A beta reader is someone who reads and reviews your writing for you. They could be someone you pay as a professional reader, but it’s far more likely you’ll use a friend or family member, a fellow writer, or a volunteer. Each will bring a unique perspective.
Check the Basics
Check your writing for grammatical and spelling mistakes before sending it to beta readers
- ProWritingAid is an effective way to eliminate these mistakes
- It goes far deeper than a simple spelling checker, giving you a complete analysis of your writing
- Correct mistakes with just a few clicks
Ask Specific Questions
Asking specific questions ensures you’ll get comments about areas that are worrying you
- Create a list of follow-up questions to bring up if they aren’t mentioned in the feedback you receive
- Pacing
- Transitions
- Level of information
- World-Building
- Characters
Final thoughts
A beta reader doesn’t replace an editor, but they give you a reader’s impression of your writing.
- Using a beta reader means when you send work to an editor it is as good as you can make it
- Prepare your work thoroughly before sending it to your beta readers to get the most from the experience
ProWritingAid
It’s the best tool for making sure your copy is strong, clear, and error-free
- Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting.
- When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum, or battling against the wilderness of her garden – the garden is winning!
Decide How You Will Thank Them
Generally, beta readers will review your work for free.
- Offer them something in return
- A free copy of your book, a mention in the acknowledgements, a reciprocal arrangement where you offer to beta-read their book in return, or payment
Improve Your Readability
It should be easy to read your writing, even if you’re talking about a hard concept.
- Improving readability means looking at each paragraph to see how easy it is to read and breaking up dense, complex sections of text
- Read your work aloud to find problems with readability
Plan Your Deadlines
Being open about your deadlines will help you find beta readers who have the time available to help you.
Find the Best Beta Readers for You
Relatives and close friends are unlikely to raise problems or give you the honest feedback you need.
- Choose people who aren’t afraid to be honest, friends-of-friends, and people from your target audience. Look for beta readers who are reliable.
Get the Structure of Your Scenes and Chapters Right
Go through several rounds of self-editing before sending it to a beta reader
- Look at the bigger picture to check the overall structure and flow of each scene
- ProWritingAid.com will help you identify potential problems
Choose the Best Document Format
Every beta reader will have different suggestions to make and will have their own way of working. Avoid saving your work as a PDF or any other document type that stops them from adding comments.
- Make your text clear to read by increasing the space between your lines, using spacing options, and choosing a sensible font size.
