writing 4 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: WRITING ADVICE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER

All About Beta Readers

Different pointers regarding betas and what to expect out of the process

by Jenna Moreci

1. What's a beta reader? A beta reader is a non-professional who reads through your story long before publication with the intention of helping you improve your work

2. When should you enlist beta readers? Typically before the professional edit and once you have cleaned up the manuscript, and it is as good as you can possibly get it without the help of a professional.

3. How does the beta process work? The writer will send beta a chunk of chapters or one chapter at a time. Once the reader is finished reading them, the writer will interview them and ask about their experience or will send them a questionnaire to fill out detailing their thoughts and reactions. Then, the reader will send the next section. This process continues until either the book is complete or the beta says "Hey, this book sucks! I don't want to read any more of this crap."

4. How much time should a beta reader take to read the section? The amount of time they take to read will likely depend on the length of the section you've sent to them. Typically, give your beta readers about one week. If you don't hear from them, give them a friendly reminder. If two weeks have passed, you should probably be looking for a replacement. If a month has gone by and you still haven't heard from them, they're not going to read your book. Sorry. 

5. What kind of questions should you ask your betas? typically opinion-based questions:

- What was their favorite part?

- What was their favorite scene?

- Was there any parts they didn't like?

- Was anything boring or didn't make sense?

- Ask about every single character and every single scene that was in the section they just read.

- Ask them their theories and predictions.

- Ask for a rating on the section.

6. How many beta readers do you need? 20 at an absolute minimum

7. Who can be a beta reader? Anyone who likes to read can be a beta reader, but typically readers who reflect your target audience. You want a diverse pool of readers (different genders, sexual orientations, races, etc.). This will give you a wider range of opinions and perspectives. Plus, it will help you determine if you've unknowingly written something offensive.

8. Where do you find beta readers? Uranus! But really, you can find beta readers anywhere because they're just people who read books (Goodreads, reading and writing forums, Wattpad, websites that focus on pairing writers with beta readers, social media, your school, your work, your house, your backyard, wherever).

All you have to do is post a status update on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter. Provide an explanation of what your book is about, its genre, the target audience, if there is any adult content in it, and what you're looking for in a beta reader. After that, ask specific information from everyone who's interested in reading (name, age, gender, email address, social media usernames, why they want to be a beta reader, and a list of genres, books, and TV shows they typically enjoy, etc.) Then all you have to do is see who volunteers!

9. The Introduction: Before you ship the chapters off, you gotta have a little chat with your betas. 

Tell them how the process works and explain how the exchange of chapters goes down, how they should expect to receive the chapters, how they should send their answers. Give them an expected time frame (like one section per week). Tell them to be honest and ramble away! Tell them that their answers should be honest and long. All of my betas are expected to provide a least a paragraph worth of content for the majority of the questions. Explain that you not only want to hear their opinions, but I also want to know WHY these are their opinions. I don't know, I don't remember, and I don't have an opinion are perfectly acceptable answers, provided they're honest. Not everyone is going to have an answer to every single question, and that's fine. Tell them that the questions must be answered as soon as the section is finished, that way, the information is still fresh on the beta's mind. Inform them that the manuscript is copyrighted. Tell them that they can relax. It's Casual. They don't have to proofread their answers, they don't have to write in a proper format, emojis and memes are fine and fun. Just let them be themselves! The beta process is supposed to be fun! Most importantly, betas are supposed to feel comfortable because comfortable betas are honest betas. Also, explain that the first three chapters are preliminary. Give them three chapters to get a feel for the process. If by chapter three, they're still not getting how it works or they're not being very helpful, peacefully part ways. Inform them that they can quit at any time. Make your only request that they inform you when they need to quit, that way, you can replace them. Then after all of that, ask the beta if they're still interested in moving forward. If yes, then move on to the next step.

10. Choosing a beta format: questionnaires or interviews

In either format, ask the following questions:

- What are your initial thoughts and reactions?

- What was your favorite part(s) and why?

- Were there any parts you didn't like and why? 

- Were there any characters you didn't like and why?

- Were there any issues you noticed

- What are your thoughts about the main character in this chapter and why do you think or feel this way?

- What were your thoughts on character A, B, & C (every single character that appeared in the chapter)?

- What were your thoughts on scene X, Y, & Z (every scene in the chapter)?

- Why do you think ___ happened?

- Were any parts confusing or unclear?

- On a scale of 1-10 (or 1-5), how much did you enjoy this chapter?

- Do you have any predictions or theories?

11. Now once your beta finishes the book it's all over, right? Wrong!!!

Once your beta reaches the end of your book, close things off with a special interview featuring extra questions like this:

- On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy this novel?

- If you didn't give it a perfect score, what could have made it a 10 in your eyes?

- What were your favorite parts?

- Would you consider this story too predictable?

- What genre would you say this novel falls under?

- What books, movies, and TV shows would you compare it to?

- Who do you feel the target audience would be?

- Would you recommend this book to a friend?

12. Analysis: Compare the feedback. Look for trends both positive and negative. 

Use color coordination. For example:

Praise = yellow

Criticism = blue

Questions/Confusion = green

Accurate Predictions & Theories = purple

This makes the strengths and weaknesses in your manuscript a lot clearer.

The Rule of Three: If three readers mention a specific negative opinion, it usually becomes a trend. Once a third beta makes the same comment, immediately try to tackle the issue.