Trying Beta Readers

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Keithy

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OK, I was struggling to find the impetus (willpower?) to put my MS before beta readers. The feedback so far has been... unpleasant. Depressing. I came close to giving up.

But now I feel better about it. I spent some time thinking about the "good bits" in my book. I know it's not short on problems.

I well know that when I get my feedback I will scratching my head and wondering how to fix the problems.

But doing nothing means nothing happens.

So, best foot forward.
 

Maggie Maxwell

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Sounds like you've gotten past/understand the hardest part of beta readers before you even got your story out to them. Hah, one of my best friends/writing buddies critted my first novel, and I swear, I felt BETRAYED that she was critical of it when she'd been so supportive during the writing... until I went back a week later and reread and realized darn it, she was right about everything. :) Honestly, the feeling of "my book's terrible and I'm terrible" that comes with those first bits of feedback is the worst to push through, but you've got a handle on it already. You know there are problems that need fixing, and it may take some time and a lot of hard thinking and harder decisions, but you CAN fix them once your beta readers help you find them. It's gonna sting at first, but your story and you are going to be better for it. Good luck. :)
 

writeonleanne

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It's so scary to send your MS out to people at first, right? I've started asking people to let me know what doesn't work and what does—partially because hearing about the good makes it easier to deal with the bad, but also because it's always good to know when something is done right. It's hard to hear when things aren't working, but you're doing right by focusing on the good. It might be helpful to take a couple of days to digest the feedback, then come up with a game plan.

My first (and best) beta reader was my husband. He ruthlessly shredded my first draft, which surprised the hell out of me. He's not a big reader, but he was able to unerringly pick up both minute and glaring plot holes. We would spend entire car trips shouting at each other about my novel—me on the defense, him trying to explain why something didn't "feel right." To date, he's been my most honest and helpful beta reader, but boy did I rear up at first.
 

davidjgalloway

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I think it's like the law of extremes--your beta can send you to incredible heights when they like something, and cause you to crash when they don't. But you can't have the positive without risking the negative.

My first (and best) beta reader was my husband.
I hear you. My wife is similar in her ability to critique, and once I gave a ms that I thought was really good to her. The burnt pieces of it she gave back were sad beyond imagining, but everything she said was true. I just needed to be experienced enough to recognize that.
 

Fruitbat

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Haha, I too have a manuscript-shredding spouse. No one else could help me like he does because occasionally it turns into a shouting match, which I can't imagine anyone else putting up with. It cracks me up when I hear the (normally sound) advice that critiques from family and friends don't count because they'll go too easy on you. They don't know my husband!

@Keithy, I'd just be sure to keep in mind that a beta reader's input is their opinion only and not automatically better than your own thoughts on it. Good luck!
 
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writeonleanne

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It cracks me up when I hear the (normally sound) advice that critiques from family and friends don't count because they'll go too easy on you. They don't know my husband!

Right? I feel like the only person who doesn't go easy on me is my husband.
 

Maggie Maxwell

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Man, y'all are lucky. I WISH I could use my husband as a beta. He's an English major, would be fantastic, but he doesn't like the kind of stuff I write. :cry:So I don't torment him by making him read YA, and he doesn't unintentionally destroy me emotionally because he's unfamiliar with and generally not fond of the genre.
 

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As a beta reader, I love crushing souls.

*grins maniacally*

But seriously, it can be hard. Pretty much every writer starts off on a high -- "I am like, such the best writer of all time!" -- and then they learn that they're not. Such is life. But the difference between someone who can become a good writer and someone who isn't is their tenacity, their desire to keep going in the face of criticism. Also, good ideas. Sometimes the problem isn't the story they've created, but primarily their grammar/plotting/style. So it becomes a matter of communicating their ideas, rather than the ideas in the first place.
 

Keithy

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My first (and best) beta reader was my husband. He ruthlessly shredded my first draft, which surprised the hell out of me. He's not a big reader, but he was able to unerringly pick up both minute and glaring plot holes. We would spend entire car trips shouting at each other about my novel—me on the defense, him trying to explain why something didn't "feel right." To date, he's been my most honest and helpful beta reader, but boy did I rear up at first.

That's the complete opposite of my situation. A couple of weeks ago the wife was trying to convince me that my MS was good, even though she's not read it. I kept telling her that it wasn't very good.

But now? Think about the good bits.
 

edutton

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Man, y'all are lucky. I WISH I could use my husband as a beta. He's an English major, would be fantastic, but he doesn't like the kind of stuff I write. :cry:So I don't torment him by making him read YA, and he doesn't unintentionally destroy me emotionally because he's unfamiliar with and generally not fond of the genre.
LOL. My wife's not quite that bad, but all she really sees are copyediting issues. Getting bigger-picture feedback from her is like pulling teeth... so, like you, I learned to stop trying.
 

Maze Runner

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It's funny the things readers react positively to that you thought were on the weak side--that's always a plus. But what I'm looking for is things that don't work, because that's where my attention is needed. I recently got feedback from two readers on something I'm almost done with. Both had one main objection, plot choices that didn't work for them. I immediately knew they were right and fixed those issues. The trick, I think, is to look at a problem as an opportunity, because at that moment your MS becomes stronger--it's the things we don't see that bite us on the ass.

My wife is my best reader. Her calls are almost always right on the money. Not exactly an ideal reader because our tastes differ a bit. Usually, past three times, she's read my book in a day or two, but this is a subject matter that she has no interest in, and she hasn't read this one yet. No amount of reminding, pleading, or showering with love and affection has gotten her off the mark. I am doomed.

But I agree with those who say most "stranger" beta readers are too nice. I understand, and I appreciate that sentiment, but it ain't gonna get the MS in question in shape. Again, I want to know what doesn't work. Opinions though, you know? I think I recall Stephen King saying (at that time) that he had five (not five, six--math!) readers (including his wife) that got his MS before it went anywhere. Six, because author breaks all ties. But if more than half had a problem with a character or a plot choice or what have you, in his mind, they had to be right.

ETA: Just to add to this, it still stings when you'd thought you'd nailed something but a reader tells you otherwise. It can take a day or two to get over the jolt and another day or two to get past your bias-I can get locked into an idea and have no doubt whatsoever that I am right--only to find once the smoke has cleared that I was dead wrong. In the end, we choose.
 
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Keithy

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OK, just sent my MS for Beta Reading.

Oh lordy me, what have I done?
 

mccardey

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OK, just sent my MS for Beta Reading.

Oh lordy me, what have I done?
A beta-reader is only a reader. Breathe. Disengage. Relax. Go for a walk.

(I'll be sending out to betas next month. Please copy/paste this very excellent advice and send it back to me when the time comes..)
 

xanaphia

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I read the first two chapters of mine to my husband, and he gave me some solid advice on them, but he definitely didn't rip it to shreds. He pointed out things that didn't work, or stuff i should be further developing, but i KNow i need someone else who is willing to rip my work to shreds.
 

MaeZe

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Given I'd already spent years learning from my critique group ripping my chapters to shreds, my son has only gotten the revised revised revised versions. His insight has been excellent. He now has the first 140 pages and I know the feeling. I'd only ever given him short pieces until a week ago.

What if he hated it? What if I was stupid to think it was good? It's so much more nerve wracking, handing out the novel itself. It exposes you in a way that having critique groups look at chapters doesn't.

So far he raved about it. Whew!

But he hasn't gotten to the sex scenes yet. I touch on trafficking; there's more abuse than erotica. I don't have confidence in those sections yet but the only way to make them work is to get feedback.

You have done a good thing, Keithy. You've gotten over a big hurdle giving your work to a beta reader.
 

CJSimone

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OK, I was struggling to find the impetus (willpower?) to put my MS before beta readers. The feedback so far has been... unpleasant. Depressing. I came close to giving up.

But now I feel better about it. I spent some time thinking about the "good bits" in my book. I know it's not short on problems.

I well know that when I get my feedback I will scratching my head and wondering how to fix the problems.

But doing nothing means nothing happens.

So, best foot forward.

OK, just sent my MS for Beta Reading.

Oh lordy me, what have I done?

It takes courage, so good for you. I was really nervous getting back the first couple, but then it got easier. And it's also cool using suggestions and seeing the responses from additional betas get better. I'm so appreciative of all my AW betas for giving both constructive criticism and lots of encouraging words.

Having a spouse/partner beta read? That's cool for those of you who can. Would never happen with mine - lots of resentment there that I'm "wasting time" writing and not making more money.
 

yumpty-tum

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I've just sent my baby (and it's only a short story, not a novel) to a couple of betas. One is related to me. One is a mate. I'm utterly nervous beyond belief... I wish I could ask my wife to do it but English isn't her first language and there isn't anywhere near enough gratuitous violence or runny-jumpy-shouty-explodey stuff for her taste. So I have to wait whilst people who live in different time zones and work full-time somehow find a bit of time to read and comment... :scared:
 

travelgal

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A timely thread. I had an excellent beta from AW for my 140k behemoth, and she tore the first six chapters to pieces. I knew there were problems, but I didn't realise there were so many. I was thinking maybe, just maybe, I can submit it after cutting another 40k (I'd already cut out 20k or so).

It's my fourth. There are few strengths.

Thank goodness I never sent it out.

She said I can send the next bunch when I'm ready, but if I can't fix the problems in the first half, there's no point revising the rest. I have to rewrite the entire thing from scratch or discard it. I had worked on it and edited it for years and years, and it may be I had wasted my time and hers.

Perhaps I'm not cut out for this writing stuff. Story construction requires a certain level of intelligence.

I'd just run though my YA historical draft, but maybe I need a beta now. Thing is, I don't want to torture them with my mediocrity.

You may think I'm down on myself, but I have excelled at nothing my entire life. I still don't know what I'm good at.

Good luck, Keithy. I wish you well.
 
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Sleeping Cat Books

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Man, y'all are lucky. I WISH I could use my husband as a beta. He's an English major, would be fantastic, but he doesn't like the kind of stuff I write. :cry:So I don't torment him by making him read YA, and he doesn't unintentionally destroy me emotionally because he's unfamiliar with and generally not fond of the genre.
Exactly. My first (and only) finished first draft is a sort of chick-lit type thing (it's hard to categorize), so while I'd like to get his opinion on it, I really can't *make* him read the whole thing. I settle with asking his about certain points where he has domain knowledge and discussing how to handle those points in the book.
 

borogove

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I'm still trying to see if I can turn my husband into my first beta. He's an excellent writer and editor, and his instincts are usually on point. Trouble is, he and I have completely different writing styles and he's not a reader of YA. I gave him some recent YA books to give him market context, and he was very contemptuous of the quality. I don't know if my ego could take the bruising if he thought the same of mine.
 

AR_Kingston

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OK, just sent my MS for Beta Reading.

Oh lordy me, what have I done?

Hey, worst case scenario is that you will just need to work a bit harder on it. Beta readers are good for offering suggestions on how to fix what's broken...or at least they should if they are good. I am getting close to finishing my book, and I have a friend on standby who I know is brutally honest. I figure if it gets past her then it's ready for some beta readers. Hang in there.
 

Keithy

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For the first time in weeks I feel good about what I am doing, that I am doing the right thing.
 
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