To Beta or not to Beta

Although writing is seen as a pretty solitary occupation, no-one can really be an effective writer on their own. They need people who believe in them and will encourage them to keep going when the inconvenient muse is silent for a while or even disappears entirely. They need someone to cajole them when faced with the temptation to give up or commiserate when the characters refuse to stay within the parameters you set for them, or the story seems flat. I needed someone to physically support me, as I wasn’t earning any money and couldn’t contribute to household bills. This could be a whole group of different people, or just one, enabling a writer to plod on and not give up.

For me, however, the real unsung heroes in my journey are my beta readers.

For those who don’t know, beta readers are the people who go through your drafts, wincing at the bad spelling and poor grammar, and who give you their opinion on plot, character, pacing and readability. They tell you when they get bored or confused. They point out the parts that made them emotional or gave them a little shiver down their spine. They help you refine your work, and their input creates a better story than the one you would have otherwise had.

My sister was one of my first betas. She is incredibly organised and even created a timeline for my first book to help keep track of where Reez was in his life, something that I ended up emulating when my edits started to get confused. My niece was another. A throwaway comment she made about being confused about Reez’s age made me realise that I had completely mixed up the plotlines in the middle of the book and needed to do some serious work to get it straightened out.

I have to say that quite a few others said they would do the job, but never came through. I sent the manuscript off with my crib sheet, looking forward to their insights and opinions, but they never returned it. Did they find the book too boring and didn’t want to offend me? Did they discover that, actually, they didn’t have the time in their lives to do it justice? I don’t know. An explanation would have been nice.

Being a beta reader is a big responsibility, but it is a hugely important part of the writing process. So, if you are looking for people to fill the role, or thinking of doing it for yourself, here are a few do’s and don’ts.

For Beta Readers

1. Be honest.

Yes, we are fragile creatures, but in order to improve, a writer needs to know what is working and, more importantly, what isn’t. If you struggled to understand something, say so. The chances are if you found a plot point confusing or a character two-dimensional, others will too. This is not the time to hold back for fear of hurting the authors feelings (although keep point 2 in mind when you do it!)

2. Be kind.

There are ways of being critical that can destroy a writer. A beta reader needs to weigh their feedback carefully and be more constructive with their words. Instead of saying “Your world sucks and your magic doesn’t make any sense,” it would be kinder and more helpful to say “I would love to see more detail about your world, especially the place where the main character lives. Also, how does the magic work? I’d really like a deeper explanation.” A good rule is to make sure you point out the good stuff as well as the bad. Highlight a word or phrase that was really good. Tell them how a passage or chapter made you feel.

3. Be prompt.

In the beginning, it didn’t really matter if people took three or six months to beta my manuscript. After all, I had no publisher breathing down my neck and it was up to me when I finished. Now I am published, there is a growing pressure to get the next book out, and the last thing I need is for my beta readers to be tardy with their feedback. Please stick to the deadline the writer gives you. If possible, get it done before the deadline. They will be forever grateful, I promise!

4. Be trustworthy

The manuscript might be rough and the story incomplete, but it is still the intellectual property of the writer. Don’t share it with others or leak it to websites. I remember Stephanie Meyers being devastated when a friend who she trusted leaked the draft of “Midnight Sun” to the internet in 2008, and she decided to stop writing it. Beta readers are guardians of the story and should never violate the trust that has been shown them. Quite frankly, I would be hugely embarrassed to have my first scribblings displayed for everyone to see, unless I decided to put them out there myself.

5. Be realistic.

Don’t offer to read a manuscript and then not bother. Think carefully about the commitment you are about to make and work it into your weekly schedule. You can’t decide to give up part way through because you are bored or become more interested in something else. One of my friends told me upfront that she couldn’t commit to reading the whole book but would do the first chapter and tell me whether she would have been hooked. That was a great help as grabbing the reader at the beginning is really important.

For Writers

If you are a writer, and you find a couple of people willing to beta for you, it is really helpful to give them a deadline to work to. I suggest you give at least three or four weeks so that they have chance to do the manuscript justice.

Provide a feedback sheet with questions you want them to focus on. If you are concerned with worldbuilding rather than character development or pacing for instance, make your questions subject specific.

Don’t get upset when the feedback arrives. Hopefully, your betas will be sensitive and kind in their critique, but it can still feel as if they are tearing your heart out through your chest, especially if you’re new to this. Take a deep breath and try and be as objective as possible. If necessary, leave it alone for a few weeks and then come back to it.

Don’t feel you have to change things just because one person says so. This is your story, and you have the right to tell it your way. However, if the same point is made by several people, it may be worth rethinking things.

Be grateful. Your betas have probably given a lot of time and effort to the task, usually for free. The least you can do is say thank you. Don’t forget to mention them in your acknowledgements when you publish.

Finally, if anyone is reading this and they would like to be a beta reader, I’m currently on the hunt for a replacement. Get in touch with me. I’d love to have you join my tribe!