If you’re reading this page, you probably want to know more than just how to find beta readers. You’re in luck. I’ve pulled together all the questions I’ve been asked over the last five years about finding and working with beta readers. Then, I’ll walk you through the process of choosing and working with beta readers.
This is not an exhaustive list. Nope. In spite of the fact I’m serving you more than two thousand words with tens of links for further reading, you’ll still learn new things as you work with your own beta readers.
What is a beta reader?
Beta readers are the testing waters of your newly created book. The first group to read your book in its first finished glory. They read with an eye to offer feedback. They are readers, not editors or critique partners, and will give you their honest reactions to the book from that viewpoint.
What’s the difference between beta readers, critique partners, and editors
Editors are professional. The functional difference between editors and other kinds of readers is that editors are professional. This is their job, and they have specific goals that differ from those of a beta reader or critique partner. Some editors offer developmental editing while you’re writing. Others give you a final edit when your book is finished to prepare it for publishing.
Critique partners are writing peers who give input and critical insight to your writing while you’re still in the process of writing your book. You share your works-in-progress. Discuss blocks and help each other move forward until you finish your book. Your work with a critique partner is ongoing and you share work with each other.
Beta readers read your book once it’s done, finished, ready. There’s no back and forth (although they may at some point write their own books and ask you to beta read as well.) Your beta readers read a completed version of your book. They’re not going to see your drafts.
When is your book ready for beta readers?
Beta readers come in to play when you have completed your book. When you’ve done all you can, made every edit and feel the book is as finished as you can make it.
You may give a portion of your book, say the first few chapters you’d send to an agent as part of a query. You could also give them your entire book. Most of the information in this post will apply to when beta readers read your whole book.
The average reader, no matter how well read or accomplished, does not have experience reading writing-in-progress. If you hand your beta readers an unfinished draft of your book, you’re asking them to edit. If they don’t have experience editing, the feedback you get will be incomplete and unhelpful.
Do yourself and your readers a favor and make sure what you hand them is clean and polished.
Who should you choose to be your beta readers?
The best guideline for choosing beta readers is to find people who are love reading and who are also the natural audience for your book.
If you’re writing a paranormal romance and find someone who can’t stand romance, you’re not going to get the best feedback. If you’re writing sci-fi and choose someone who loves non-fiction about science, it’s better than someone who hates your genre but still may not be the best fit.
If you choose family or friends who are curious but aren’t really readers, you’re likely to end up with a bunch of people who agree to read your book but don’t ever read it. When you find readers who love reading and are well versed in the genre you’re writing, you will get the best responses possible. They can speak to the writing in the book because they already understand the standard for the book you’re writing.
What about family and friends?
If your family and friends fit the above requirement 100%, if you know them well enough to know they’ll give honest, helpful feedback, go for it. Otherwise, it’s usually not worth the hassle and can cause family drama no one needs (especially if your book is about your family.)
The problem with choosing writers as beta readers.
Writers critique your book like writers. They’re not the same as full-fledged readers. Writers tend to be more critical, less willing to let go of inconsistencies and more likely to give feedback that makes you never want to write again.
If you have a writer friend who loves to read your genre and knows it well, by all means. When you receive their feedback, take it with a grain of salt if it’s more cutting than you would like.
How many beta readers do you need?
You’ll most likely have more than one set of beta readers, and while there are many ways to find them, a truly helpful, supportive beta reader is hard to find and worth their weight in gold.
Consider finding two or three readers for each round of readers then incorporate their input. If you have more questions, then you can turn to the next round of beta readers to address them.
Where to find beta readers
From online writing groups to paying for beta readers to friends and family, there are endless sources of readers. Finding a good beta reader, though, is a skill and takes time and patience. If you find you’re not getting the feedback you need or your beta readers don’t follow through, keep trying. This is another reason it’s useful to have more than one round of beta readers.
Some links to help you find beta readers
Goodreads Beta Readers Group
15 Places to Find Beta Readers from KM Weiland
Beta Readers & Critiques Facebook Group
The Indie Author Facebook Group
What to ask beta readers before they read your book
Readers don’t usually know how to provide useful feedback to your writing, so you’ll put together a list of questions to guide them. The goal of giving these questions to readers it to help shape the feedback they give.
Start with a short list of your most important questions to avoid overwhelming your beta readers. These questions address plot, character development and other questions that are central to your book. In addition, you can also provide a longer list they can address if they have time.
Ask them to take notes as they read. This will help as they answer questions and also if you need more information later.
The last thing you want from your beta readers is terse uninformative feedback like ‘Amazing” “Good.” “Didn’t like it.” You learn nothing from this kind of feedback. Instead, tailor the questions you to require thought and some explanation to answer.
Ask your readers to highlight their favorite parts and what they liked about those parts?
Ask them to tell you show you their least favorite parts and why they didn’t like them?
Were there sections that were too slow?
Or that moved to fast?
Did the characters make sense and if not, how did they contradict.
What you’ve always wanted to know
As you write, you’ll find some questions naturally pop up. You’re not sure how your readers will see what you’re creating or you’ll wonder if they need more information. These questions go on your list.
Pacing. Worldbuilding and Character Development
These three things are most likely to be high on your list of needed edits.
Pacing
When your book moves too slowly or too quickly. When you don’t introduce the conflict until more than halfway through the book. If you build the conflict throughout but don’t resolve your questions until the last five pages. This means your pacing is off and your readers will notice.
Worldbuilding
If you’re writing a fantasy or creating your own fictional world, does your world seem complete? Do you answer questions about how people live and how the world works? If not, you have some worldbuilding to do.
Character building
If your characters aren’t clear, don’t speak the way their personalities dictate or aren’t fully fleshed out real people in other significant ways, you’ll need to dive back in and fill in the missing pieces.
Links for more Beta Reader Questionnaires
Goodread’s Beta Reader Checklist
15 Questions to Send Your First Beta Readers from The Writing Cooperative
10 Questions to Ask Your Beta Readers from Morgan Hazelwood
Jami Gold’s Beta Reader Worksheet
Beta Reader Questionnaire from NY Book Editors
A quick word about sensitivity readers
Are you incorporating race, class, gender, disability or some other reflection of human existence that is well outside the range of your personal experience?
You know the term stay in your lane? Well, it’s something I highly recommend to any writer.
If you’re a middle-class white woman writing about Costa Ricans who grew up in poverty, it only makes sense to have some double check your descriptions of experiences you can only imagine.
When you write about things you don’t know, you’re more likely to create offensive or ridiculous stereotypes. You’re more likely to make assumptions that will make your book less believable. You risk creating characters that can never be fully fleshed out, because, quite frankly, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
You get the idea.
We all have blind spots. It’s important to acknowledge them and bring in other readers who can help you write the most authentic and realistic version of your book.
Your beta readers can fill this role for you, but keep in mind, not everyone is comfortable talking about sensitive topics. If your reader has to have a hard talk with you about racism or another complicated topic, it’s like they won’t be as straightforward and honest as you need them to be. In which case, you can hire someone who has experience communicating what’s not working your book and what needs to change.
10 Steps for Using Beta Reader Feedback to write a better book
Yeah, I know the book you handed your beta readers was supposed to be finished, but unless you’re one in a million, your beta readers will uncover spots that require additional editing. The following tips will help you incorporate their feedback into your next draft
- When more than one of your beta readers say exactly the same thing, they’re noticing something important. Listen to them.
- If someone has a very left field critique that makes no sense to you, it’s ok to ignore it.
- If you feel overwhelmed by the input you receive, take a break. Work in stages.
- You don’t have to address every detail your beta readers mention.
- Address the most important parts first.
- If the critique is vague and unclear, ask for clarification.
- If you still don’t understand, ignore.
- Work with two or three readers at a time, so you don’t have to manage input from too many sources.
- If your beta readers contradict each other, make the choice that makes the most sense in the framework of your book.
- If a critique is hurtful but offers valuable insight, look past your personal reaction and see how that insight can help improve your book.
- If a critique is hurtful on a personal level and has nothing to offer to improve your book, ignore completely
- You are the expert in your book, so your instinct and what you want for the book always comes first.
What to do when beta readers (or any readers, really) are mean
There will be times you readers say awful things about your work. They may even say awful things about you. Since you probably spent some time choosing beta readers, you may be shocked. Or hurt. Or angry. You may want to lash out at them or defend yourself. The thought that maybe you should give up writing entirely might flash through your head.
Here’s the thing. There will always be someone out there who will say shitty things about your work. We do our best to avoid it, but sometimes, mean things get through to us. The more writing you put out into the world, the more mean things you’ll hear.
You have two options when this happens.
First, try to see beyond the mean part and see if there is any value in the critique. If so, let your take away be that bit that matters and ignore the rest. A great book to read about finding the good in negative feedback, check out Thanks For the Feedback. It’ll help you see your work and the critiques you receive in a new way.
Second, if the critique passes a value judgment on you or your writing and there is nothing worthwhile to take away from the critique, there is only one thing to do.
Ignore the shit out of them.
It may be your first harsh comment but if you plan to keep writing, it will not be your last. Ignore with impunity and keep doing your work. You’re a writer, right? Do that. Keep going. Move to the next reader, the next work you write and FINISH things.
Simple as that.
