The deadline for sending my newest manuscript, Exit Signs, was quickly approaching. I needed a test audience to tell me if this story was any good. I needed beta readers.
What is a beta reader?
A beta reader is a volunteer who reads over a rough manuscript and offers feedback on what’s working and what’s not. This feedback can range from a general reaction to a full-on critique.
Why is a beta reader important? I can give you an example of how beta readers helped me with my latest manuscript.
I’m extremely lucky that I mentor a group of writers in a critique group that meets nearly every week. Over a glass of wine, we read excerpts from our WIPs (works in progress) to each other and talk out what we like and what we don’t like.
When I finished Exit Signs and readied it to go to the publisher for editing, I asked our group to read the manuscript and give me their feedback. They caught a lot of things I hadn’t seen when I edited the manuscript myself. Some of what they pointed out were typos, of course, but they also flagged questionable dialogue and action. They pointed out where I’d used the same word or phrase way too many times.
All of it was easily fixed. But what became increasingly evident was the troubling ending.
I’d kept waffling when I wrote the ending; I’d changed it multiple times. The group's take was mixed. Some liked it, and some didn’t. My agent disliked the ending, but a professional editor who had looked at the book liked it.
Hell, I was uneasy about how the book ended, but wasn’t sure why.
I had one more beta reader that I hadn’t heard from, so I cornered her before a meeting we were both attending and asked her what she thought. I had asked her to read my work because she’s a fan of my past books and she reads constantly. She was brutally honest. She hated the ending.
In one simple sentence, she asked a question that showed me the problem. “Where is the character arc?”
It was like a flash of light. The protagonist had gone through hell but essentially ended up in exactly the same place he started. He hadn’t grown. He hadn’t learned anything.
I added a few pages to the ending, changing it completely, and it was infinitely more satisfying.
I asked that beta reader why she’d waited so long to talk to me. She said, “I was afraid to criticize your work.”
That’s the whole idea of a beta reader. Tell me what you think.
Why have beta readers? When a company rolls out a new product or advertisement, they’ll test it with people they hope represent their customer base. For a writer, beta readers are your test audience.
If you can, find someone who enjoys the same genre that you’re working on. I had a mix of writers and readers look at Exit Signs, but they all enjoy mysteries.
My advice is to find readers who don’t mind criticizing your work. Writers should have a thick skin. If you want to be a writer, you’d better be able to hear someone say that they didn’t like what you wrote and why.
It’s the why that’s most important. You can’t fix a problem unless you know what the problem is.
Look for the release of Exit Signs, due for publication in May 2027.