Beta Readers, Editors and Critiquers 1: Beta Readers

Write Right!

How to write your way and have readers clamoring for more:

I’ve done all I can do on this draft of my written work. I know I need help, but I’m not sure where to turn. When do I need a beta reader, an editor, or a critiquer? And what’s the difference?

Hello, Word Lovers!

Welcome to Write Right!, a gathering place for writers, authors, editors, literary agents, readers and everyone else who loves words.

In our next three blogs, we’re going to be talking about beta readers, editors and critiquers, those wonderful folks who can help you get your work just right.

What Happens After I Finish Revising and Editing My First Draft?

For a writer, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of finishing the first draft of a novel, non-fiction book, short story, poem or other piece of creative work. It’s a time to celebrate and to be proud of this momentous accomplishment. But what do you do next?

First, put the draft aside for a couple weeks or so. Try not to look at it or think about it. Begin a new writing project or do something else creative and fun. Take a vacation from your newly finished work. You’ll want fresh eyes when you come back to it to begin the next phase — editing and revising it.

Soon we’ll be visiting the editing and revising process in an upcoming blog. But for now, let’s suppose you’ve returned to your draft and read through it again. While reading, you’ve identified changes you need to make, plot holes to fill, characters to flesh out, typos and better word choices for some of the vocabulary you used. You’ve replaced telling with showing in several places. You think you’ve got a pretty good draft now. So is it time to submit your work to agent or a publisher’s acquisition editor? If you’re self-publishing, is now the time?

Probably not.

Beta Readers

Now is a good time to get a second opinion. After all, you’re very close to your book. You know what happens. Your characters have become old friends by now. But what about that reader who’s seeing your work for the first time? Will they read the first paragraph or two and say, “Wow, I’d really like to read this!”? Did they get lost or confused or bored in certain parts of the book? Will they like your main characters and find themselves pulling for them against your antagonists? How are you going to know unless you ask?

Before a product is introduced to the market, it’s usually beta tested. Pre-launch, the company will have a group of people use the product. These beta testers will give the company feedback on how well they liked the product, how easy it was to use, and whether or not it met their needs as consumers. Based on this feedback, the company will tweak the product so it’s more likely to satisfy future customers.

Writers can do that, too. We can find beta readers who will read our draft and give us feedback in the form of recommendations, suggestions and corrections. We don’t have to use all this feedback, but it’s useful to have because it comes from new, fresh readers who don’t know anything about this work – potential future readers.

Actually, we could even give our unedited, unrevised first draft to an alpha reader, who would be asked to give us feedback right from the beginning. But most writers like to do some editing and revision before sharing their work with others.

What a Beta Reader Is

A Second Opinion by a Reader

Most importantly, a beta reader will be responding to your work as a reader first, not as a writer or editor. Their job is to help you learn where you’re on the right track and where you might have gone off the rails from a perspective different than your own. Is your work landing the way you want it to? What is their level of satisfaction with the book?

You want to ask your beta readers to read your work the way they would read any other book and think about the things they’d tell the author if that author asked them what they thought of it.

Questionnaire

To help beta readers, many writers develop a short questionnaire beta readers can complete after they finish reading the book. Think about exactly what it is you’d like to know. Be specific. It can be disappointing to have a beta reader just tell you, “It’s good” or “I like the hero/heroine.” Of course, you can ask any questions you’d like, so mine (below) is only one way to approach this. I’m sharing it so you’ll get a sense of how this might work.

Beta Reader Questionnaire

• INTEREST: Did the story hold your interest from the very beginning? Was there enough conflict, tension and intrigue to keep your interest? If not, what would help?
• CHARACTERS: Were the characters believable and fleshed out? Did their motives make sense? Did you respond to them emotionally? If not, what would enhance your interactions with them?
• DIALOGUE: Did the dialogue seem authentic and natural? Would real people talk like this in these situations? Does the dialogue advance the story? Does it help the reader know more about the characters and their motivations?
• PLOT: Were there any glaring plot holes? Were there any plot elements that confused, frustrated or annoyed you? Which parts, and why?
• ENDING: Did the book end leaving questions that should have been answered earlier? What are they? Was the ending satisfying? Believable?

COMMENTS:

And that’s it. You might scare a beta reader away if your questionnaire is too long and detailed. Usually, short and specific works best.

What a Beta Reader is Not

There are certain things a beta reader is not. Yours may or may not be qualified to fill these roles in addition to beta reading, but in this role, a beta reader is NOT a/an:

• Editor (copy, line, developmental, proofreader, sensitivity/cultural authenticity)
• Critiquer
• Mentor
• Writing teacher or instructor

Your Assignment

There’s a good reason for this. Try this for yourself.

To start, select a book from your library or online source you haven’t read before. Begin reading it just as you would any other book. You want to get into the story, identify with the main character, learn about the other characters, and enter the story world.

Now, while you’re doing that, try to edit the book. Did you find grammar or composition errors? Places where the author told something they could have shown? Plot holes? Sentences or paragraphs that seem unpolished and unfinished? Upsetting or culturally inaccurate content? How would you rewrite or fix certain parts of the book?

Meanwhile, are you still enraptured and intrigued by the story, characters and story world? Are you right there, turning the pages in breathless anticipation of what happens next? I’ll bet my favorite blue sweater you’re not. You’re no longer reading as a reader. You’ve transitioned from being a beta reader to being an editor, critiquer, mentor and/or instructor. And you should probably be thinking about getting paid for doing at least some of this work.

But Don’t I Have to Pay My Beta Readers?

You could. There are professional beta readers. But generally, no. Professional beta readers frequently feel they have to provide a product for the money, and that product often reads suspiciously like an editor’s report or a critique. At this stage of the game – after the editing and revision of your first draft – your masterpiece is probably not quite ready for you to engage professionals unless you have a very thick skin and a lot of money to spend.

Instead, writers make a variety of arrangements with beta readers. If the beta is known to you, they might simply offer to read the manuscript at no charge. You could offer to mention your beta readers in the acknowledgements of the book when it’s published. You could offer to give them a free copy or take them out for a nice dinner.

If your beta reader is also a writer, you might enjoy swapping. “I’ll read your manuscript if you’ll read mine.” I love doing this. I learn something every time from beta reading their book, and they give me invaluable feedback on mine.

Some writers like to take their beta readers out to lunch and discuss the book. This can be quite fun and enlightening.

So Where Do I Find Beta Readers?

You can find beta readers in social media writing and reading groups and professional organizations like Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction Writers of America and many more. Some are dedicated to beta reading specifically. Goodreads has a “Beta Readers Group” that lists sources of paid and unpaid beta readers, offers “checklists” and provides general information about beta readers. Don’t be confused, though. Some of the listings are for editors and critiquers who identify as beta readers.

Outside the US, investigate the writers organizations in your country. Attend meetings of these groups online and in person if you can. Get to know people. Many of them have processes for requesting beta readers and professional services on their websites.

Locally, you may find a writers or readers club or group you could join. And of course, you can always ask people you know who like to read. But family and friends may be reluctant to give you honest feedback for fear of hurting your feelings, so be sure to let them know you are ready to accept whatever you have to offer and that they’re willing to be honest.

What Should I Look for In a Beta Reader?

First and foremost, you want beta readers who read. That may sound simplistic but it’s not. People who don’t read fiction or your non-fiction category may not know what to look for when beta reading your book. And if your prospect only listens to audiobooks, they may not have the skill or patience to read your entire book.

Second, in my experience, I’ve found that the most helpful and enthusiastic beta readers I’ve had have been those who read – and perhaps write – my genre.

Since I write suspense thrillers like Thunderhead Rising, people who love and read thrillers are more likely to understand what thriller readers expect and what attracts them. They know the conventions of the subgenre. Readers of mysteries and other subgenres of the crime fiction genre are probably fine as well. But a person who reads or writes young adult paranormal fantasies or technology-based science fiction may be less familiar with crime fiction and may not enjoy it as much. So let your potential beta reader know what type of book you’ve written and ask if this is a genre or category they’d enjoy reading and would feel confident when giving feedback about it.

Finally, be specific about what the beta reader is going to find in your book. Two of my first group of beta readers returned the book to me unfinished when they learned it contained some violence and strong language. Yes, I’d asked them if they read mysteries. But I didn’t ask if they read gritty adult mysteries like mine. Turns out they read cozy mysteries and felt uncomfortable with the more graphic content. If you’ve waxed eloquent on a particular subject – especially controversial subjects like politics and religion – let your prospective betas know they can expect to find content on these subjects.

What to Tell Beta Readers

And of course, let them know what they’re being asked to do, give them a questionnaire if you’ve written one, and work with them to develop a timeline for completion. Do you want written feedback only? Or can they discuss their impressions over the phone or in person? If you don’t set a timeline, you may be waiting months for them to read the book and get back to you. Additionally, I have a short intro letter that tells them about what beta readers do and don’t do, making sure they understand they are NOT being asked to edit. When they learn this, most of the beta readers I’ve had were relieved.

To be sure, beta readers can give you wonderful, unexpected and sometimes very astute observational feedback from the point of view of a reader. And after all, if you plan to publish your book, you probably want readers to buy it and enjoy it. So why not let a few beta readers help you identify your target audience and how they’re likely to receive your book?

Thanks for Joining Us

I hope you’ve enjoyed talking about beta readers and the value they can bring to your editing and revision processes. Soon, Write Right! will address the different types of editors and how they can help your book move from good to great.

So, share your thoughts, word lovers! And don’t forget to subscribe to Lynne Danley, Wordsmith! Then you’ll be the first to know about new blogs, writing updates and news!

May the Words be With You.