What Is a Beta Reader? And Why Need One

 

In many industries today, before any product is launched or released, a third party has to test it; the same thing happens in the tech/software industry. For example, programmers and web developers release “beta” versions of their new designs and get a select few people to test them.

This test then helps them decide whether to make the product available to the public. But, of course, this same concept applies to publishing too.

Before any professional writer publishes a piece of work, regardless of whether it’s an article, novel, news story, storybook, blog post, it still needs to be edited. That’s where a “beta reader” comes into play.

We had a situation some time ago where the author of one of the books we were working on disagrees with us about who the audience was for the book. So rather than arguing, we brought in some beta readers to see what they thought. 

If you’re unsure what a beta reader is or what they do, then read on. 

What Is A Beta Reader?

Beta readers are individuals, not necessarily professional writers or editors; they can even be a friend or a family member who helps review a finished manuscript. The beta reader provides the author with meaningful feedback that will help improve the work before publishing.

A beta reader will review the book as a neutral reader would. Then the beta reader will point out what they liked or disliked while also highlighting factors omitted or any errors they see while writing the book.

Simply put, a beta reader could be a paid professional or an unpaid non-professional person who will read your book and give you the necessary input you need to put out the best work possible. They will provide a critique before your book is published.

Keep in mind that while beta readers are essential to authors before publishing their book, they cannot replace professional editors. A professional editor will carefully examine your book, search for plot holes, grammatical errors, typos, and more. A beta reader’s job is to read your book as a consumer and tell you why they enjoyed it and what they didn’t like about it. This is good because it helps you know what to change when you go back to make edits.

Why Do You Need Beta Readers?

As writers, we know that although criticism is not fun, it is essential.

Suppose you want to compete with other publishers in the industry. In that case, you need to know how your target audience feels about your publications. Below are a few reasons why as a self-publisher, you need a beta reader.

• Writing Is Subjective

Writing is subjective in most cases because our work speaks for us, and can be interpreted in a myriad of ways by our readers. However, beta readers will help you find where people agree and give you a general idea about how your readers will feel about your work, your story and your characters. In addition, they will help you figure out what needs to changed in the manuscript.

• They Offer A Fresh Perspective 

As publishers or writers, it is easy to be so deep into our own stories that you ignore or completely miss plot holes or changes in point of view while writing or even editing your work.

Beta readers will help you spot plot holes and make you have an entirely different point of view of your story. In addition, your message will be perceived from another viewpoint, and you can get insight into that fresh perspective.

• They’ll Suggest How to Improve Your Book

Feedback from people will make your work better. Since beta readers are just like your regular audience, their reviews can help you improve your book before it is published.

Writers better understand how their content appeals to readers and might alter the content or modify it through critics and beta readers. Maybe the pacing feels too slow, or too rushed. Perhaps a character is coming off inconsistent. Are the character’s motivations believable? Are the supporting cast flat and 1-dimensional? These are all things that a beta reader will bring to your attention. Respectfully, of course.

Before You Select a Beta Reader 

Although no law states that the people you know cannot be your beta readers, the people you know are actually not the best beta readers for you.

The truth is, the people you know love you, and they care about how you feel about their review of your work. Thus, it’s more likely that they will be careful with what they say about it. Especially if you yourself are enamored with your work, they won’t want to feel like they are tearing you down.

For example, your best friend will probably give favorable reviews rather than a straightforward critique on how you need to improve your work. So, you have to find a reader who won’t shy away from telling you what’s wrong with what you wrote.

Your beta reader has to be a member of your target audience, must be reliable, and must not be afraid of being honest.

How To Find Beta Readers 

Unless you have honest relatives willing to tell it like it is, you should explore your other options. If your relatives have been your beta readers and you’ve not been satisfied with their review, or you want to try out something new, try the options below. 

• Existing Authors Network

Every writer or self-publisher will have a network of other writers. It will come from social media, jobs they did together, conferences they attended, meet-ups, etc.

Feel free to ask for help from your fellow authors. That’s one of the best ways to grow as an author. It is also a plus when a fellow writer helps in beta reading your manuscript; it will help generate reviews from a person who already understands the craft. 

• Writing Communities 

Writing communities are online communities where writers find answers to writing questions and rub minds with their peers in the industry. In writing communities, professional and fresh writers meet and discuss writing.

A writing community is a perfect place to find beta readers. Here, you get to meet with people who understand what you are trying to accomplish. Moreover, these people know how to pass the message along to you in a way you’ll understand and appreciate.

You might even find other writers who need beta readers and swap manuscripts with them. Examples of writing communities are:

1. Wattpad

Wattpad is a writing community with over 45 million writers and readers with whom you can share your work. Wattpad is interactive; you can publish your work and have people like, make comments, and share your work. It also gives room for interaction between writers. 

1. Storyaday 

Storyaday is another interactive community that allows writers to set writing goals and how they would want to achieve these goals while also promoting their work. In this platform, you can meet like-minded writers and also find beta readers.

1. Critique Circle

This community is one of the most active writing communities, with more than 3000 active members. Critique circle allows publishers to submit their manuscripts to be reviewed and criticized by fellow writers. It is also a perfect community to hire a beta reader for your work.

1. Fictionaut

Fictionaut is a community that allows writers to upload stories, journals, articles, poetry, etc. It is partly a self-selected magazine and somewhat a community network. Fictionaut will enable readers and writers to connect through literary endeavors.

1. The Young Writer’s Society

Young Writers Society is an interactive community created to improve creative writing among authors. It encourages young writers to share their content and also interact with other authors. If you want to know more about these communities, check them out online.

• Local Writing Group

When you search for “writing groups in (your location)” on Google, it will bring out various writing groups very close to you. Then you can select a beta reader with whom you can work. The fact that they stay around you means that you can meet with them face to face.

• Beta-Reader App

Thanks to technology, as long as you have access to a smartphone or a computer, life is easy. Software has been made available to writers and self-publishers to work as beta readers. You can check out beta reader apps on Google Play Store or the App Store if you’re using iOS.

What To Do When Working With Beta Writers

There are few things to consider when hiring beta readers to review your work to have a smooth experience.

1. 1. Make Your Deadline Known

Deadlines are critical when assigning a duty to a beta reader. It is necessary to make the individual understand the importance of the assignment and give feedback.

You should, however, be flexible in fixing your deadline because your beta reader might not be a professional.

In a situation where the beta reader doesn’t meet the deadline, you shouldn’t complain about your beta reader because, technically, they are doing you a favor. However, in a case where you hired the beta reader, you can make your displeasure known.

This also makes a case for hiring at least one beta reader over only using free or volunteer beta readers. If a beta reader is volunteering for the position, bear in mind that sometimes they are not the most reliable. If they are bored with your book, they might just stop reading it without letting you know why, or move on to something else they find more enjoyable. With a professional, you can be sure to hold them to task because they are being paid. They are also more likely to be very thorough in their review of your work and have a guide they work with to study the elements of your book. Generally, you can be sure that someone you hire to beta read your work is serious about what they do.

2. Find A Beta Reader Who Is Familiar with Your Genre

Before hiring a beta reader, you should know the kind of books they enjoy reading. It’s better to work with a reader familiar with your subject matter; this will make it easier for the reader to spot plot holes and point you in the right direction. They will also be able to spot overused/played-out tropes or missing elements.

Don’t shy away from choosing a beta reader who isn't your target audience however. They can help you with more general elements, like your author voice, and characters. There are benefits to a fresh set of eyes on your work after all.

3. Give Room for Criticism

When someone critiques your work, especially something you’ve poured your heart into, it’s not always fun, is it? But it is essential. Writing a book or novel can be stressful; waiting for beta readers is even more stressful considering that you don’t know what to expect. It can’t be disappointing when a reader doesn’t feel the same way about your work, your world, your characters, that you do.

Remember, the main idea is to make your book better, and you can’t achieve that without constructive criticism. Your beta reader isn’t working against you, they are on your side, they want you to win, and for you to put the best possible work out there.

4. Ask Questions About Your Draft

To determine the kind of feedback you want from the beta reader, ask questions about what you wish to know about your work. Examples of good beta reader questions are:

• Were there any confusing plot events or plot holes?
• Were there any elements that took you out of the story (confusing wording, redundancy, head-hopping or sudden changes in POV, etc.)
• Were the characters compelling, likable, sympathetic?
• How was the story pacing? Did some elements feel to one-note? Rushed? Too Slow?
• Does the story flow?
• Was there more telling than showing / info-dumping?
• Was the dialogue realistic? 
• Was there too much or too little description?
• What did they like / dislike about the story?
• Were they hooked within the first few pages of the book?

These questions will help the beta reader become aware of his assignment and direct them to deliver the feedback you need.

5. Carefully Implement Feedback

You should consider all feedback carefully. Look for ways to input the remarks made by the beta readers into your work; if it creates positive changes, then it should be retained.

Think about what your reader said and how you can apply it to your manuscript. For example, if your book embodies your author voice, and a beta reader is suggesting changes because they just prefer their own particular wording, then you can safely ignore such a review. 

A beta reader’s job is not to usurp your story or stifle your own author voice. They are simply supposed to let you know what works and what doesn’t as a reader, and why. 

6. Don’t Stop At One

If more than one person shows interest in your manuscript, let’s say in a writing community or local writing group, feel free to share with them.

You could give them one after the other, i.e., after reader A completes reading and you’ve made changes, then pass it on to reader B.

It will provide a better result than using one beta reader. Likewise, you can send your first draft to two readers. Then, after getting their review, send it to more readers until you are satisfied.

Difference Between an Editor And A Beta Reader

An editor is a trained professional whose job is to help you construct your draft or manuscript into something ready to be published. They deliberately go through your manuscript, identifying and correcting all errors they find.

Editors will correct errors of passive language, repetitive information, clichés, language errors, punctuation, grammatical errors.

While the editor does all these, the beta reader reads and writes a review from the reader’s perspective. The beta reader answers any questions based on what they think about your book. 

Be appreciative of your beta readers unless you paid for the service. If you are not paying for a beta readers service, it is crucial to understand that they volunteered to help you improve on your book, and they played a massive role in the success of your book.

Also, one good turn deserves another. So if your beta readers also write, why not return the favor and become a beta reader for them? 

However, if you need a professional beta reader for a book you’re working on, or you need editing services, or ghost writers for a new project, Publish Page Services are here for you!

We are a team of professional writers who promise to tend to all your writing and editing needs. The services we offer range from proofreading and editing to professional book descriptions and much more! 

Contact us today to learn more about us, and we can help you launch your self-publishing career!