Getting The Most Out Of Your Beta Readers
Whether free or paid, beta readers are an invaluable source of feedback for authors, helping to take your story from good to great. Here are some tips to get the most out of them.
Beta readers are one of the best resources an author can have, they’re a dedicated group of people ready to read your book and give you feedback to help you improve. Here I’ll go through a few things you can do to get the most out of your beta readers.
Ask Questions
I’ve beta read dozens if not hundreds of books and having a little questionnaire at the end (and sometimes one or two in the middle) has been something I’ve really appreciated.
To really help your beta readers give the feedback that will help you the most, avoid questions that force simple yes/no answers like “did you enjoy the book?” and replace them with more open ended questions like “what did you enjoy about the book?” Don’t forget to add the opposing questions “what didn’t you enjoy about the book?” too!
Give Them An Out
The hardest thing, as a beta reader, is to tell an author their book isn’t for you. Equally, it’s a gruelling process to continue reading another 300 pages of something you just don’t like.
Authors: give your beta readers a way out!
This can be as simple as sending them a check-up email a few weeks into the beta read with an opt out form (you can use Google Forms for this). Add to the form a short set of questions asking why they decided to leave – make them open-ended, it could be something has happened like a family emergency!
If someone does opt out, that tells you as much as someone finishing your book. Whatever the reasons they give, ask your next beta readers questions related to them to see how you can best improve that aspect of your novel!
(I would recommend only giving an out to free beta readers – paid beta readers should finish your novel!)
Divide And Conquer!
Split your beta readers up into groups and give each group questions focused on a different aspect. Your aim is to get a mix of free and paid beta readers in each of these groups.
Say you have 20 beta readers, consider splitting them into 4 groups of 5 with a division something like this:
Group 1 will have questions centred around characters and their arcs.
Group 2 will have questions centred around the plot and subplots.
Group 3 will have questions centred around pacing and structure.
Group 4 will have a more general set of questions that covers all of the other areas in less detail.
If you’re working in a genre that requires world building, perhaps consider adding a fifth group whose questions are centred around that.
The goal of this is to ensure you get good feedback on all the essential aspects of your story. Giving your beta readers a focus when they read your book can radically change the depth and quality of the feedback you receive.
Offer Anonymity
This is probably the scariest of the lot (we’ve all seen anonymous comments on the internet) but it can really help. Some people struggle with giving critical feedback, so giving them the option to hide their face can really help.
It’s probably the least essential tip on this list but giving people the choice can make them feel more comfortable telling you what they really think.
Thank Them!
There’s nothing better than getting an unexpected thank you from authors you’ve beta read for. I have a dozen or so books on my shelves that authors gifted me when they published as a way of saying thanks.
You don’t have to go this far (an ebook of the finished novel or a custom bookmark are other great ideas) but showing gratitude is a sure way to make your beta readers feel appreciated and wanting to help with your future novels (some may even leave kind reviews when you publish!).
If this has been helpful for you, consider sharing with other writers. If you have any questions about editing or the editorial process, get in touch and I’ll be happy to help!