Lions & Tigers & Beta Readers, Oh My!
At some point, every writer will reach the dreaded beta reader stage of their story. The part where they have to hand over this bundle of creativity they have spent countless hours shaping and crafting to a complete stranger. All while being forced to sit back in agony and anticipation while said stranger peeks through all of the layers of their heart’s hard work and picks it apart... for better or for worse.
It can be a scary landscape letting someone in. But it is necessary. Let’s take a look at some things from both sides of the fence. The beta reader and the author.
I want to take a moment to pause and make a very clear distinction that I personally think oftentimes gets muddied over the interwebs. There is a CLEAR difference in helpful FEEDBACK and outright CRITICISM. There, I said it. Unfortunately many people don’t know that difference and offer up “beta reading services” who have 0, and I mean ZERO, business doing so.
What should a beta reader do? What counts as helpful feedback?
I think it depends on what the author wants and each author will vary but I will say state some typical things here. Typically at the beta reading stage of a manuscript, an author has (hopefully) already passed through a round of developmental edits and if not they should (in my opinion) before seeking out beta readers. But in either case, a beta reader’s job is to typically read through the story offering insights and opinions as a READER (it’s in the name people, I mean come on) on things such as pacing, character arcs, plot lines, etc. But again, as a reader. This is where I think people get confused the most.
A beta reader is NOT a dev editor or editor in any capacity. It’s awesome if they offer those services separately but they should not be included in a beta read. They are there to tell you what they liked, what they disliked and most importantly why. They are there to tell you whether they think your characters had a good presence in the story, if the character’s actions pulled them in and made them care for them or what felt confusing or complicated. Things like that. Not whether the character’s arc felt complete or if the plot made sense. (That should have been handled in dev editing btw) BUT on the rare chance an author didn’t hire a dev editor BEFORE beta readers then sometimes they can request you to look for things such as those.
If they do, you are not supposed to go full ham and make suggestions on what you would or would not change based on a plot hole you found UNLESS they specifically ask for it after you point out said plot hole or inconsistency. This comes back to helpful feedback versus outright criticism. You see it all the time in reviews. (Yes I am aware that reviews are a different beast but stay with me here.) You see people stating simply.. “I hated this book. I hated this character” but never explaining why. Not only does that do absolutely nothing for the author but offers nothing to potential readers either. If neither side knows the why, how could they fix or know to avoid said material?
Reading, along with most of the arts, is a 100% subjective space. Yes. 100%. Every person will have a differing opinion on a work and not every work is for every reader. And that is okay! But that brings me to my next point in beta reading…
FIND A BETA READER IN YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE!
I cannot stress this enough… if you are writing a mystery novel and are ready for the beta reading round… it would behoove you to seek out readers who enjoy mystery novels. The worst thing you can do is go online and make a blanket claim that you are in need of a beta reader and pick anyone who says “me me me me.” You need to find someone who actually enjoys your genre or you will be devastated with everything they “didn’t like” and walk away feeling hopeless or worse. You want people who like the type of story you write so they will be more engaged and interested in the material and will in turn offer much more constructive feedback.
Letting your baby go out into the world for feedback isn’t as scary as it seems. Trust me. If you are properly prepared and in the correct stage for beta readers, it’s not that bad. at that point you have, or at last should have, worked out most of the kinks in the story and have an intimate working knowledge of it after having read it fifty billion times yourself. Am I right authors? HAHA. We read our books so many times over the course of editing and dev edits and all of it that we end up extremely tired of looking at it ourselves. That, to me, is the perfect time for beta readers. Before that, you’re finding things left and right. Once you have gone through it so many times you know it forward, backward, and sideways… then start looking for beta readers. Too early and you’re wasting their time trying to decipher the jibberish, which is not their job, and you’re potentially setting yourself up for failed future betas.
In talking with a lot of other beta readers and even my own beta readers, there’s a variable degree of opinion on timelines so let’s take a look at that really fast.
Most authors and beta readers can agree one month is sufficient time unless it’s an ungodly long novel in which case you might want to consider whether you’re ready for this stage or if you need to make more cuts in editing on your own. Because most people won’t read a super long novel (we’re talking Sanderson level long here) from a new/beginner author. Doubly so if you’re looking for traditional publishing. And this is coming from someone who’s first book was 131k. That was on the longer side. But the story needs what it needs so I would say anything 150k or under, one month to 6 weeks is sufficient turn around.
Most importantly though, discuss it with your betas and find out if they are able to commit to that timeline before sending it off. There is nothing worse for either party than to feel pressured or feel like they are being strung along. Have a set of basics for your betas to go by on what you expect timeline wise, feedback wise, and in what way you want them to deliver it.
That’s a big one too. I had betas who were SILENT the entire time they had my novel and then provided me with a report on the end with their feedback. And I have had betas who made notes and comments and asked questions throughout as they read It’s up to you to decide which you prefer and align yourself with betas who work the way you are comfortable with.
Lastly, have a list of questions as a follow up.
Readers are (typically) not writers and can’t read your thoughts even if they are. If you have specific questions yourself (as you should) on things you have worries or doubts over… then add them to a small questionnaire for the end in case your readers miss commenting on those particular details. If you’re worried one character isn’t getting enough ‘screen time’ and your beta comes back with zero mention of said character, then throw that in and ask. They don’t/can’t know particulars unless you divulge them.
Now, personally, I find it best to wait to send the questionnaire until the very end after they have read the book. One because it means you are not pre-hyping up or drawing attention to one particular thing in which they go and look for out the gate or focus on in the read through above anything else. They aren’t as lasered in so to speak so that anything else gets drown out. You want their first read through to be as untainted as possible. As clear as possible.
If you go in before they read and say “I really want to know what you think about the werewolf character biting this dude’s head off if you think it’s too much?” then they will go into it — a, knowing it’s coming, and b, waiting on it to happen the whole time so might not pay as much attention to everything else. You see what I mean? You want them engaged with every part equally so you can get a better view from them in the end.
Beta reader feedback can be a super scary thing for first time authors but it doesn’t have to be. Find the right reader for your genre. Make clear and concise instructions on what you’re looking for. And then let your baby go out into the wild knowing that every step is one step closer to crafting the best story you can possibly craft. Even if someone gives you “negative” feedback… as long as it’s constructive and offers you insight as to why so you can reflect on it and decide on what YOU, the author, wants to do then it is worth getting. Even if it hurts at first. But that is the beauty of being the author and my final point to this.
DO NOT LET BETA FEEDBACK MAKE YOU REWRITE YOUR STORY!
Unless you decide that their feedback aligns with your own opinion, and was possibly just something you didn’t see or notice, then do not change anything unless YOU want to. Unless it aligns with the story YOU wanted to tell. You will never make every single reader happy and you shouldn’t try to. So changing things solely based on reader feedback will make you run circles and drive yourself crazy. Take what speaks to you and leave the rest. Your story should be a reflection of you, not a reflection of Bob the Beta Reader and his life’s experiences that color his version of reality. Stay true to you.
And above all, enjoy yourself. Take the time while your novel is with betas to read a new book or work on something else. Get your mind free from the grind of the story for a bit and it will do wonders in being able to view the feedback with fresh eyes.
I hope this helps some of you in some way. And there is much more I could/want to say on the topic but I will leave it here for now. If there’s need, I will make a second post later down the road with more insights. If you have anything you want to add, feel free to leave a comment below for other authors to see and get a discussion going! There is nothing like camaraderie while in the same trenches. We’ve got this!
‘Til next time.
Happy Reading
<3 Rhea