What Makes a Good Beta Reader, and Why Do You Need One?
Table of Contents Show
“Beta reader” is a term that often comes up for writers when it comes to putting your work in front of others before you publish or submit. But what is a beta reader? Where do you find one? What can they do for you? Are they really necessary? A beta reader is a critical reader—this means that you have a reader who will give you honest feedback about your writing. Just like a reader who’s picked up your book off the shelf, a beta reader is looking at the book as a whole. This usually includes notes on what they liked and didn’t like, what works for them and what doesn’t.
This is in contrast to how an editor approaches your work; they’re looking at a manuscript with the purpose of helping you revise and develop your work. That means evaluating everything from craft to grammar, plot to character development—the mechanics and art of the story rather than a personal opinion on the success of the story.
What does a beta reader do?
A good beta reader will provide you with a sense of the overall impact of your writing and the story, something that’s often hard to see as a creator. This includes talking about the experience of the story and any weaknesses that might need to be addressed, whether those weaknesses are in execution or the story itself.
If you have specific questions or concerns, you can ask your beta reader to keep one or two of these in mind while they read. For example, you could ask them to take a look at how the world building is established or if a character’s emotional arc is satisfying. If you are looking for specific feedback, be sure to mention it to your reader to ensure that you’re getting the answers you’re hoping for from the process.
But generally, a beta reader will give you big-picture critique that will show you how your manuscript will be received by an audience. This is kind of global feedback is very valuable to a writer. As writers, we’re usually too deep in the weeds to see what our story looks like as a complete package!
What are the advantages of a beta reader?
Beta readers are often able to return feedback more quickly to authors because the work involves reading the manuscript and providing a summary review rather than in-depth critique. Beta feedback is also often quite low cost or even free. If you belong to a critique group, you may already have beta readers who would be more than happy to share their thoughts about your writing. You may also have family or friends who can also take a look at your work so you can try out your story on an audience.
But not every reader makes for a good beta reader! Be sure to consider a few things first.
Questions to ask about a potential beta reader:
Does this person read books in my genre?
This sounds obvious, but if you’re looking for feedback on your space opera, your friend who doesn’t read sci-fi would not be the best choice. Most genres have particular expectations that readers look for, and an ideal beta reader will not only have a good working knowledge of those expectations, but will also be able to let you know how your work stands up compared to what’s already on the shelf.
Do they read books for the age of the audience I’m writing for?
Along the same lines, if your friend does read adult sci-fi, but your space opera is YA, then you might consider if they are a good fit. Age categories have many conventions (think theme, characters’ ages, pacing, etc.) and standards attached (such as word count and levels of violent and sexual content), so it is important to consider your reader’s familiarity with them.
Are they a good reader?
Another way to approach this question is to consider if this person loves everything they read—or, on the flip side, if they dislike everything they read. You want someone who will give you honest critique, and all positive feedback is just as unhelpful as all negative. You also want to avoid having someone read all the way through your book and tell you only that they “liked it.”
Do I trust their taste?
I add this question primarily for potential beta readers you know personally, such as family, friends, or critique partners. Do you like the same kind of books? While you may get on swimmingly as people, you may find that your taste in books differs significantly, and this can affect how they read your work. This difference is a wonderful thing—it’s led to the wonderful variety that we enjoy as readers—but you might want to think about how a reader who gravitates to other styles and voices will read your work.
Have they read books that have been recently published?
Publishing is an ever-changing landscape, and it’s important for writers to be aware of what is currently being published and read in their genre. Let’s face it—it’s not possible for us to read every book in our genre, but a beta reader who is familiar with your field can lend some of their reading experience for things that you may not have had time to read or that you have not encountered. An excellent beta reader may help you identify where your work touches on current conversations in published books or alert you to terms, phrasing, or even story elements that are controversial.
Should I find beta readers for my book?
Sharing your writing with others is essential in order to develop your skills as a writer, but I hope that you can see that it is vital that you exercise some judgment about who you share your writing with. Not all readers will be able to give you helpful feedback, and getting too many opinions on your book can weaken your writing if you get caught up in trying to incorporate everything that readers like or want. Your vision for the book is paramount over any feedback that you receive, so you need to have that vision firmly in mind before looking for beta readers.
If your story is still in development, it’s most likely not ready for beta readers. Some people use the term “alpha reader” for people like mentors, editors, and critique group members who can help you work on your story. They are the ones you should be seeking out for feedback if you know that your book needs work. Because beta readers are as close to your ideal audience as you can get before your work is published, you want to be sure that what you give them is as good as you can make it to get the most out of their responses.
Be Strategic about Sharing Your Work
Overall, this advice boils down to being strategic about sharing your work with others:
Consider who will be a good reader for your unique book.
Make sure you’ve chosen readers who know your genre and age category so that you can trust their expertise, as well as know that they’ll be able to compare your book to what they already enjoy reading. Refer to the questions listed earlier to ensure that the people you ask to read will be able to give you beneficial feedback.
Consider what kind of feedback you want from them.
If you want a specific kind of feedback on your work, ask for it directly. If you want suggestions for changes or plot holes to be pointed out, let your beta readers know. On the other hand, if you are not wanting advice on what to change but looking for opinions on the general experience of reading the book (e.g., “Did you enjoy the book?” “Was it a good read?” “Did you like the characters?” “Did you think the ending was exciting?”), let them know that too.
This comes down to what you’re hoping for from the beta reading process. Are you looking for critique or validation of your work? If you know that your friend is a harsh but fair critic of books but you’re not wanting that level of criticism, that friend would not be a good beta reader for you. Along the same lines, if you’re wanting someone to really scour your work for problems, your sibling who loves everything you write may not be the best reader.
Consider how many readers you want to invite into your process and when.
Think carefully about how many beta readers you want to invite into your writing process. More readers is not necessarily better. Every person reads a book in a way that is unique to them, so you will get as many opinions on your work as you have readers.
And ultimately, the goal is not to make all of your readers happy—it’s impossible to write a book that is everyone’s cup of tea! Make your story absolutely your cup of tea, and the readers who enjoy that unique blend will find your book and love it. (You may also find it helpful to remind yourself that there is no such thing as a perfect book!).
It’s also important to think about timing when it comes to involving beta readers in your writing process, if only because of the simple fact that a reader can only give you a first impression once. The first impression of your work—how the story made them feel, what themes arose, what fascinated them, what confused them—is a precious gift, a one-time perspective that a reader can give to an author.
If a reader reads another draft, they’ll still have knowledge of the previous version, any plot threads or characters that were cut, and possibly even have behind-the-scenes information from you if you’ve discussed your work together. They will never be able to see your story with fresh eyes after that first read. Be sure that you carefully consider how and when you’d like to share your work with others to make the most of that gift of a first read.
Looking for deeper feedback?
We offer in-depth manuscript critique that covers everything from character development to plot arcs, theme to writing craft. Can we help you with your story? Read about our services here.
Thanks to Radu Marcusu via Unsplash for the image!
