Hey all, Sunny here with another writing post! This one is actually inspired by an ask I got recently about what I look for in beta readers. For any writers new to the process, this may be… a bit of a foreign term. I know it was for me. So, let’s talk about them!
What is a beta reader?
Think of beta readers as a collection of people who get the reader experience of your story before it’s published. The job of the beta reader is to give valuable feedback for your story that you as the writer may have missed. It can be a bit of a lengthy process, but for the writer it is very worth it, and the reader rests in the knowledge they’ve helped bring a story to life!
How should I approach beta readers?
Hey writers! First things first: thank you for searching for beta readers. Although it is an important step in the process, it is often overlooked, and this can lead to stories that read as half-finished. When you go through the beta reader process, understand that you are going to hear things you don’t like. People may not like the character you put hours into creating, and they may think your favorite subplot is pointless. Listen to your beta readers’ opinions.
Before anything else, define your specific need for beta readers. Everyone looks for different things because everyone has an individual process. For example, I am doing the beta reader phase before my final proofread, so I’ve asked my beta readers not to focus on grammar or spelling (though I’ve tried to polish everything as well as I can). What are you looking for feedback on? If it’s everything, define your ‘bonus point’ topics.
Once you’ve figured out what you’re looking for, decide how you want your readers to digest your story or stories. Here’s how I’ve seen some people approach this stage:
Send one story, section, or chapter at a time, with a survey or set of questions after.
Send a group of stories, sections, or chapters with a survey or set of questions after each.
Send a group of stories, sections, or chapters with a single, encapsulating survey or set of questions.
Send the entire story all together with embedded surveys or sets of questions.
Send the entire story all together with a single, encapsulating survey or set of questions at the end.
There are lots of different ways to go about sending stories to beta readers. It depends on what you’re looking for! A larger-scale send will give more general details about the piece overall, while individual sections or smaller groups lets your readers focus more on details.
How can I as a writer be fair to my beta readers?
If you’re new to the beta reading process, you may be caught between treating your readers well and treating yourself well. Here are some tips to make sure you both get the most out of the experience.
Firstly,define your expectations as clear as possible and as early as possible. If you have certain expectations, even if you think they should be implied, state them outright from the get-go. You’re looking for a one-week turnaround on your surveys? Tell them. You want them to focus on how your prose reads? Tell them. Your betas can read your stories, but not your mind; communication is key.
Because you’re looking to improve your story, engineer your questions to be as detail-oriented as possible. One easy way to do this is to long-answer Google Forms with the question, “Why?” after every question. Don’t just let your readers expand, encourage and expect it.
Get a big sample size! The more people you have reading the story, the easier it will be to spot a common thread. If one person doesn’t like this character, that’s one thing. If five or even ten people don’t, well…
Lastly, however, you have to be understanding of your beta readers. Each of them is a whole person of their own! If things get in the way of them matching your schedule, decide together how to best move forward. As the writer, it is your job to be understanding of people who are volunteering to read your story for free. You may hear that they can’t commit to reading anymore, or that the story just isn’t for them. Accept it and move on.
Best of luck on your beta reading! Go forth and improve your stories!
Preferred Fics: Canon and AUs both. AUs such as Mystery, Action, Adventure, Fantasy and Sci-Fi. Tropes that fall under those AU themes are appreciated.
Preferred Pairings: Nonromantic stories and canon pairings are preferred (Neil/Andrew, Dan/Matt, Thea/Kevin, etc.). Gen and canon pairings that don’t get so much attention would be delightful as they’re what I’ll be searching to read later anyway.
Deal Breakers/Uncomfortable to Beta: Rape/non-con, incest, age difference, abuse of power dynamics (e.g. student/teacher, slave AU, etc.), anything that puts Riko or Inchirou in a sympathetic light and/or relationship, and major character death.
I’m in the final stages of finishing my psychological thriller, which means I will soon start to make my very last revision, chapter per chapter.
Title: London Bleeding
Tags / Warnings: Profiling, Psychological Trauma, Torture, Psychological Drama, Horror, Murder, Serial Killer, bestial ways to kill someone, Blood and Gore, Psychopathology & Sociopathy
Summary:When Special Agent and Profiler Rose Callaghan left the maze of London after her sister was killed, she vowed never to return.
The comeback of her sister’s serial killer changes that. And he’s not the only one that seems to return from the dead. People are dying all over London in the fashion of some of the most dangerous serial killers of the last twenty years. Even though Rose is sure it must be a copycat killer, she can’t reject Commander Wright’s request to take a look at the case. Upon returning to London she’s met with Wright’s prestigious Profiler son and her own mental trauma that catches up with her.
Revelations and suspicious coincidences send shock waves through the investigation, and circumstances spin out of control. Rose must race to put it all together before it’s too late and the next murder strikes too close to home.
What I’m looking for in a Beta Reader: Proofreading, Rephrasing Sentences, someone to look out for translation mistakes (as English is not my first language). I plan on publishing the book in August, which roughly means 15k words per month to revise.
Thank you for reading and if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Anyone want to Beta read some Heartstopper fanfiction for me?
For clarity, this is NSFW, very triggering (ED, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, homophobia, underage sex, discussions about sexual assault, transphobia, small bits of violence, and some other pretty messy stuff)
I’ve got chapter 1 written, and an outline for the session, but would really love someone to read it and check the language and tone etc
Beta-reading release for the first 5 chapters of “The Sario Effect”. Image’s not final. Summary and Link attached in this post.
Summary:It was supposed to be a normal Saturday afternoon. We deserved a break after everything we’ve been through. Then out of the blue, a kid bumped into us with a strange device. A Yeerk device. And the Yeerks want it back from her.
We don’t know what’s going on. What that device is. Or how this Controller is connected to everything. The only thing Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Ax, Marco and I do know is that she might have the answers we need.
And she might actually be more dangerous than Visser Three himself…
Since my note regarding my fanfiction writing, I’ve re-evaluated what I wanted for my story idea: a disabled Host with a Yeerk, and reedited the entire story of the Sario Effect thanks to several peoples’ help. I do wanna give a small apology that “here we go again! Another version of this one fic I’ve made” and honestly, I feel the same as you do. This is like the fifth version and I’ve been pulling my hair wondering why on Earth did I not just make this version from the beginning.
So considering this has gone through versions, by all means, wreck this piece with all the constructive criticism to the ground. I want your harshest, honest feedback to make up for it. In order words, break my legs.
Viewers have the option to comment/suggest changes to the fic. Unless I didn’t again, please inform me if that’s the case. This post will get updates in the comments from me for the next releases. Chp 6 to 10 are still in progress/refining. Once I finish my covers for this fic and editing is finished, I’ll upload this version to FFN and AO3.
Hello all, next 5 chapters have been added for beta-reading, making 10 chps in total. As mentioned above, you have the option to comment/suggest changes to the fic. Please give as much feedback as possible and I hope you will enjoy it.
Hellow all, next 5 chapters have been added for beta-reading, making 15 chps in total. As mentioned above, you have the option to comment/suggest changes to the fic.
Also I’ll be opening a poll soon as I’ve noticed I’ve not gotten any feedback since the last chps. I wanna know that if so far that the progress is alright that it doesn’t need any more major editing that I could start uploading the chapters on FFN and AO3. I’ll leave it your call if so far this fanfic has been going well or not.
I also want to give a major thanks to two alpha-readers for helping me on this revamp. I will be stating their usernames in the first chp once I start uploading.
And thank you all for taking your time on this beta-reading and the poll.
Beta-reading release for the first 5 chapters of “The Sario Effect”. Image’s not final. Summary and Link attached in this post.
Summary:It was supposed to be a normal Saturday afternoon. We deserved a break after everything we’ve been through. Then out of the blue, a kid bumped into us with a strange device. A Yeerk device. And the Yeerks want it back from her.
We don’t know what’s going on. What that device is. Or how this Controller is connected to everything. The only thing Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Ax, Marco and I do know is that she might have the answers we need.
And she might actually be more dangerous than Visser Three himself…
Since my note regarding my fanfiction writing, I’ve re-evaluated what I wanted for my story idea: a disabled Host with a Yeerk, and reedited the entire story of the Sario Effect thanks to several peoples’ help. I do wanna give a small apology that “here we go again! Another version of this one fic I’ve made” and honestly, I feel the same as you do. This is like the fifth version and I’ve been pulling my hair wondering why on Earth did I not just make this version from the beginning.
So considering this has gone through versions, by all means, wreck this piece with all the constructive criticism to the ground. I want your harshest, honest feedback to make up for it. In order words, break my legs.
Viewers have the option to comment/suggest changes to the fic. Unless I didn’t again, please inform me if that’s the case. This post will get updates in the comments from me for the next releases. Chp 6 to 10 are still in progress/refining. Once I finish my covers for this fic and editing is finished, I’ll upload this version to FFN and AO3.
Hello all, next 5 chapters have been added for beta-reading, making 10 chps in total. As mentioned above, you have the option to comment/suggest changes to the fic. Please give as much feedback as possible and I hope you will enjoy it.
Beta-reading release for the first 5 chapters of “The Sario Effect”. Image’s not final. Summary and Link attached in this post.
Summary:It was supposed to be a normal Saturday afternoon. We deserved a break after everything we’ve been through. Then out of the blue, a kid bumped into us with a strange device. A Yeerk device. And the Yeerks want it back from her.
We don’t know what’s going on. What that device is. Or how this Controller is connected to everything. The only thing Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Ax, Marco and I do know is that she might have the answers we need.
And she might actually be more dangerous than Visser Three himself…
Since my note regarding my fanfiction writing, I’ve re-evaluated what I wanted for my story idea: a disabled Host with a Yeerk, and reedited the entire story of the Sario Effect thanks to several peoples’ help. I do wanna give a small apology that “here we go again! Another version of this one fic I’ve made” and honestly, I feel the same as you do. This is like the fifth version and I’ve been pulling my hair wondering why on Earth did I not just make this version from the beginning.
So considering this has gone through versions, by all means, wreck this piece with all the constructive criticism to the ground. I want your harshest, honest feedback to make up for it. In order words, break my legs.
Viewers have the option to comment/suggest changes to the fic. Unless I didn’t again, please inform me if that’s the case. This post will get updates in the comments from me for the next releases. Chp 6 to 10 are still in progress/refining. Once I finish my covers for this fic and editing is finished, I’ll upload this version to FFN and AO3.
Delivering Criticism: Balancing Honesty and Helpfulness
Something I’ve heard people say when I tell them to be a beta-reader is: “I’d like to beta-read more, but I’m afraid of offending people with criticism!” “I’m afraid of being mean!”
I get it. As hard as getting feedback is, giving feedback can oftentimes be as scary. But I’ve got some secrets for you.
First off, if someone didn’t want feedback on their writing—especially for fanfiction—they wouldn’t ask for a beta-reader. When someone asks for a beta-reader, they are expecting mistakes to be found in their work. And the biggest disservice you can do for them is ignore those mistakes in an effort to be “nice.” Second off, it’s not nice to lie to someone who has asked for honest feedback and tell them, “Your story is perfect, no errors!” when there are in fact places that they could’ve fixed.
After that, there’s four important things to keep in mind to make sure your feedback is honest and helpful, without being unnecessarily harsh.
Yes, this is soimportant. Beta-reading should be about the story/writing, not the writer.
And finding at least one good thing in the story can make the difference between building the person’s confidence because they know they did at least one thing right and it’s worth continuing, and them give up and stop writing altogether because what’s the use if there’s nothing worthy in there?
I don’t think beta-readers/editors always realize how much power they hold over the writer and how they can lift them up or crush them.
Say: “These are all the things that subtract from the story you’re trying to tell and these are the ways I recommend fixing them if you want to reach your intended outcome.”
Must:Understand your personal writing style and your vision for the book, be at a similar writing skill level as you, and be able to communicate well with you in a constructive back and forth dialogue.
You should have: About 3 at any given time, though the number will vary though your writing carrier.
Your responsibilities: To respect their advice and give them the thorough, honest critique on their manuscripts in return.
Beta Readers:
Say: “This is what I understood while reading, this is why I came to that understanding, and this is what I think of it and how it made me feel.”
Must:Be a reader in (or near) the manuscript’s target audience, have the ability and desire to think deeply about a piece of writing, and convey those thoughts in a way that the author can make sense of.
You should have:7-15at the end of any given beta reading round. (The longer the story, the more likely it is that beta readers will drop out due to time constraints, personal life problems, or sheer forgetfulness.)
Your responsibilities: To keep track of their progress and encourage them to continue reading, to look for patterns or contradictions in their responses and decide what needs to be changed in order to receive the reactions you want from the majority of your readers in the future, and to ignore any advice you don’t firmly believe will make your book better.
Born to the Sea explores a dark, twisted fate between lovers and a truth so harsh, that it might have been better if it didn’t come to light.
Today I retreated to the garden to work on my manuscript, which might very well be in its final draft by now. After a successful beta-round, it feels so good to read everything printed out and polish the last bits, before my querying adventure begins.
In a little creative outburst, I created these bookmarks and gave myself quite a lot of feels at the same time. I can’t really reveal the meaning of the ring and the red band because it would obviously be a massive spoiler, but both play a huge role in Born to the Sea.
Anyway, I’m really excited and dear @stories-by-rie promised to have another thorough look at my book baby. I’m considering to run a second beta-round at the same time, to check if everything is working as intended. My finished draft is in german, but if you happen to speak german and would enjoy a deep & tragic fantasy story with an m/m romance, please get in touch.
Also, please don’t worry if you don’t speak german. There is an English version in the making, as well.
Last but not least let me express how grateful I am for all the support I have received, especially during the pandemic. I have met so many lovely people, which means that I can look back on a positive and productive writing year, despite all those lockdowns. I love each and every single one of you. And a special shout-out definitetly goes to @siarven,@cirianne,@ardawyn,@stories-by-rieand@slothssassin. You are such a bunch of talented and fantastic peope. Thank you so much!
I’m looking for beta readers to read the first 4 chapters of my Adult Epic Fantasy novel, The Blue Flame. I will provide a link to a google document containing the chapters. At the end of each chapter will be a link to a form where you can answer around 6 questions and provide additional feedback.
Word Count: 11,900
Shoot me a message if you’re interested!
The Blurb
Fear the light, not the dark.
A shadow lurker has placed a target on Erador. He refuses to visit the Shadow Realm after the deadly encounter. In the midst of trying to overcome his trauma, a witch comes to Lucrethia.
Yulei promises to cure the dying Master. Erador knows it’s too good to be true. It doesn’t help that the entire continent wants the Master dead. Erador is convinced Yulei will kill him.
Atrocities have arisen since her arrival. Crops are diseased, people are revolting, and the Raven has been freed from his cage. The worst of it—the Master’s favored are being murdered, and Erador is on the list.
Lucrethians believe Yulei will save the Master. Erador can’t get rid of her, not unless he can prove she’s a hoax. The blue flame in her brooch is the only link. To find answers, Erador is forced to venture into enemy territory and walk the unsafe places in the Shadow Realm.
Will Erador overcome his fears of the lurkers, and expose Yulei to save his dying father? Or will he let the light win?
Amateur writers might not know why something is wrong, but they can generally tell when.
It’s the same concept of a child learning to communicate. As skill increases, the better a writer can identify exactly what’s wrong and convey how to improve it.
For example, when I first started writing I gave feedback on another writer’s work. I knew there was something wrong with their description of fire, but instead of saying “you need a more vivid descriptor to place the reader in the scene,” I said something dumb like “Well…… flames…. can be blue… so say something about them being… red?”
So keep in mind when people critique your work, you might not agree with their changes. They might not have what’s wrong spot on, but they likely know when something is weird. Look at the section they’re pointing out and figure out what’s wrong.
Alternatively, if you’re not sure what’s wrong, but know something is wrong, point out that it reads off, and then maybe take a stab at it.
We just received an Ask about whether betas can choose which stories/authors they work with in the event. It was a signed in Ask so it’s been answered privately, but pasting some of the contents here in case it’s useful to others…
“The beta sign up form will ask you a) which types of feedback you are willing to give [SPAG, canon compliance, sensitivity read, etc.], and b) anything you are NOT willing to read [e.g. “no romance”, “nothing Silmarillion-based” “nothing rated M or above” and so on].
When the mods receive a request for a beta read, we will ask the author for a brief summary of their story, the expected rating, and any warnings/important content tags. We will email this info to signed up betas who look like they could be a good fit; the betas can then choose to respond or not, depending on their current commitments and whether they are comfortable with the outlined contents of the fic.”
Cheerleading and pinch hitting work very similarly. At sign ups, potential cheerleaders and hitters are asked to give us an idea of the kind of content they are comfortable with, and will not receive requests that clash with their “no thank you” lists. The only exception to this might be if we have a flood of requests for help (can happen towards the end of the event in particular!!) in which case we would just collate all open requests for, say, cheerleading support, email to the signed up cheerleaders, and ask them to volunteer for the ones that catch their fancy.
Hope this all makes sense, but as always, the mods are happy to answer any questions.
Volume 1 of many in my endless gratitude for everyone’s support!
They are Google Docs meant to be printed or copied (File > Make a Copy) and used for writing exercises. I hope you like them and please please please let me know if you use them and find them helpful! It’s what I live for.
“Claudia far exceeded my expectations. Not only did she deliver the order early, but the feedback was well detailed, insightful, and inspiring. My manuscript is one step closer to publishing. I’m am so grateful, thank you!!!”
“Claudia is very understanding and charismatic. She radiates positive energy and is very easy to work with! She has a great eye for detail in the story and asks all the right questions to spark the writer’s imagination. She gave great advice on writing sentence structure and paying attention to the flow of the story. Would definitely recommend her to edit your novel!”
“Claudia is absolutely fantastic when it comes to beta reading. She’s clearly a very intelligent and well-read person which comes through in her feedback. You get insight into the mind of a reader who has clearly experienced a good chunk of what fiction has to offer. Absolutely recommend her services when you’re looking for feedback that really gets to the heart of what works and what doesn’t - and why.”
“I read the feedback, and I must say, it was super helpful. I can see things differently now. Not only have you helped with the more pragmatic things, but you’ve also given me an understanding of how a reader experiences my characters, and the story. For that I am very thankful, you did a great job. Cheers.”
