Beta Readers
The testing phase
For the very first time in my life, I am letting total strangers read my book. It’s been through about twenty drafts in three years, my main character has changed, and the story (and its point) have been through multiple evolutions. At last, I feel confident in answering why I’m telling my story and who it’s for.
For those who are unaware, an alpha or beta reader is someone who will read your unpublished work while it’s in the testing phase. If you’re hoping to learn how to/how not to publish—independently or traditionally—I’ll let you in on what I did to put together my list of readers.
After finishing the most recent draft, I analysed who connected with it the most. My alpha reader list was limited. It included a writing group which I highly recommend for your alpha cycle. When your book is still soft and squishy, having someone tell you that it needs work is less painful than once you’ve obtained a rigid structure. It becomes harder to hear criticism the more time you’ve invested.
Following my alpha cycle, I discovered that my story attracted a male readership (with exceptions, of course). Young men who enjoyed Skyrim, Elden Ring, The Witcher, or Lord of the Rings emotionally invested in my main character (MC) more than young women. Meanwhile, fans of romance in a high fantasy setting (which generally includes a large female readership) found my book boring. It makes sense. My story is a dark fantasy wherein my MC learns what it means to be a man while battling forces of evil.
At first, I was offended. Weren’t all these alpha readers fans of fantasy? I thought, why isn’t my book good enough for everyone to enjoy? I was confused as to why I was getting vastly different feedback from these groups. When I engaged with my readers, I understood.
It was taste.
As I’ve said before writers are prideful creatures. It is hard to receive feedback when it isn’t positive and many hyper-focus on criticism so that they forget the good. It is the same in life as it is in writing: not everyone is going to like you or the things you create and that is okay. That does not mean you should immediately discount constructive criticism as subjective, but you should be discerning!
Once I had this understanding of who wanted to read my story, I could then pay closer attention to what they wanted out of a story. I was able put together a beta reader list. I went to Fiverr and Upwork hired a few readers who matched my reader profile.
There are a few more suggestions I’d have for anyone making a beta reader list:
seek out readers not writers,
create a questionnaire that will help you find the answers you’re seeking,
give space for the beta reader to freely express themselves,
and set a deadline (be patient, 100k novel is going to take about a month or two for someone to finish).
I’m so excited to hear what this round of beta readers think! As usual, I’ll document everything here.
Regards,
Maya
P.S. I’m so sorry for not updating my Stoney Hollow series! I’m still not settled enough to dedicate the time necessary. Hopefully, by the middle/end of August, I can return. I will stick to Wednesday for my newsletters for now!