Beta-Reading Is Not Meant For First Drafts

[Anita]

Thank you! I’d add, it’s OK to look for CPs—critique partners — for your WIP. These are the folks who are fellow writers & they can give you feedback on big picture issues, like plot holes & characterization, as well as the line editing stuff for word choice, etc. Ideally, you’d look for CPs after your Alpha reader goes over the first draft several times, but not everyone is fortunate enough to find a good Alpha — it’s tricky.

[Tito]

Hallelujah! I thought I was just being a cranky old man!

I never ask for a Beta-read until I'm reasonably satisfied with the project myself. The closer the draft is to 'final', the more relevant will be the Beta-readers comments. Why ask someone to spend hours on material that's going to be changed anyway? I think that is insulting to a free Beta, and a waste of money if you pay a professional.

But back to being a cranky old man... Most of the manuscripts I have Beta-read were well advanced, far enough to make meaningful comments about a wide range of issues such as sentence structure and 'voice' of characters as well as the usual plot holes, etc. This allows me to give a more complete assessment.

A few have been much more preliminary. Some I have read for a dozen pages, sometimes a few dozen. Then I summarise the main problems and the main strengths as I tell the writer that I don't think I can be of any more use.

In one case I have pressed through to the end even though it was obviously not much more than a first draft, because the core concept was just so good that I wanted the writer to be assured the work was worth the effort of bleeding for.

So all you writers who want a Beta-read; the more progressed the work is, the more value you will get out of it. But if your real need is a partner in the development of the work, or even a co-author, then be honest enough to say so.

[Nat]

So, first, I used to think that way, but now I'm going to disagree here. Betaing is up to what you and your partner agree to.

If your beta reader only wants final drafts, then only send him/her a final draft.

However, I beta read for many people, award winners even, and MOST do not give me a final draft. I get mid-drafts and we're not focusing on the line editing, their editor gets to that. We're focusing on plot arcs and character arcs and major broad strokes that can and will change the story with a useful beta. Places where it's slow, or there's blocking issues, etc. Wasting time on a line edit during a beta read is just that, a waste of time.

I will say this, that when they were 'new' authors, they tended to only send me finals. But now with deadlines and series timings, etc, they don't have time to give me a polish when a major plot/character point might change. Right now I'm betaing the first half of a book, because she's still writing the second half. She's on deadline. The book has to be over 700 pages. We work it out together.

UNLESS, you and your partner agree that line editing is something you want.

It's up to you and your partner.

[Tito]

Nat wrote: "So, first, I used to think that way, but now I'm going to disagree here. Betaing is up to what you and your partner agree to.

If your beta reader only wants final drafts, then only send him/her a ..."

Hi Nat,

I think we are saying much the same thing, even if from opposite corners. Whatever consenting adults agree to do together is fine by me.

I prefer at least a first-polish, but I have read preliminaries when I can see that it won't be a waste of time. If someone wants a Beta fort a VERY preliminary draft, then I think it is better to call it a 'critique partner' rather than a Beta.

We might be using different terminology, that's all. So long as a writer makes it clear what stage the manuscript has reached, all is well.

[Tito]

Joshua wrote: "A 700 pages book?"

Hi Joshua,

'Appropriate length' depends on genre. My 'Other Rome' series was a trilogy plus a companion volume, each about 600 pages if stripped of forward, notes, maps, etc. That woks out around 250k words each.

Many BIG NAME writers go over 700 pages in a single novel. McCullough, Courtney and deBernieres spring to mind.

[Liahona]

When I first started my writing journey, I did it all backwards. Wrote the book, then looked for betas. I didn't do critique partnerships or editing, except for spelling and grammar. I've since learned and my book is much better for it.

[Anita]

Yep! CPs are the best, aren't they?!