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You might be asking yourself, “What is a Beta reader?” A Beta reader is someone who will read your manuscript and give you feedback from a reader’s point of view. This could be a friend, a stranger you met online, or someone you paid to review your story. The big thing is that your Beta readers are honest with you about their thoughts on your book.

When should I look for a Beta reader? I prefer to use Beta readers after I have already gone through my manuscript at least once, having attempted to straighten out any glaring plot holes or inexcusable grammar. I do this because Beta reading takes time, and I want to get the best feedback possible to improve my novel.

What should I ask my Beta readers to look for? Generally, I have found that Beta readers excel at helping identify plot holes, pacing issues, and character arcs. I like to ask them questions such as:

1. When did you start liking the main character?

2. Were there any parts of the story that confused you, or took you out of the moment while reading?

3. What parts made you excited?

4. What parts did you want to skip over?

5. Was the ending satisfying? Why or why not?

Also, I usually ask my Beta readers to disregard minor punctuation and grammar issues, and focus much heavier on my plot and characters. If I am deleting a whole scene because it I changed a plot twist, then the wrong semi-colon in the middle of the paragraph doesn’t really matter.

Lastly, don’t forget to thank your Beta readers for their time and effort, but remember to take their words with a grain of salt. After all, YOU are the only person who can tell your story.

All my best!

RL Platt