Beta reading is one of the most nerve wracking parts of self-editing your novel. Typically it is the first time an author shows off their work at least in its entirety, and waiting for feedback can feel like torture akin to slowly removing fingernails.
One great way to help calm those nerves is to put together a dynamite beta reader team. We suggest a group of at least three to five readers and no more than ten that have a variety of points of view on your novel. What kind of diversity should you be trying to include? Well, some of that depends upon the types of readers you’re hoping to hook, but there are some things all writers should consider:
A Breadth of Personal Familiarity
For many of the authors I talk with, they are hesitant to share their manuscript with family and friends. It’s true, strangers and other beta readers are going to be more objective, and in many cases they will also be more knowledgeable about the mechanics of writing and story building. But, there is still value to be found in having a cheerleader by your side. Friends and family may have a harder time articulating things they want to see changed, but they are so deeply, emotionally involved with the will to see your book move forward that involving them will keep a fire under your butt on days when you feel uninspired.
Generally speaking, I would say that a good beta reading team is largely people you barely know, a few colleagues, and at least one person with whom you are rather close.
A Breadth of Reading Styles
This may come as a surprise, but I don’t think it’s in your best interest to have writers and other industry professionals exclusively in your beta reading group. Don’t only include people who are part of your writing group or people you met in book club. Don’t even populate your beta readership with people who obsessively read your favorite authors. You need a balance.
If you’re writing a romance, get a romance book club to read it. They’ll be great for comparing your work against other things they loved and didn’t. But unless that’s the only kind of reader you want to market to (no judgement Nicholas Sparks), you should get some more beta readers: close readers, casual readers, bestseller-only readers, etc.
A Breadth of Industry Knowledge
Professional beta readers and writers with industry knowledge are going to know things like how marketable the book is, if it meets the conventions of the genre, how to pinpoint a moment in a scene that needs work. It’s invaluable information when you’re still in the earlier stages of editing your manuscript.
But, these people who read intensely and analytically have things they’re less likely to catch than an average reader: where did they felt they needed to take a break, how satisfying your ending was, which characters they felt most connected to. These intuitive insights are more akin to how an average reader will interact with your story once it is published, and there’s no way to fabricate it.
A Breadth of Diversity
Knowing our readership, I probably don’t need to say this. But don’t have people who look just like you read your books! Get a few ages, walks of life, nationalities, races, sexualities, gender identities, etc. Even though you shouldn’t be trying to appeal to all readers, you should be trying to treat everyone with decency and respect in your novels. You’re going to have blindspots without representation in your review team. Cancel culture is real, y’all, but hopefully it isn’t your only motivation for getting these kinds of details right.
To put yourself in the best possible scenario, you want beta readers that are different from yourself. Sure, maybe one person who has a lot of the same sensibilities as you should review it to catch you when you’re off your game, but this is the best opportunity you have at seeing what the general public will think of your story. Leverage it as you continue manuscript editing.
Comentários