The Complete Guide to Using Beta Readers
Photo by Will Porada on Unsplash
Once you’ve made your revisions, you’re going to want to get some eyes on the manuscript. You need people whose opinion you can trust to give honest feedback about what is working and what isn’t, so you can make any final revisions before sending it off to agents or editors.
What is a beta read?
There are two types of beta read you can do.
A Mini Beta Read is for you to get a sense of how the overall story works. It involves much less of a time commitment than a Full Beta Read. In a Mini Beta Read, you ask readers to:
Look at the title, and what they think the book will be about based on that. Is it compelling? Is it appropriate to the genre or age group?
Read the one-paragraph synopsis/back-jacket copy. Does it sound compelling? What do they think the book will be about?
Read the first chapter – does it encourage them to read on? What do they think the central question of the novel is from that first chapter?
Read the outline of the whole book. Does it make sense? Does it surprise you? Does the end seem to answer the story question asked in the beginning? Can you clearly see the protagonist’s arc of change?
What do you think of the scope of the story? Does it feel complete? Interesting?
A Full Beta Read asks the reader to read the entire book, and give feedback on the story as a whole. Some of the questions will be similar to a Mini Beta Read. Start with the questions regarding the title and back jacket copy, and the first chapter. Then:
Have them make notes at the one quarter, one half, and three quarters mark about what they are thinking at that point.
They should also note any places where they got confused, bored, or wanted to stop reading for any reason. (They should also feel free to stop reading, and not continue.)
Have them respond to any particular questions you have about the story. Don’t overwhelm them – no more than 3 questions should suffice. If they are subject-matter experts, or doing a sensitivity read, they should feel free to include any comments or suggestions along those lines.
At the end, did they find the story satisfying? Why or why not? How would they rate the book overall (from 1-5)? Ask them to give it a review as if it were on Bookshop.org or Amazon (but as if they were a stranger reading, not a friend or family member!). What worked particularly well? What could be stronger?
They can make the comments in the text itself, or in a separate document, as long as it is labeled clearly enough for you to be able to tell where in the manuscript they are talking about.
How to choose good beta readers
This is obviously one of the most important points, since it will reflect the quality of the responses you get. Some possibilities are:
Fellow writers – Pros: they will be able to give you feedback from a perspective of understanding craft, and what you are trying to do. Cons: They may be too sympathetic, or offer suggestions that reflect how they would write it.
Ideal readers – These would be the audience for your book. For example, if you’re writing a mystery and can find avid mystery readers, great! If you are writing for children or young adults, DO get their parents’ permission first. You might try librarians, or booksellers, or other people familiar with your ideal reader and what they are looking for in a book.
Family members or friends – Be very wary of this. They may not be able to give you honest feedback, or they may have an axe to grind (for example, if you are writing a memoir, and a family member has a different view of what happened). You don’t have to avoid these people, but just be aware who you ask, and why, and your expectations.
Sensitivity reader – If your story is set in, or has characters from, a community different from your own, you will want to have someone from that community read your story for accuracy. Of course, groups of people are not monolithic, faceless entities – your reader will be an individual, with individual tastes. However, they can quickly spot any inaccuracies or problematic language.
Subject matter expert – If your story is set in a particular place, or involves an area you are not an expert in yourself, you may want to have someone who is familiar with that space to read it for accuracy.
Lawyer – if you are writing a memoir or biography, you may need to have a lawyer read at least some parts of the manuscript to make sure there are no issues that would put you or your subject in legal danger.
You should choose no more than 3-5 readers. This is important, since you don’t want to be overwhelmed with feedback. You want people who are honest, will commit to giving feedback in a timely way, and will be thoughtful and compassionate about what is and isn’t working.
If you belong to a writing or reading group on Facebook or another platform, you can ask for readers from there, if you are familiar enough with the community to feel comfortable doing so.
One way of finding good, vetted, beta readers is through The Spun Yarn. Yes, you pay a fee, but the feedback seems comprehensive, and they offer a variety of types of reads, including sensitivity reads. Note: I have not used this service, so I cannot vouch for them directly.
How long should I give them to read the manuscript?
For a Mini Beta Read, no more than 1 week. For a Full Beta Read, it may depend on the length of the story, but generally no more than one month. Remember, tasks tend to expand to fit the time perceived to be available. If they cannot commit to doing the read and returning feedback in that time frame, say thank you and move on to someone else.
Should it include editing?
Generally speaking, NO. Usually beta readers are not developmental editors. Reading a full manuscript for a developmental edit is an intense, time-consuming process, which is why it usually falls to professionals, who charge accordingly. The same goes for line editing and proofreading.
Be sure to clarify with your readers your expectations around editing. Tell them it is NOT necessary, although if they notice a persistent issue, they should feel free to mention it. The whole point of a beta read is for readers to approach the work as though they are a regular reader.
When to engage beta readers?
You can work with beta readers at several stages of the process:
Near the beginning, to test out a premise or overall concept or outline.
When you are stuck, and need to figure out what is working and what isn’t.
When you’ve finished a first draft, and want feedback on what it looks like overall before commencing revision.
When you’ve done a revision or two, and are just about ready to send it for final copyediting, or into the marketplace – you hope.
How do I incorporate the feedback?
Once you have the feedback, you will need to read it carefully, and then decide how you want to work with it. Take a deep breath. Take your time, read it through, and make notes: Are several people saying the same thing? That is definitely something you will want to look at.
Other issues to look out for:
The story feels disconnected – the ending does not answer the story question asked at the beginning.
The story feels episodic – just one thing happens after another, not building to anything.
The reader feels disconnected to or uninterested in the main character(s).
The story falls flat – the readers are bored.
The story is confusing.
The reader solves the mystery too soon, or notices issues of continuity, or anachronisms.
The reader notices red flags over portrayals of people, communities, places, etc.
The reader is not enthusiastic about the story.
The reader doesn’t “get” what the story is about – and/or doesn’t care.
Compile all the notes. Be sure to note the good things – what IS working – as well as the things that need attention.
Be open-minded. It is easy to get defensive and dismissive, but you asked these people to read your book for a reason. If it is clear that something is not coming across in the way you intended, that’s on you as the writer. Often, there are things in your head that are SO CLEAR to you, but are simply not on the page for a reader.
Make a plan for revision. Go back to your Inside Outline, if necessary. Think about the issues: are they systematic, throughout the book? Or are they localized to one chapter, character, etc.?
Final thoughts:
Put the manuscript away while you are waiting for responses. It does no good to keep tinkering with it until you know what you might need to work on.
Know that there WILL be things to work on. No one is going to come back with, “This book is perfect! Make no changes!” And if they do, be very suspicious (Hi, Mom!). We all want praise and validation, and hopefully there will be more things that are working than not, but you want to know what isn’t working now, before you send it out to the marketplace.
You need beta readers because you are at the point where you can no longer see your own story clearly – and that is natural! Enjoy this process of getting feedback on your work. Everything you do will make your book better by the time it gets into the hands of your real readers.
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