well as plot thread development and location descriptions and their significance to the story. I have already incorporated many of Vellam's suggestions for improving scenes. Many I haven't, because they didn't fit my vision, but they made me think. Vellam notices details I no longer pay attention to while writing. It helps maintain logic and consistency, sometimes suggesting to highlight details that could strengthen the message. I like working with Vellam because it gives me the opportunity to quickly test my own vision against reality. I revise the chapter we discuss, but I also approach the next ones with greater care. And I get all the feedback and suggestions immediately, so the creative process flows really smoothly.