6 Tips to Picking Your Beta-reader Team

So I wanted to write a blog post dedicated solely to the topic of beta readers.  I’ve noticed the general consensus in the writing world is they’re useful.  I have to agree with that, but with a few caveats, because while I’ve noticed beta-readers are widely used, I’ve also noticed they’re not always being used correctly.

Once upon a time, when I was just a young whipper-snapper trying to find my voice and style in the writing world, I belonged to a few communities online where we could post things we’d written.  That was the first time I heard the phrase beta, and back then, on livejournal, it referred to a people– or occasionally group of people– who would read your stories and correct spelling and grammar.

When someone posted to the community, “Sorry this story hasn’t been beta’d” we’d immediately know there would be grammar and spelling errors.

When I came into the literary publishing world, I kept seeing the phrase and it took me a while to catch on to the real meaning of the word.  A person who gives the the novel a read-through before publishing to provide a detailed opinion about plot, characters, and over-all story arc.

Typically an author, if they’re going the rout of beta readers, wants to have a group of them.  They’re the people who are going to catch gaps, plot holes, character inconsistencies etc.  In the Indie community especially, where authors tend to lean toward a copy edit only, or *gasphorror* self-editing, a team of beta readers can be invaluable.

But herein lies the problem, especially in the Indie community when it comes to beta readers– your sources are limited.  Typically, I’ve found, to family and friends.  Why is that a problem, you ask?  Because when you limit yourself to people who are personally invested in you liking them, their opinion is already skewed.  The book is read with bias, because even your most out-spoken best friend is going to want to tell you you’re the best writer in the whole wide world.

Even if you’re not.

The truth is, we live in a participation trophy society and people who care about you are going to want to boost your self esteem.  And while that’s all well and good when you’re playing soccer at age 5, it’s not very helpful when you’re trying to pen the Next Great Novel that takes the world by storm.

But like I said before, with Indies, our sources are limited.  Yes, there are critique groups out there, and there are beta reading teams.  There are people, like myself, who offer paid beta-reading services.  Those work in your favor because those people are invested in telling you the truth, not stroking your ego.  They’re invested in making your work better, stronger, publish-ready.  A lot of those people have years of experience to back them up, and are well read enough to help your book fit better in its genre, and how to appeal to that genre’s audience.

I’m getting ready to finish my fifth and final book in a series, and by book five, my beta-reading team has dwindled down significantly.  From letting any and everyone who wanted to beta-read down to those who have consistently offered me the advice, critique, and feedback I need in order to make my book the best it can be.  It’s not because I don’t care what the other people think, but for me, the beta-reading stage is critical.  Five books into a series, and there is a huge meta-plot stretching between all the novels.  There are backgrounds, histories, memories, etc, and I need to make sure I’m not missing anything.  The last thing I need in my books are glaring plot holes that conflict with the other books in the series.

If a beta-reader can’t pick up on those, I don’t want them on my team.

So I’ve compiled a list based on my own experience to help select the best beta team for your book.

1. Find beta-readers who are well-versed in your genre.

Even if your genre is weird, or straddles the line between two, look for an overall arc.  Is it fantasy?  Check for readers who prefer that genre.  Same for sci-fi, or contemporary fiction, chick-lit, romance.  Even if it doesn’t fit in the exact box, get as close as you can.

Each of those genres follow a typical formula, which is very important to follow because formulas are tried and true.  They keep readers engaged and coming back for more.

2. Don’t be afraid to spend a little money.

If a beta-reader charges you more than twenty bucks, they’re too expensive.  Beta reader’s notes are often not more than a couple of paragraphs long.  Anything longer and what the person is doing is a content edit.

Money is a good motivator for honest opinion, because that person is being paid to do a job, to provide a service.  You’re more apt to receive good, thorough feedback if the person is being paid for the job.

Side note on this though- don’t be afraid to ask for references.  The last thing you need is to pay good money for crap service which could have been avoided by just checking a few references.

3. Don’t use family and friends.

Now, there’s an exception to every rule, and if you know for a fact that your family and/or friends will give you honest, and I mean 100% honest without regard to your feelings, feedback, then fine.  Use them.  But for the most part, as I stated above, people who love you aren’t going to want to hurt your feelings.

I’m extremely sensitive when it comes to my writing.  My books are like my children.  They’re full of human beings I birthed, I brought to life.  My readers might not know every thing about them, but I do.  So when someone criticizes them, it’s like someone criticizing my actual children, and I have a hard time with that.

But I’ve found it hurts less when a stranger is doing the critiquing.  When I know the person isn’t invested in anything other than the job I’ve asked them to perform.

Being a writer means getting tougher skin and learning to take critique, but asking your family and friends to fill that role isn’t the wisest choice.  Trust me, my husband and I figured that out the hard way.

4. Use caution when asking other writers to be on your beta team.

One thing I’ve noticed in the Indie community is a sense of retaliation when it comes to critique in the writing world.  Not every writer, but because the indie community is a free-for-all when it comes to who can publish, you have very large corners filled with immature, unprofessional people who think their writing is god’s gift, without any way to back that up.

So when their books are critiqued and they don’t like what you’re saying, they tend to retaliate.  I’ve seen it happen before, all over.  I’ve seen writers go on a cussing spree, insulting their readers, and from time to time I’ve seen retaliation on other author’s books in the form of reviews simply because they didn’t agree with what the author said about their own work.

Bearing that in mind, a lot of authors are wary about giving out beta-critique or reviews.  I, myself, often wish I’d used a pen name simply because if I have to give out a bad review, I don’t want to to come back on my own books.

Authors are a great wealth of knowledge about writing, so you’d think they’d be the best and most obvious choice for a beta-reading team.  And if they could do so without fear, they would be.  There’s nothing better than getting a critique from a seasoned professional.  But because of the behavior of some authors, a lot are now cautious about how much they give you.  And since these authors aren’t really invested in whether or not your book does well, they may not give it a second thought.

There are, again, exceptions to this rule.  Like myself, as beta reading for me is a job, and while I won’t be rude, I won’t sugar coat it.  However I’ve noticed in this line of work, in this category, the exceptions are a relatively small one.

5. Always compare notes, and don’t be afraid to drop someone who doesn’t provide what you need.

I always suggest a team of readers, because not every reader is going to pick up on every thing.  You want to compare notes.  Generally majority rules, though if you get the odd comment that none of the others looked in to, don’t be afraid to ask your other readers’ opinions on that particular critique.

I’ve done that multiple times.

For my first couple of books I had one beta reader who kept coming up with things I didn’t agree with.  When I’d bring the question to my other readers and my editor, they’d all disagree with the comment.  And I felt much better about disregarding it after a consensus.

After the third book, I decided to drop that particular reader, and I felt better about it, because that person was not providing the services I had asked them to.

Remember this is about YOU and YOUR books.  Don’t be afraid to tell someone it’s not working out.  There’s no sense in having them provide opinions over and over you’re going to just disregard.  Especially if you’re writing a series.  You want people who are paying attention to the things in your book that need the most attention, and if they can’t comply with that, you need to move on.

6. If you’re not paying a beta reader, remember this is mostly a favor.

I’ve seen authors offer their books up in exchange for services, and I have to say this is not acceptable.  It’s not an acceptable form of payment for any services.  Sometimes, not all the time but sometimes, I’ll offer copies of my book up as a courtesy to the people who have provided services to me.  But it is by no means payment.

My books are about 50/50 in regards to paid for and free services.  My team of beta readers are not paid.  They are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.  Some of them are fans, some are people I met and after five books became friends with.

I do typically have a deadline because I do my beta-reading before my book goes to my editor, but if my beta readers don’t meet that deadline, I don’t complain.  After-all, they’re doing this in their own time without compensation.

I do everything I can to give my beta-team a reasonable amount of time to get the books read and notes emailed, and if the deadline passes, the deadline passes.  They still have my undying thanks and (hopefully!) know that if they want to quit out at any time, they’re more than welcome to do so.

Indies rely heavily on the favor of others simply because often we can’t afford the freelance services out there.  We need to remember that and treat our team with respect.

So yes, betas can be helpful and sometimes very necessary to the writing process.  Nothing is perfect in the publishing world, nothing works for every single person, but as long as we share our experiences, we can make it a better job for all of us.