What's a Beta Reader and How Do You Become One?

Answering one of the most popular questions I get asked

Have you ever read all the way to the acknowledgements in a book you love? If you have, you might have noticed a special thank you to a group of people called beta readers.

What is a Beta Reader?

Beta readers are people who read the first, rough draft of a manuscript (typically for free) and provide feedback to help the author in edits. The goal of a beta reader is to think critically as a reader would, give feedback to help make the book better, and assist the author in making changes.

Essentially, a beta reader helps turn a book from a rough draft into a five star read.

How Does Beta Reading Work?

Beta reading is a little bit different from editing in the sense that, at this stage, the author is looking for general feedback as opposed to line edits and grammar corrections. Beta readers might provide their take on things like the pace of the book, character development, plot points, and unresolved questions.

How beta reading works will depend on the author. Some may send you new chapters each week and have you provide feedback as they write. Others may send you the full manuscript with a deadline to provide feedback.

One central theme, however, is that beta readers read the book before final edits and usually are the first eyes on the manuscript (other than the author). They get early access to the story’s development and have the opportunity to help make it better.

Pictured: me with one of my beta readers, Sarah Green!

How Do I Become a Beta Reader?

This one is a bit trickier. Every author works differently. Some may have only one or two beta readers while others have an entire team of them.

First, ask yourself if beta reading is right for you. Are you good at spotting potential issues in stories? Have you read books and thought, “Ugh, if only they did THIS, I would have loved that character so much more”? Are you able to clearly and concisely express why you disliked a book, and then offer reasonable solutions on how to fix that issue?

If so, the next step is to reach out to the author and shoot your shot!

Keep in mind, you’ll have more luck reaching out to an author who is just getting started or only has a book or two out. These authors are new to the game and thirsty for beta readers to be on their team! So, familiarize yourself with their work, introduce yourself, maybe take the time to build a relationship in their community, and then send an email offering your services. You can be as casual as a friend or as professional as a job applicant. It’s up to you!

If you want to beta read for a more well known/favorite author, building up a resume of experience beta reading OTHER authors will certainly help. It also helps to build a relationship with the author. Review their books, join their ARC and street teams, post on social media for them, etc. Show them you care about their books as much as they do and that you’d be a valuable asset to the team!

Want to get a feel for what beta reading is like?

Join me on Kindle Vella! I’m writing a football romance on there right now called Block in the Back. I publish two episodes a week, rough draft style, and readers help me decide what happens next! You can provide feedback, answer polls, and tell me your wishlist. It’s really fun, and gives you a sneak peek into what it’s like to be a beta reader!

Have you ever thought about beta reading? Sound off in the comments and don’t forget to join me over on Kindle Vella for some football season fun!

xoxo,
Kandi