Beta reading comes with some unspoken rules, both for the reader and the writer. We’ve experienced readers who offer little to no help because they either do nothing but gush about our brilliance, or their critiques are harsh and unfounded. The first is the most harmful. While we all enjoy a good pat on the back, we don’t want it from our beta readers. The second, while not always harmful, makes the experience difficult, and often the critique is useless because we can’t put aside the anger or hurt feelings at the reader’s insensitive manner. On the other side, we’ve seen writers who can’t handle critiques and become defensive or hostile with the readers. Their work is genius and they dare anyone to say otherwise. Good luck keeping beta readers that way.
Beta Reader Etiquette
Don’t be vague. When pointing out problems, don’t use vague generalities, such as: “This is awkward.” Be specific, what is it that is awkward? Is it the sentence, the idea, the entire paragraph?
Make suggestions. Show the writer how you would solve the problem. Of course, these suggestions may be ignored, and that’s fine. When you make suggestions, remember to watch your tone. Be firm and decisive, but respectful. Avoid personal or potentially offensive comments, even if joking.
Some writers will advise beta readers to point out good points for every bad point. We’re going to stray away from the herd here and say that, yes, we should point out good points, but the entire purpose of the beta reader is to fix what’s wrong. Positive feedback doesn’t do that. It is polite and makes it easier for the writer to digest all of these criticisms, so now and then, add a point about what was done well, but these need not balance the negative comments.
Be honest. As readers, it’s crucial that we are honest. We can’t sugarcoat or leave out problems because we worry it might upset the writer. If said writer can’t handle the comments, then that writer isn’t ready to publish. Also be honest about time. Typically when we hand off our manuscripts, we have an idea of how long we want the reader to take. If the writer asks for it back in a couple of weeks and the reader can’t do this, we need to know. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for that reader to finish.
Writer Etiquette
No matter what the feedback might be, we always thank our beta readers for their time. Even if there isn’t a single suggestion we can use, the reader took time out of their lives to read our manuscript, and we should show appreciation for that effort.
Examine each suggestion with the same attention. The ones that we instinctively reject should get extra attention. Not everything the beta reader suggests will be helpful, but we have to remember that they see things we cannot because we’re too close to the work. If more than one reader comments on a certain point, it’s likely we need to examine the issue and make changes.
Resist the urge to explain. If we choose not to use a suggestion, we don’t have to rifle off an email stating which one we’re ignoring and why. Once we have thanked the reader that is the end of it. We make the decisions privately, and we don’t debate areas we don’t agree with.
Watch what we say and where we say it. The publishing industry is actually a small world, especially among genre writers. If we’ve selected a beta reader from a critique group for example, who ends up being less than helpful, we don’t share this with other members or on our blogs, Twitter, or Facebook updates. Why? Odds are it will go back to the reader, or someone who knows the reader. Sure, we might not care to have that person read for us again, but what about the twenty other potential readers who witness our very unprofessional behavior? If we’re not happy with a critique, we keep it to ourselves.
Caveats
When sending a manuscript to beta readers, there are a few words of caution we’d like to offer for writers.
Be clear on what you want but don’t dictate
In other words, don’t ask for anything specific such as grammar edits or characterization comments. We want a reader’s point of view of the manuscript overall. When the reader asks what we are looking for, we ask for his thoughts and suggestions for improvement. We don’t list a bunch of instructions. Why? The reader will focus on the details of our list and miss other issues they may have noticed without the distraction. The reader might also see the error, but leave it because it involves something we didn’t ask for.
Don’t argue or discuss
Never assume that our readers should understand any part of our manuscript. If the idea or scene is misconstrued by the reader, it’s up to us to examine it and determine if the issue is muddy. The only time discussion is necessary is when a reader makes a comment that we don’t understand. For example, he says “This is awkward. Why do they have these?” but hasn’t highlighted anything so that we know what he means. We can discuss to clarify these points. Sometimes readers use unfamiliar terms or symbols. These are also okay to discuss and clarify.
Record each item and compare
Do not edit the manuscript each time it comes back from a reader. We compile the feedback and wait until all readers have offered suggestion and then we examine and make changes. The reason for this is simple. If each reader makes a different suggestion for a single scene, then we’re looking at multiple changes which can lead to ruining what we had in the first place. Also, we might be tempted to ignore a comment that is made by subsequent readers as well. We see this immediately when it’s all there in front of us. More than one reader noticing something usually means there is something there that we should consider changing.
Choose the right beta readers
If the beta reader we’ve chosen doesn’t suit our style, genre, or knowledge of writing, it just won’t work. Family, friends, and other writers aren’t often ideal readers. Why? Family and friends don’t want to hurt our feelings and often their comments are skewed because they want to be as gentle as they can. Of course there are exceptions to this; some writers have family members who are brutal readers. These people are lucky. Most of us don’t have that resource.
The problem we find with other writers as beta readers lies in a few areas. First, does the writer have the same amount of knowledge and skill as we do? Less? Nope. More? Great. The problem is that if the writer doesn’t know about plot or characterization, or if she is still working out the kinks in her own voice she won’t be able to spot what we need her to spot. We also need writers that write the same genre, as these writers will know what readers like and dislike.
Great beta readers include teachers, librarians, avid readers, and experts in the fields we’ve depicted. If we’ve written a courtroom drama or a legal thriller, a lawyer or someone in law enforcement can provide excellent feedback on our information. This type of reader can suggest improvements as well. A nurse or physician might provide valuable characterization tips for our protagonist who is in his first year of medical school. These are the readers who provide the feedback we need.
Teachers are a great choice because often grammar and language usage won’t slip by their astute eyes. English teachers are often well read and accustomed to a variety of genres and writing ability. Tips, suggestions, and some feedback on where we are weakest are commonly what we’ll get from this beta reader.
Avid readers know what they like and what they don’t. These beta readers may not know why they don’t like it, but they’re sure about the problem areas and this is what we want.
And again, we always remember to thank our readers. Let each reader know he was helpful (even if he wasn’t) and thank him for taking the time to read.
Beta reading comes with some unspoken rules, both for the reader and the writer. We’ve experienced readers who offer little to no help because they either do nothing but gush about our brilliance, or their critiques are harsh and unfounded. The first is the most harmful. While we all enjoy a good pat on the back, we don’t want it from our beta readers. The second, while not always harmful, makes the experience difficult, and often the critique is useless because we can’t put aside the anger or hurt feelings at the reader’s insensitive manner. On the other side, we’ve seen writers who can’t handle critiques and become defensive or hostile with the readers. Their work is genius and they dare anyone to say otherwise. Good luck keeping beta readers that way.
Beta Reader Etiquette