Any author who has published a work already, or is in the process of publishing, knows just how important the beta-reading process can be.
Some people may have an overabundance of confidence in their skills and decide to skip this step, maybe even forgoing hiring an editor. That decision often shows through in the final product, so I wouldn't recommend it.
I personally wanted some outside opinions. I know I've got my fair share of shortcomings. Every writer is biased when it comes to their own work, regardless of whether they admit it. But I was always determined to publish something of quality, so gathering those outside perspectives was pivotal.
I worked with two separate editors, one giving more developmental feedback, while the other focused more on technical stuff like sentence structure. They did excellent work, providing balanced critiques, not to mention offering me some necessary reality checks! Once I had gone through the manuscript and implemented many of their suggestions, it was finally time to scout out my test audience: the beta-readers.
Detailed below are a few things I've learned about the beta-reading process from personal experience. If you're a writer thinking of finding some beta-readers for yourself, then I hope you find this helpful!
Step 1: Organize
Long before I was ready to send out requests for beta-readers, I created a document to organize all of my thoughts. This allowed me to gradually work through a recruiting strategy in my head, and come up with ideas ahead of time so I wouldn't be overwhelmed at the last minute. This was vital for me, as I was already anxious about the mere notion of allowing people—strangers or otherwise—to read through my precious, albeit imperfect, manuscript.
Step 2: Research
One of the first things I did when I started my beta research was to look up questions for inspiration. Having a list of questions meant I would have a way to guide betas through the novel, nudging them to leave feedback on certain elements of the book. Asking readers to look out for specific issues with things like plot, pacing, characters, dialogue, and world-building can give them a useful guideline. This way, you encourage the reader to really process what they're reading, and you don't end up with unhelpful responses such as, "I liked it!" (While every writer relishes in the fact that their book is "liked," it unfortunately does not help us improve said book.)
Below is a screenshot of my document.
This displays some questions I found on the internet that I considered, before eventually narrowing it down to ones I felt were the most relevant for my novel.
Step 3: Recruit
I approached my recruitment strategy with two different methods: a public message and a personal message.
I posted my public message to my author Facebook and Instagram pages for the world to see. I tried to keep the post as straightforward as possible, listing the details of the novel and the general expectations I had for potential readers. If anyone expressed interest, I chatted with them in further detail until they either agreed or disagreed to be a beta-reader. This snapshot shows the gist of it:
The personal process was similar, the major difference being that I reached out to specific individuals through email or direct messaging. These were people that I already knew (I had gathered a list of names beforehand). So, I wrote up a script of sorts, one I could quickly copy and paste into messenger. Then I would change the name and any other details as needed so I could address each individual properly.
Step 4: Agree
This was perhaps one of the most critical steps in my recruitment effort. After I had gone over the expectations with each potential reader, I sent them a Written Agreement message. Essentially, I explained if anyone agreed to the terms listed in the message, then their agreement would be treated as a signature on a binding contract. This was a precaution on my part, because protecting my intellectual property is crucial. While I'm a pretty trusting person overall, I didn't want to take chances with something as precious as my manuscript. Every person I interacted with was very understanding of this.
Step 5: Remind
After I had secured my list of readers, I sent the links and turned them loose. But I made sure to come back and message each one individually once the deadline was a month away. This was just to serve as a gentle reminder, so those who agreed to read would remember when the deadline was, and they could adjust schedules accordingly.
Step 6: Triage
This was another handy list I found on the internet and I thought it was such a good idea, so I made sure to include it. Once I'd gathered the last of my feedback, I proceeded to "triage" everything as the list suggests, separating it into the following categories: To Do, Ignore, Cherish, Projects, Consider.
The image below goes into a little more detail.
And there you have it.
The beta-reading process was quite demanding, but the payoff was worth it. It helped me make significant improvements to my manuscript. I hope that these steps will help you organize your thoughts and build a strategy as you dive into your own beta-reading process. If you have any questions that I didn't cover here, feel free to reach out to me in the comments, on my socials, or in an email at hello@seshinault.com and I will do my best to answer!
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