Help me use (not abuse) my beta readers

Prawn · Dec 3, 2006

I finished my first novel and will finish the 4th revision in the next day or two. I have already read it aloud to my wife and incorporated her comments. I am planning on handing it off to beta readers this week. I am blessed to have found five people to read it. How should I use these kind people?

I planning on telling them to read with a pen in hand and mark the texts with question marks if there are things they don't understand, or comments if dialogue is cheesy. What other guidance should I give them?

Is one month an acceptable turn-around time to ask for?

Should I give it to them all at once, or one or two at a time, giving the next people the more revised version?

Any guidance you could offer would be appreciated.
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ChaosTitan · Dec 3, 2006

Does each beta have a particular strength? If so, use it. If one person is a grammar whiz, have them look for those turns of phrase, misplaced commas and split infinitives. If someone is good at ferreting out plot holes, make sure you mention that to them.

Each beta doesn't have to do the same job, and you don't have to take every bit of advice they give. But with five betas, if they all start mentioning the same flaws, it's a good idea to listen up.

Perks · Dec 3, 2006

I suggest that you not give any guidelines at all, except that you are open to and asking for any comments they'll offer - technical and clarity issues, overall impressions, gut reactions. I don't like sending in a beta with specific 'goals'. I think it skews the reading.

Lyra Jean · Dec 3, 2006

I'm with Perks on this one. Just let them comment on what they feel needs commenting on. If they have particular strengths like chaostitian said they will comment on their strengths anyway.

Bravo on finding 5 beta readers. I have readers I just have to get something written first.

Prawn · Dec 3, 2006

What do you folks think about telling them to read pen-in-hand?

FloVoyager · Dec 3, 2006

I don't tell mine to read pen-in-hand, and I still get back comments and questions. They know they're free to tell/ask me anything. I agree with Perks. Just see what happens.

Perks · Dec 3, 2006

Prawn said:
What do you folks think about telling them to read pen-in-hand?

Nothing wrong with that. It let's them know you're open and interested.

If you have fellow writers as betas, prepare for lots of comments on specific points. If readers are reading, then you'll probably get more general impressions. Both are really valuable.

ChaosTitan · Dec 3, 2006

Prawn said:
What do you folks think about telling them to read pen-in-hand?

Personally, I'd have them read it empty-handed the first time through. Read it for enjoyment and overall comprehension. Then, on the second pass, have them whip out that red pen and go to town.

ORION · Dec 3, 2006

I have about 20 beta readers that have read all of my novels. Each has strengths and weaknesses - usually the comments run along the same line. I disregard outliers.
Mine love postit notes to mark the WTF places.
It helps to have the kind of readers that have offered to do it and not that you have hounded.
BTW I ask them to mark the pages where they put it down or just had to stop reading...that helps me find the slow parts.
JMHO

WildScribe · Dec 3, 2006

Great idea, Orion! I have a few betas myself, but I haven't given them anything to read in a long while...

aghast · Dec 3, 2006

please dont give guidelines or assignments - it will feel like a book report, instead let them do their thing and then later ask them questions while their memories are still fresh - the thing is really to let them do their own things.. they know they are there to read to help you so they will all use their own methods for notes - some would use red pen and some will just mentally jot down notes and some will use post its but the best feedback you will get is when they are relaxed and they read the thing like they would any other book instead of being pressured to do a book report, and the best feedback is when you start to have a q and a or brainstorming with them

PeeDee · Dec 3, 2006

Here is what I tell my beta readers:

Read the book. If you stop reading or lose interest, maybe you can tell me where?

If you finish it, then tell me this: Did you enjoy it, or not? Was it confusing?

If there are any particular scenes or characters that they really adored, I'm confident that they'll mention it themselves. They are literate people, after all, or they wouldn't be beta reading.

If someone asked me to read with pen in hand, and please make the following list of notes, and afterward describe the book in four well-reasoned paragraphs, I would probably go play Playstation games instead, honestly.

Serena Casey · Dec 3, 2006

I'm no expert, but with my readers, I printed up a short questionnaire and put it in the back of the binder with instructions not to look at it until they'd read the manuscript so it wouldn't predispose them to notice things. I asked questions about the parts of the book I thought might be problem areas, and most of them confirmed what I already suspected was wrong with it. Without the questionnaires, I would have gotten no helpful feedback, as not one of them made any notes in the margins like I very strongly encouraged.

sfecphory · Dec 4, 2006

I've asked people to read it on their own terms. "Pen in hand is great, if you feel like you want to mark it up." I tell them any and all responses are appreciated. One reader basically line-edited the entire book (she's a former English teacher). Another gave a nice "over-view" of the book (she's an avid pleasure reader).

My one suggestion: make their reading your work as far from "work" for them as possible. I always try to highlight the fact that if they aren't enjoying it they should put it down, and if they don't want to make notes or line-edit, then they don't need to.

PeeDee · Dec 5, 2006

Actually, one thing I've come to appreciate is the comment feature in Microsoft word. I enjoy scrolling through my manuscript and reading the notes that my readers leave. It's quick and easy enough, it's generally them just reacting to a scene.

As a result, I feel pretty comfortable that it's an honest reaction when I get notes like "LOL!" or "HAH! AWESOME!" or even "No shit! No way! Damn it, how could you?"

They aren't deep answers like you might get from a story-survey. They're just emotions and reactions, which is mostly what I want to get from my readers anyway. When they're reading through the book, they're probably not thinking things out in well-reasoned paragraphs in their head. They're just reading. And reacting. And feeling.

Soccer Mom · Dec 5, 2006

I ask betas to just read, but if they hate something or love something or get bored with something, scrawl me a note. That's all. I do have a friend whose an English teacher and she gets a different instruction. She's my clean up man (so to speak.) She is the only one I specifically ask to attack me with a red pen.

maestrowork · Dec 5, 2006

Serena Casey said:
I'm no expert, but with my readers, I printed up a short questionnaire and put it in the back of the binder with instructions not to look at it until they'd read the manuscript so it wouldn't predispose them to notice things. I asked questions about the parts of the book I thought might be problem areas, and most of them confirmed what I already suspected was wrong with it. Without the questionnaires, I would have gotten no helpful feedback, as not one of them made any notes in the margins like I very strongly encouraged.

You may have the wrong betas then. ALL of my betas give me notes without me asking specifically. I don't give them a questionnaire at the end.

When they are done with the manuscript, they will call me, and we will go out and have dinner or coffee or something. They will go over the notes and then let me ask them questions. It's actually very pleasant. If they can't do the one-on-one, they will usually send me notes.

And most of them would read the book at least twice. Once to just read it, through and through, and see how it flows, without any expectations or instructions. The second time, they will start writing down specifics.

I didn't have to tell them anything. They do it on their own.

What can I say? I have the best betas.

Maryn · Dec 5, 2006

I suspect that if we got enough of us together, we could storm Ray's and take his betas. Sh! Don't anybody tell him.

Maryn, full of swell ideas

Arkie · Dec 5, 2006

My reader (retired school teacher) turned in her 556 corrections yesterday. I gave her a 75,000 word manuscript three weeks ago and told her to take as much time as she needed. She did a line edit and listed the corrections by page and line number on white (lined) tablet paper, 22 full pages worth. I would have bet anything I owned that she couldn't have found that many errors.

maestrowork · Dec 5, 2006

Arkie said:
My reader (retired school teacher) turned in her 556 corrections yesterday. I gave her a 75,000 word manuscript three weeks ago and told her to take as much time as she needed. She did a line edit and listed the corrections by page and line number on white (lined) tablet paper, 22 full pages worth. I would have bet anything I owned that she couldn't have found that many errors.

Once a school teacher, always a school teacher. Did she give you a passing grade?

Arkie · Dec 5, 2006

maestrowork said:
Once a school teacher, always a school teacher. Did she give you a passing grade?

I failed miserably, or is that miserably failed?

maestrowork · Dec 5, 2006

My betas will never include teachers or writers. I have a writing group so I can get all my writerly advice from them. I want my betas to focus on the story and characters as readers. I will never want them to give me pages of line edits. There are always copy editors.

scarletpeaches · Dec 5, 2006

Arkie said:
I failed miserably, or is that miserably failed?

Bordering on the split infinitive there. I'd go for failing miserably.

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