The Importance of Beta Readers

 

BACK IN JUNE, I forwarded the manuscript of my second book, On Sacred Ground, to six trusted friends. Their task was to read it and provide honest critical feedback, with a focus on picking up sections that were slow, redundant, or simply didn’t make sense. I asked them to comment without holding back, to not worry about hurting my feelings. I said that they wouldn’t – that the more critical they were the more helpful it would be.

Readers who perform this task are known as beta readers, a ter...