Carolyn Chambers Clark asked Marylee MacDonald:

Do you work with a beta reader(s)? Or do you work in a critique group that provides feedback on characterization, dialogue, setting, action, story arcs, etc."

Marylee MacDonald Gosh, that really varies. I do work with beta readers in the sense that I have three or four people who are willing to give thoughtful attention to a manuscript that is not in final shape, meaning they'll have to read a pdf or Word file of whatever I send them. There may be places they stumble or that seem inconsistent. Over the many years I've been writing, I've been a member of two critique groups that had qualities I valued. There was general agreement about the kind of books we enjoyed reading, and there was a commitment to "showing up," even when it wasn't our turn to have a manuscript critiqued. Those groups provided feedback on all the aspects you mentioned. However, it is hard for a critique group to do much about the story arc as a whole. For that kind of feedback, a developmental editor can be a great resource--someone who will look at the book as a whole.

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