Over thirty years ago, when I first started my writing career, my literary passion drove me to learn everything I could about the craft as fast as possible. One of the many ways I learned was through beta readers. Even though I now have numerous bylines to my credit, and several books I’ve either written or contributed to, I still use them. All writers do, including those who write bestsellers.
What is A Beta Reader?
A beta reader is someone who reads our manuscripts with an objective, yet critical eye. This person looks for such things as holes in our story’s plot, awkward phrasing, narrative inconsistencies, storylines that aren’t believable, poor characterization and dialogue, and similar things.
Beta readers are critical to our writing careers. We get so caught up in our writing that we can’t see our words objectively, whereas a good beta reader can. If we follow a good beta reader’s advice, our finished product will be more polished which, of course, increases our chances of finding publishing success.
My One Big Rule for Beta Readers
Notice that I said good beta reader. Not all beta readers are the same. From my earliest writing days, I’ve followed one rule: “If all a beta reader does is give me a pat on the back and say my work is good, I never let that person read another manuscript. If a beta reader gives little or no constructive input—again, I don’t let them read another manuscript.”
I’ve always been strict about this. Pats on the back without useful input does not help us writers improve. No matter how advanced we are in this craft, we always have room to get better.
Fortunately, as time has passed on, I’ve developed friendships with good beta readers. Unlike my early years, I no longer need to “test-drive” them or seek them out. Nowadays I rarely have to implement my rule.
Five Traits of a Good Beta Reader
Honest Feedback. Good beta readers aren’t afraid to tell writers what they honestly think about their manuscripts. If they don’t like it, they’ll not only say they don’t, but they’ll also say why. They’ll word their opinion in such a way that it doesn’t kill a writer’s dream. Not only will they point out a manuscript’s weaknesses, they will also applaud its strengths. In other words, they offer a balanced opinion.
Encouragers. They share a writer’s literary dream and want him/her to succeed. They will encourage, motivate, and congratulate authors when they get published. For me, my greatest joy comes when I see someone, whose work I have read and critiqued, get published. I appreciate that person’s sacrifice and hard work to achieve their goal.
Knowledgeable. Most good beta readers are serious writers either knowledgeable about the craft or are in the process of learning it through hard study.
Readers. I’ve also benefited from serious readers, particularly those in my target audience. A serious reader, by my definition, is someone who reads lots of books critically. They understand why they like certain books and why they don’t, and they can give solid reasons for their opinions. I once heard a librarian call into a radio talk show to comment on a certain bestselling book. A few days earlier, I’d scanned some pages of this same book at a store. The librarian and I shared the same opinion—bestseller or not, the author’s writing was amateurish. This librarian would make a great beta reader.
Understands Our Genre. Under the broad categories of non-fiction and fiction are different genres. Each genre has its own set of rules and characteristics. Beta readers who aren’t familiar with our chosen genre may unintentionally offer bad advice. My genres are historical fiction, short stories, and certain genres of magazine articles. If someone asked me to critique a science fiction manuscript, I’d be able to offer basic advice on writing style and technique, but that’s all I could do. I haven’t read much in that genre, thus I have little knowledge about the rules connected with it
Three Beta Readers to Avoid
Family. Family members are usually reluctant to give us honest input for fear of hurting our feelings or ruining a relationship. If we happen to have someone in our family who meets the five criteria I listed above, though, it is fine to use them. However, such family members are rare.
Friends Who Aren’t Writers. More than likely, these friends won’t meet the above-listed criteria, either.
Token Critiquers. Token critiquers read a manuscript, or maybe just scan it, and then make only a comment or two per page or per manuscript. Writers need in-depth critiques, not the token variety.
A Final Word
If we can find more than one good beta reader, then our finished manuscript will be that much better. If two or more beta readers make the same comment about our work, this is a sure sign that we’d better heed what they tell us and revise accordingly.
Finally, always thank your beta readers. They made some sacrifices of their own time to help you, and a little gratitude goes a long way.
The Author's Cove: John "Jack" Cunningham on Writing & History 