I’ve reached an exciting point in writing my current work-in-progress—I’m about to send the manuscript out to beta readers. Writers define and use “beta readers” differently. I now use them when the basic plot is baked (though details can still be tweaked), when I’ve edited the manuscript fairly well (though there are likely typos and grammar issues to correct), and when the whole story has been through my critique group (the alpha readers) for initial reactions and suggestions.
I’m at that point in this book now, and that alone is exciting.
I want beta readers to react to the novel as a story, just as if they picked the novel off a bookshelf. I’m not looking for pure proofreading, though these early readers do help me catch mistakes.
I get beta readers from many sources. Sometimes, they are writers I know. Sometimes, they are friends or family members I ask for favors. Sometimes, they are people who have read my earlier books and have let me know they like my writing.
I have been a beta reader for writer friends of mine. Being a beta reader can be a hard task. It’s important to give truthful input in a positive manner. The feedback needs to be more detailed than “I loved it” or “this book didn’t appeal to me.” I want beta readers to give me good input about what they like and don’t like about the characters and the story line, and I try to do the same when I am reading manuscripts for others.
While my book is with the beta readers, I will continue to edit the text. At this point, I am editing the text word by word and improving the formatting. I will also be working on the cover design and the front and back matter (all the words between the covers other than the story) of the book.
When I get the beta readers’ feedback, which I hope to have by the end of February, I will review each person’s input carefully. If two or more people react negatively to something in the novel, I know I have to deal with it. Maybe change it. Maybe clarify it. Maybe delete it. If only one person critiques something, I think about how I might address it, but I might leave it alone.
In addition to considering the beta readers’ feedback, I’ll spend March finishing my detailed edit. I’m hoping this book will be ready to publish by mid- to late-spring.
Just to whet your appetite for the book, here is my working draft of the back cover text:
Faith Garrett regrets her hasty marriage to a charismatic minister. Her husband’s handsome face hides his abusive character. In 1867 Oregon, women have little control over their children and property. Few mistreated wives escape.
Faith’s childhood sweetheart, David Pershing, wonders why she didn’t marry him. Determined to move past his disappointment, David devotes his energy to building a successful business.
Circumstances force David to come to Faith’s aid. Her husband’s jealousy erupts, causing tragedy and death. Faith and David see no chance for a second chance at happiness.
Writers, how do you use beta readers?
I do not have alfa readers, but I use betta readers. I give my book, when I consider it finished to my best endeavours, to a few readers (some writers themselves, others just from some reader clubs online). Sometimes I have specific questions for them. After I make all the changes and editing I need, there is another betta reader who is a graduate of Literature and she also does the correcting of grammar and punctuation mistakes. She says something about a bag of commas…
We all have a bag of commas for our editors to place somewhere!