Writing a book is effectively pouring yourself onto the page. When you share your work with others, you are opening yourself up to an entire roller coaster of reactions, the worst of which is (in my opinion) indifference. It is not easy putting your work out there, because it is your project; your baby. But it is important, because you are writing it for others to read - you must know how it looks through their eyes. And that is where beta readers come in.
Beta Reader vs Editor: Know the Difference
A beta reader is very different from an editor. While an editor comes in to check the grammar and structure of your work, a beta reader comes in solely to read your book as a consumer; to check the story and the immersion. They see if your book achieves what it set out to do. Put simply: they are readers, not teachers. They may tell you what is not working, but they probably won't tell you how to fix it. For example, one of the feedbacks I received from my beta readers for my novel, Pariah Princess, was that in the climax they couldn’t really feel the pain of the protagonist - the words insinuated it, but it wasn’t enough for it to be believable. Did the reader give any pointers on how to achieve that? No, but that’s okay because, to be fair, they’re not writers. However, were it not for them, I wouldn't have realized that I hadn’t properly transferred the imagery in my head onto the page, and the climax would have fallen flat and evoked no emotion whatsoever.
The Best Time to Use a Beta Reader
At what point should you get a beta reader? When the book is formatted and ready for printing? At the beginning stages as you write? Is there even one straight answer to this? In my experience, it is best to get a beta reader when you’ve finished making your edits, but haven’t formatted it yet. There’s no point in sending a formatted book to someone who may give feedback that requires changes, which will then ruin your formatting. There is also no need to send your first draft to someone before you line out all the kinks and present a better shaped story. You want to present a draft to your beta reader that is as close to the finished product as possible. That is what you want their feedback on.
Choosing the Right Beta Readers (Hint: Be Honest)
Who qualifies as a beta reader? Anybody, really. It could be your friends, your family, your neighbors. You may even find beta readers online. The important thing to remember is that you’re not looking for people who will keep the truth from you in the name of ‘I didn't want to hurt your feelings’. You want people who will be honest and tell you what works and what doesn’t work.
Ask Better Questions: Guiding our Beta Readers
Avoid asking vague questions. If you simply ask “Did you like it?” it will only get you a vague answer that will neither satisfy nor help you. Remember, the beta reader cannot read your mind, they don’t know what you want to know. So you must guide them. Try asking these questions:
- Did you like it? (Yes, this is still a good question to open up the conversation. After all, why write a book nobody will like?)
- What was the highlight of the story for you?
- Where did you feel pulled out of the story? Did you lose immersion in any place?
- What did you think of the character’s motivation?
- Was the story arc logical?
- What worked in the story, and what didn’t work?
- Did you get lost into the story, or was it a drag and difficult to stick with to the end?
Granted, several of these questions open the door to feedback you may not want to hear, but it is important to know what your story's strengths and weaknesses are. Better you hear about it before you publish and can actually do something about it, than hear about it when the book is already out there on shelves. So expect the positives and the negatives.
Don’t Take It Personally: A Strategy for Tough Feedback
It’s not easy being told where your story fails at ‘story-ing’. I remember many years ago when I wrote a play I wanted to stage. I handed the script to someone I was hoping to cast as one of the leads, feeling very confident that it was a solid, fun script. After all, I had only received positive reviews about it in the past, and now I had given it a fresh coat of paint now that I was a little older and better at writing. Surely this lady would like it, right? Surprise surprise, she sent it back with several pencil markings on each page with comments on what was not working. Talk about a rude shock. I had never experienced that before. I could hardly look at the script for shame and anger. I felt attacked and embarrassed. But much later, when I got the courage to sit and look through her comments, I saw how right she was. She was a lot more experienced in writing than I was, and had a lot of good advice to give. Just because the feedback stung didn’t mean that she was an enemy. So, how do you handle feedback from your beta readers?
It’s not you, it’s the story
Personally, I have to constantly remind myself of something I heard someone say: just because someone doesn’t like my work, it doesn’t mean they don’t like me. It just means they don’t like my work. Period.
Personal Preference vs Genuine Issues
Celebrate the positives, and weed through the negatives. Remember that this is, on the most part, subjective feedback you are receiving. Sometimes negative feedback is based on personal preference as opposed to genuine issues within the plot. How do you distinguish the two? Look at the feedback from the other readers. If three different readers point out the same problem (even if they word it differently) then you know that there is something that needs to be addressed. If it is only one who mentions it, then it might be a preference.
Feedback can come wrapped in lovely bows, or can come like a blow, so if you need to take some time to pause and regroup after receiving the feedback, do it. Put it aside for a day or two, then come back and read through the feedback again, with a fresh mind. And remember, what they think of the story is not what they think about you.
Be gracious
Whether the feedback is positive or negative, always remember to thank them for taking the time to read your book from start to finish and answer your questions. They really are doing you a solid. That being said, at the end of the day, it is your book; your story. You will need to sort through the feedback and use the ones that serve your story, not anybody else’s story, but your story.
Don’t hesitate to work with beta readers. They are an important part of the author process, offering you a glimpse of your story from the reader’s point of view to help you make it greater. And that’s what we want, isn’t it? To make our stories great.
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