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Beta Readers- How does it work?
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Hello, Raquel...I used a beta reader before I ever started the publishing process. I had complete manuscripts for three novels, written just for my own enjoyment. I gave them to a reader familiar with Science Fiction, who was a fan of some of the big-name authors I liked to read myself. Mostly, I was looking for an opinion on whether my stories were well-written, enjoyable to read, and worth publishing.
As Abigail says, the beta reader focuses on the story, not on spelling, grammar or punctuation. He or she may bring some of those little technical errors to your attention; but you can't count on him/her catching them all.
Based on the feedback I got, I revised several sections of each book, sometimes trimming, sometimes adding details, sometimes just making things clearer. I'm pleased with the results, and based on the reviews I've gotten thus far, my readers liked the results as well. My first novel was published last November, the second will be out this month, and I'll probably start the third one on its way through the publishing process in about three months or so.
I should look into this kind of thing more... Friends and family simply don't give good feedback. Reviews for my first novel were almost universally displeased with the ending. Many stating they'd give a higher rating if it wasn't for the ending.
None of my friends and family (4 people in all) who read that novel raised any real issue with the ending. On launch I remember thinking, I'm reasonably happy with the book, at least it has an awesome ending!
For my third, soon to be released, book I managed to get an indie author from a Facebook group to give their opinion. This was of a relatively early draft.
Boring and slow to get anywhere seemed to be the general verdict. A harsh but useful bit of honesty that lead me to restructure the early chapters and go through the whole book trimming out waffle.
Peggy, I used a trusted friend who I KNEW would give me honest feedback. She don't sugarcoat nuthin'!
I have Beta read a couple times and you should discuss it with the reader to make clear what you want before they agree to read it. Had one situation where somebody asked me to Beta read and I agreed and then found out they basically wanted me to proofread for typos and didn't want feedback on the story because "it is done". My personal take on it (at least before the copy editor request) is usually they are supposed to be like a marketing reaction to your work on things like continuity and genre conventions. So you usually want at least one of them to be familiar with the genre you are writing in.
There is a Beta Readers Group on Goodreads.
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...
Also there are threads in groups on Goodreads such as here
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...
Hi All. Love this thread. I pubbed my first book in Febuary and had three friends read it. I thought...surely between the three of them and my spell checker I should be able to clean up just about anything that needs it (grammar & punctuation included). Well, turns out...they all share the EXACT grammar handicap as me!! LOL Birds of a feather and all that...... One lesson learned the hard way...no matter how many beta readers you have, never skip the professional editor. Thank goodness I found a good one. Book two is due out this fall and as much as I love my friends and value them as content editors I will be seeking outside betas as well this go 'round. Use the "best final version" for ARC giveaways in exchange for reviews before you publish.
My Beta Reader was an acquaintance who is actually the editor of several professional newsletters, but he is also a Science Fiction fan and a fellow amateur astronomer (never met him in person, but we've been on the same astronomy forum for years). When I sent him the manuscripts, the understanding was:- I didn't expect a "copy edit" (but would appreciate if he would note any copy errors he found).
- I wanted to know if he liked the story, and if it was something he would want to buy if offered on Amazon.
- Tell me parts he liked, what parts he did not like, what parts just didn't do anything for him or contribute anything to the story.
- Tell me about any annoying style habits he might have detected.
- Most importantly, tell me what I can do to improve it.
He gave me lots of good advice, and I reworked several parts of the story (also trimmed it from near 600 pages down to 400 -- I tend to over-explain things rather than leaving it to the reader's imagination). And, as requested, he didn't waste time on copy-editing. He caught a few things, but most of the spelling, grammar, and punctuation things were cleaned up later.
And, of course, there is still Murphy's Law for Writing and Publishing: When you finally have the printed, published, and distributed book in your hand, just drop it on your desk. It will automatically FALL OPEN to the page that has the editing error you (and everyone else who looked at it) missed... ;-)
PM wrote: "I have Beta read a couple times and you should discuss it with the reader to make clear what you want before they agree to read it. Had one situation where somebody asked me to Beta read and I agr..."Thanks for the info PM!
Raquel wrote: "Peggy wrote: "How do you find them?"I was was wondering the same thing. I could ask friends and family, but I would want an unbiased opinion. At the same time, I don't want to ask just anybody. A..."
Have you gotten people who read the first one who are just itching to get at the second? I would use your writer friends who have offered (because they want to see what comes next.) I used regular people last time and it worked okay, but I'm really excited to have some of my writer friends who have offered to do it for the next novel. Not only do they know what they are talking about, I think they will give it to you straight and know what to look for.
Kelly wrote: "Raquel wrote: "Peggy wrote: "How do you find them?"I was was wondering the same thing. I could ask friends and family, but I would want an unbiased opinion. At the same time, I don't want to ask ..."
Thanks, Kelly!
Different folks have different takes on beta readers, so answers may vary.
I used my beta reader AFTER my critique group and AFTER my final edits. A beta reader is not an editor or a copy editor. While she may correct grammar or comma usage, her purpose is for the overall story and to find parts that confuse her or parts she really loves.
I also used her before I sent my final MS to my editor.
I recommend joining a local writing group to help with the first round of edits. Your library should be able to help you.
ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy, and that's the when everything else has been done - it's been edited and copy edited, typset, paginated, all that stuff. If all goes well with the world, your final book will match the ARC.
I hope this helps!