SPoaB Guide: A Free Self-Publishing on a Budget Guide

Honest Alpha and Beta Readers

This is part of a four-part series on Alpha and Beta Readers. This is also my favorite of the four parts.

It is crucial in your writing to find Honest Alpha and Beta Readers!

Let that sink in. You need them. Desperately! Honest ones! So find them!

Here's how I define Alpha and Beta Readers:

Alpha Readers: Those who read your really, really rough manuscript and give you feedback. They have to be built of sturdy stuff if they are to read something so rough.

Beta Readers: Those who read your touched up manuscript to give you feedback (after you have fixed the mistakes the Alpha Readers pointed out).

But here's the problem: It is easy to surround yourself with people who will tell you your writing is wonderful. What can be difficult is to ask for feedback from people who will be honest. The reason it's hard is because they will point out areas that need attention. This is hard to hear.

Keep this in mind: The people who tell you what you want to hear make you feel good. Honest readers make you successful.

I have been blessed with a group of people who have been very honest with me. You need that as well. Here's why:

Have you ever watched America's Got Talent or the X-Factor? Or maybe American Idol?
Scores of talented, quality singers step up to the mic and blow us away with their talent and ability. Some may even bring a tear to your eye.
There are others, however, who also bring a tear to our eyes, but it's because they are tone deaf. These poor singers cannot sing to save their life. It's really difficult to watch. The hardest part about it is, however, they think they sing like angels. When someone on the show tells them they can't sing, they are completely shocked and sometimes they disagree vehemently.

I think the important question to ask is this: How did this happen?

How did they get so far in life that they could end up standing in front of perhaps thousands of people and be on TV in front of millions of viewers and have no idea that they can't sing? They have no idea at all!

Did no one ever tell them they were off key? Did everyone always just tell them they were the best singers in the world?

It is a sad truth that in our attempts to be kind and encouraging, we convince people who CANNOT sing that they CAN sing. Would it not be more kind to pull them aside and lovingly say, "Hey, I know it sounds good to you, but you might be a little off... maybe lessons might help." I do not mean we should say that in a rough, cruel way, but in kindness. To hear this kind of thing is hard, but I would personally prefer to hear that from a friend than step up on the stage on America's Got Talent and humiliate myself in front of millions of people.

Speaking as a guy who is married to a Vocal Coach and Teacher, I know that a little bit of direction from a qualified person can go a LONG ways. Some of those people, if they had some direction, might have been amazing, rather than humiliated.

What about you? Do you have people around you who will (in kindness) tell you what you need to hear about your book? What if your writing stinks? Do you want to publish your book without getting it fixed up first? Your readers will not be as positive and affirming as your mom when she reads your book.

Or what if part of your book stinks and you could fix it? What if no one ever told you that one simple change could fix your writing and you ended up published without ever having fixed it? What if your book could be a hundred times better if you changed or dropped one single chapter or touched up one character, but no one said a word?