Beta readers are a great resource for getting feedback from enfranchised readers (people who are well immersed in the genre and type of content that you’ve created) on how market-ready your book is in its current form. Today, let’s go through the purpose of beta readers and how they help you on the path to publishing. Plus, at the end we’ll share some FREE RESOURCES to send to your beta readers.

Whenever I speak with a new author who’s looking for a content edit, I always ask them if they’ve had strangers read their book before coming to me. This question is multi-faceted. First, all the questions a writer has at this stage they want the editor to answer—”Does it flow? Does my message come across clearly? Are parts of it boring or confusing? Does my book have an impact?”—ultimately boil down to one overarching question:

Will readers connect with my book?

While an editor can give you a simulated response and help shape your book to the general market’s expectations, as an author your unspoken doubt about this question will continue to linger until you get your book in the market’s hands. Start with a clear and resounding answer to that question. Having enfranchised readers tell you whether or not they connect with your book will either give you the confidence you need to make some small tweaks and keep on promoting or will give you a clear direction in the types of big overhauls you’ll need to make before moving on to professional edit.

Next, you want strangers to read your book and not friends and family because strangers have no stakes in hurting your feelings. Friends and family will always view your book through the lens of their personal context with you. They won’t see it for the merit it holds on its own as a competitor in its genre market; they’ll just judge whether or not it best represents who they think you are and frame their responses in such a way that preserves your good will towards them. Which is fine. Our personal community loves us for who we are, not what we accomplish in the publishing world, and that’s how it should be.

But strangers will tell you whether or not their expectations, based on previous experiences with comparable titles in the market, were met with your book, and they’ll tell you how it falls short. To be successful in any book market, you need to accomplish two things:

• Meet the genre expectations of your enfranchised readers, such as how you balance your memories and reflections, what kind of application steps you supply, etc.
• Subvert some of the more cliché expectations in such a way that makes your book feel unique and not like another regurgitated copy of the same old, same old.

When approaching beta readers, tell them that you’re on the publishing path for your new novel and that you’re giving away advanced reader copies in exchange for honest feedback on the flow and structure of your plot/characters/themes. People love free stuff, they love reading, and they love helping people. If someone volunteers, they’re going to be an asset.

I highly recommend you send your manuscript as either an encrypted PDF (that a reader can view but not copy-and-paste) or as a view-only Google Doc with an expiration date on the shared permissions.

Besides sending your manuscript file, what else should you share with your beta readers? Well, I recommend the following additional resources:

• Attach a copyright page to the front of your manuscript. This helps protect your manuscript as your intellectual property.
• Are you writing something that contains highly confidential material that could be potentially damaging to share before you have your publishing attorney look it over? Then, and only then, do I recommend you include a non-disclosure agreement for your beta readers to sign before they receive your manuscript.
• A letter for the beta reader that works as an introduction to your book, what kind of feedback you’re looking for, and how they can help you. This letter includes several goodies for your beta readers:
  • A blurb about your book so they have an idea of what kind of story they’re getting into.
  • Instructions for three tiers of feedback they can leave you in the book. As the author, you can let your readers pick which tier works best for their schedule, or only include in the letter the tier that you want all readers to utilize. These tiers include (1) manuscript comments, (2) end-of-chapter questions, and (3) end-of-novel questions.
  • A clear deadline for when you need the feedback returned, and instructions on what they should do if they don’t want to finish the book.
  • An incentive paragraph for returning feedback on time. 

Send these items at the top of your manuscript file, with the exception of the NDA which should be sent as a separate file.

Want a free template of each of these suggested resources? Download a copy right now for FREE. You don’t have to pay, sign up for anything, subscribe to anything, nothing. No strings attached.

Once you get the feedback from readers, take stock with a grain of salt. Always thank your readers for their feedback; don’t fight them on the comments they leave when you disagree. Not everyone is going to love every aspect of your book—nor should they. It’s your job, as the author, to determine whether or not their comments guide your draft to its final form and make the necessary revisions. As a famous author once said, “Readers almost always know when something is wrong with a book, but they’re almost always wrong with their suggestions on how to fix it.”

Overwhelmed with the task of slogging through review comments? You can always compile the feedback and send it to a professional editor. They’ll help you make sense of the reader consensus and create a revision plan for you to follow.

When compiling the feedback of multiple readers, I like to make a chart that compiles the biggest pros and cons mentioned by readers in each chapter. See what’s an overwhelming consensus, what’s the unusual outlier, and what’s a hidden gem from one particularly insightful reader. It looks something like this:

Beta readers are an essential part of any writer’s toolbox, whether you’re traditionally publishing or an indie author. The right mix of beta readers can help you polish and hone your book in ways you can’t see, and they also make the business of writing a little less lonely. Look for beta readers who can not only offer constructive criticism but also cheer you on when you’re stuck or have reached a rough patch.

Want to learn more about how to approach prospective beta readers? Check out our follow-up article “How to Find Beta Readers!”