Beta readers can be an integral part of the publishing process because they potentially help polish your manuscript, offer insights into reader experiences and expectations, and even help you become better at your craft.
But to get the most out of what they have to offer, you’ll need to be aware of what they do, what to expect, and where to find the most helpful beta readers, as well as your part in the process. We’ll cover all this below so you can get the most out of your experience.
What Beta Readers Do
Beta readers are meant to represent the average reader. They are not professionals, though some beta readers are paid. Think of them as the test audience who reads your manuscript and provides honest feedback on it. Their opinions of your work are meant to give you an idea of where your book stands in the eyes of real, potential readers so you can adapt as needed.
Ideally, this feedback should be unbiased and honest, and hopefully helpful. Although some beta reader’s feedback and suggestions will be more helpful than others depending on a lot of factors, but we’ll cover that in more detail below.
At What Stage Should You Seek Out Beta Readers?
Recruiting the help of these beta readers should ideally happen well before you plan on publishing your book because the process can take time. But you won’t get much benefit from the process if you hand them a messy first draft.
You should present beta readers with a self-edited and complete manuscript. This step comes before professional editing because, hopefully, it will make the final editing process that much smoother. Beta readers don’t take the place of editors, but they can definitely help prepare your manuscript for the professional editing stage.
You can read all about preparing your manuscript for editing here.
If you need help self-editing your manuscript, read this post.
Who Will Benefit From Using Beta Readers
Because it can be hard to judge your own work with an unbiased and critical eye most authors will benefit from using beta readers. But, new and inexperienced writers will likely get the most from the experience. As you improve and write more books, they’re less essential because, ideally, you’ll learn from previous experience.
Although, even if you’re more experienced and need developmental editing help, but a professional developmental editor isn’t in your budget, at least you’ll potentially get some valuable nudges in the right direction. Even if you plan hiring a developmental editor, beta readers can still offer insight from your real audience and/or potentially save you money and time on the professional editing process.
Even if you just tend to be unsure of yourself or the quality of your work, beta readers can give you the confidence you need to move forward, or the reality check you need to put in more work.
What to Expect from the Experience
As we mentioned, beta readers don’t take the place of professional editors, but really good feedback from enough beta readers can save you time and money on the editing process. They can help you polish your manuscript into a fully formed and publishable work. But this only works if you’re willing to accept suggestions.
For instance, if multiple readers are giving the same feedback about an issue, you can generally trust that it needs to be addressed. Remember, beta readers are like a test audience. They offer a peek into how your book will be received by readers.
Keep in mind that beta readers aren’t expected to do any of the real work, such as line editing, or giving specific suggestions. They are simply reading and giving general feedback. Some beta readers understand the assignment and will provide you feedback on things like plot, story structure, and character arcs, etc. Others will simply say they liked it, or didn’t like it. Which isn’t the most helpful.
We’ll cover where to find beta readers and how you can get the most out of the process below.
Where to Find Beta Readers and How to Get the Most Out of the Process
Because the quality of feedback from beta readers can vary so widely, depending on the source, and expectations, it’s best to choose them based on your goals and to set expectations.
You can ask friends and family to be your beta readers, or you can seek out other writers you know, and there are even paid beta readers available. You can use a combination of these types of beta readers, and you can even use them at different points in the manuscript polishing process. For instance, you may want to request the feedback of a fellow writer or paid beta reader in the early stages, and then ask friends, family, or colleagues to read this new and improved version before handing it over for final edits. How and who you choose will depend on your goals. Knowing your audience and defining your ideal reader beforehand is extremely helpful. You can read about defining your ideal reader here.
Family and Friends
Probably the easiest and most accessible way to get a beta readers is asking your family and friends. But you may not get the most detailed and honest feedback, especially if you choose indiscriminately. They may be hesitant to seem critical and not give honest feedback, and that can put you both in an awkward position.
Of course, they can be valuable as a test market but relying on this feedback alone may not be very helpful in improving your manuscript. It’s also probably best to choose the most honest and trusted members of this close group, and it’s even better if they read in your genre.
Other Writers
If you’re in a writing group, you probably have a pool of people who understand the craft or your genre well enough to trust their feedback. They will also understand the process better than your average reader, such as a friend or family member. If you don’t already belong to a writer’s group, you can seek them out online and solicit beta readers there.
Paid Beta Readers
Paid beta readers will be more impartial than close friends or colleagues, and you can expect a higher level of feedback from them. The fees are usually nominal and they can be found on freelance sites and online groups. To really get the most out of the experience, find beta readers in your genre and vet them. Because you’re paying them, your expectations should be higher than for those in your social circles reading for free.
Set Expectations to Get Results
Whether you use any or all of these types of beta readers, you should set expectations for them and set expectations for yourself.
You can only ask so much from a friend or family member but you can expect much more from a paid beta reader, as we mentioned. Whatever you do, don’t simply hand over your manuscript and ask them to tell you what they think. Get specific. This is especially essential for paid beta readers. Remember though, even paid readers aren’t editors and they shouldn’t be giving specific suggestions or editing your grammar or spelling mistakes. They should simply tell you they noticed a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes, for instance.
To get helpful critiques, it’s best to ask specific questions about elements of your manuscript. You can provide them with a checklist for each aspect of your manuscript you’d like them to critique. For example:
- What did you think of the pacing?
- Were there any glaring plot holes or inconsistencies?
- Did the character’s motivations make sense?
- Do you feel like the story came to a satisfying conclusion?
The above is just an example and you can tailor your checklist based on the situation. But it’s crucial to give some sort of guidelines to get the most out of the experience.
Overall, beta readers can be invaluable in improving your manuscript and the process will give insight into where it stands with readers. Going through the process will also save you time and money on the professional editing phase. If you go into it understanding your goals and set realistic expectations you’ll have a great experience and won’t regret putting the time into it.
Do you have experience with the process? Tell us about it in the comments!
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