As we wrap up this month on editing, I want to write about beta readers, the secret key to editing. When I seriously began to pursue publishing, I didn’t realize how valuable they are in shaping a story.
Who Are Beta Readers?
Beta readers are readers who test drive your manuscript. Their job is to point out big picture problems with your story. They aren’t proofreaders or line editors. And I don’t think, in most cases, they should be writers. Writers read differently from other readers because we work in this art.
How to Choose a Beta Reader
Not just anyone can be a beta reader. First, they must be someone who enjoys reading for pleasure and likes the genre you are writing. Don’t ask a devoted reader of narrative nonfiction to critique your romance. Second, they must be willing to take the time to read the manuscript critically. To help them, I prepare a list of questions. Below are the ones I created for the beta readers of A Storm of Doubt, a teen Christian mystery.
- Do I describe the characters well enough so you can imagine them?
- Were the characters believable?
- Do the family trees and the roster at the beginning of the book help keep the characters straight?
- Was the dialogue believable? Did characters sound different from each other?
- Do I describe the settings well enough so you can imagine them?
- Did the beginning catch your attention?
- Did the story hold your interest all the way through? If your interest lagged, where?
- Does the mystery make sense—do the clues allow the reader to solve it?
- Did the ending surprise you? How?
- Were there any parts you found confusing, that you had to reread? Where?
- I know the novel is too long. What recommendations do you have of where I can cut?
Third, they must be able to criticize kindly. I want to know what doesn’t work in the story, but I also don’t want to be savaged. I will listen to criticism couched in kindness much more readily than criticism that hits me like a flamer thrower.
3-5 beta readers are the ideal numbers. More than that, and you may be overwhelmed with opinions, having equal numbers of people liking and disliking the same chapter or character or whatever. I went with 4 for A Storm of Doubts.
- My youngest sister, who reads lots of cozy mysteries
- A friend, who is retired judge. He is wonderful at spotting logic problems.
- My teenage niece, who loves mysteries
- A writer friend. Yes, I know I said don’t use writers but this writer friend and I call each other once a month to encourage and help each other, so I wanted her to read it.
Once I get all the questions sheets returned, I look for patterns. If 2 people find a character annoying, I take a serious look at that character. For A Storm, I wasn’t sure if I’d described the settings in enough detail. All of my beta readers said I described them well enough for them to imagine the scenes. So my worries were unfounded, and I didn’t change that part of the book. My sister said one subplot just didn’t make sense to her. As I conducted a whole book edit, I realized she was right and eliminated it. Beta readers are invaluable for spotting problems writers miss because we are so close to the story.
For more editing tips, click here.
Writers, have you used beta readers? How do you find them? Readers, have you been a beta reader?