The Role of a Beta Reader

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA

Dear Reader,

Beta readers have become very popular in an author's fiction writing process. In case you are not familiar with the term, a Beta reader is a person who reads an author's book before publication in order to provide valuable feedback to the author.

While a Beta reader is not a professional editor nor a professional book reviewer, he or she can alert the author to plot holes, logical inconsistencies, or passages in the novel that are unclear or that don't make sense.

A Beta reader is an avid reader in the author's genre. He or she should be familiar with the tropes and other specific characteristics of the genre. A Beta reader reflects the author's target audience and knows what that audience likes and doesn't like.

Authors sometimes search for Beta readers who are experts in the occupation of the main character in the story. For example, in a police procedural novel, the author might ask a private detective or a police chief to read her story for accuracy of professional detail.

Beta readers should not be confused with Alpha readers. Just as A comes before B in the alphabet (an Alpha reader comes before a Beta reader in the critique process), an Alpha reader reads an author's manuscript while the manuscript is still in its first draft. Alpha readers are usually close friends or even relatives, while Beta readers don't necessarily have to be. The main thing to remember about Beta readers is that they look at an author's manuscript from the point of view of a reader. And this is critical.

Finally, Beta readers usually receive a copy of the author's book for their services. Acting as a Beta reader is a great way of building your personal fiction library while actually participating in the creative process. 

While we are on the topic, I will be needing five Beta readers for my current work-in-progress (WIP), The Farmer and Mrs. Lombardi. If you are interested, please contact me privately at maryann@maryanndiorio.com to let me know your qualifications.

Have you ever served as a Beta reader? If so, please comment on your experience in the box below.


Thanks and Blessings,

MaryAnn


Featured Novel This Week . . . 


IN BLACK AND WHITE

A white woman. A black man. And their forbidden love.

First Place in Historical Fiction in the 2020 Christian Indie Book Awards

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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.