Tips to ensure you get the feedback you need
By Megan Amato
Sharing your work is scary—terrifying, in fact. However, the old adage about collaboration breeding innovation also holds true in writing. You may want to keep your book baby close to your chest, but sending them out into the world will help grow and shape it in unprecedented ways. I can say with certainty that every beta read I’ve ever had has improved my manuscript in some way.
It’s crucial that you communicate with your beta readers and be clear about what kind of feedback you are looking for—or else you might find yourself with a manuscript full of proofreading edits and nothing that helps with the much needed plot development you were after.
Here are my two tips in ensuring you get the most out of your beta reads:
Do the Rounds
This may seem obvious, but it is so important that you find the right beta reader. Some people will tell you to find readers rather than writers or editors, but I like to use a mixture of the three depending on the type of feedback I’m looking for. I usually have three rounds of beta readers (with multiple readers per round) for specific feedback.
- The first round is often sent to mutual writer friends or acquaintances, some of whom are editors, to look for any inconsistencies in character, plot, or story structure. As writers and editors, they are often apt at not only spotting anything off but at offering story-specific advice to help strengthen all aspects of your novel.
- After making all my edits from that first round, I gather feedback that had similar themes and collate them as questions for my next batch of beta readers. These often aren’t friends, but readers and writers in the writing community who aren’t afraid to give difficult feedback (not that all input should be criticism, but more on that later). On my last manuscript, I often got feedback that I needed more descriptions, so I asked the next group of readers to point out where I could offer more descriptions and what, as a reader, they would like to see in particular.
- The final round I send purely to readers. After I’ve edited the big-ticket items, this round is for catching anything I missed. I usually find three different readers: one who reads in the genre I’m writing in, one who reads widely, and one who doesn’t usually read my genre at all. Each reader’s feedback is valuable for different reasons. The genre-specific reader will notice issues that deviate from the genre’s norms where an eclectic reader might spot something the genre-specific reader hasn’t. A reader who does not read your genre but agrees to read your manuscript is incredibly valuable. Firstly, because they are a lovely person who has stepped out of their comfort zone, and secondly because they will spot anything that doesn’t make sense. They don’t have the tropes and the history of your genre to fill in the blanks, so they will spot anything that’s taking the reader for granted.
*Important note: You don’t have to change everything your beta readers suggest. They might give you advice that is at odds with your plot, character’s development, etc., or even at odds with other beta readers’ opinions. It’s not essential that you change everything they suggest, but that you consider their advice. Discard it if it’s not helpful or relevant to your story, but knowing why or why not something is or isn’t included in your story is important.
Streamline feedback
Every time you send your manuscript to a beta reader, you should be sending them a list of things to keep in mind while reading your story. Depending on the beta reader, I often like to send a list of questions to answer and send back to me after they’ve read it. This helps to ensure that I get the feedback I need, often in more detail than a general response would get.
It might seem hard to think of pointed questions when you haven’t received any feedback, but the key to your first round of queries is to generate well-rounded questions. Here is a sample of some I sent to one beta reader in the past.
- Did the beginning chapter catch and keep your interest? Why or why not?
- Could you empathize with the main character? Did you feel that she was consistent? Are there any major character flaws?
- Did the setting interest you? Were the descriptions detailed or underdeveloped?
- Were there any parts of the story you found your eyes drifting over? What would have held your interest better?
- Any time discrepancies or plot holes?
- Were the characters believable? Did you find yourself caring about them?
- How was the dialogue? Did it feel natural? Was the Scots dialogue too off-putting?
- Was there enough conflict/tension in the story to keep it moving? Was the tension believable?
- Was the ending satisfying/believable? Are you left with any questions that should have been answered in the story?
Many of my questions focus on character and the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Each asks the reader to elaborate on their answers because “yes” or “no” answers are never helpful. Once you get this feedback, you can shape your questions around themes you see reoccurring from all your beta reads.
Important note: Ask for positive feedback along with the critiques. Not only will it make you feel good to read them, but knowing what works in your book is just as important as knowing what’s not working. Ask readers to send back your manuscript with their comments directly on the pages. That way, you can almost physically see their reactions and gauge whether your hooks, jokes, twists, the chapter ends, etc., are working the way you planned.
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