What to Look for in a Perfect Beta Reader

Beta readers, those folks who read your book before it’s published and give you feedback on how to improve it, are a hugely beneficial part of the writing process. The right ones can give you just the insight you need to take your book to the next level; the wrong ones can have you chasing your tail when you go to edit.

Here are four things to think about when looking for beta readers to solicit feedback from. 

Is my beta reader the right fit for my book and genre?

This may seem obvious, but beta readers must be readers. While friends and family may want to support you, if they’re not active readers who read within the genre you’re writing in, their feedback should be taken with a grain of salt. 

Find beta readers who fall within the target audience of your book, who read and enjoy books in your genre, and who aren’t going to have fundamental issues with the content of the book. If you’re writing an LGBT+, young adult fantasy novel, your grandfather who enjoys the occasional WWII biography is not the pick. 

Can I trust my beta reader with my manuscript? 

While your book is protected by copyright as soon as you write it down, it’s still a vulnerable thing to share an unpublished manuscript with others. Choose people you feel you can trust, and consider adding the extra protection of a beta reader agreement before sending it. 

Do I have the right mix of beta readers?

Typically, an author doesn’t make big changes to a book based on a single reader’s opinion. Try to gather a group of beta readers who will provide a mix of feedback—three to seven is the sweet spot. If you’re having trouble finding enough, writer’s groups often have beta swaps where you can beta read for other authors in exchange for feedback about your manuscript. 

• Different personal identities and experiences will help you see what parts of your book strike a chord or miss based on what others bring to the text.

• Find a mix of reader ‘care-abouts.’ For example, some people want rich, detailed worldbuilding, while others skip descriptive paragraphs and dig right into the dialogue and interpersonal drama. 

• Embrace varying preferences in how to give feedback. In-the-moment reactions from the reader who leaves comments in the margins give a sense of the emotional weight of scenes, while a reader who reflects on the book in its entirety at the end can give you more holistic feedback. 

Is my beta reader going to reliably provide feedback?

Finally, your beta readers need to be someone who can be expected to actually read the book and provide feedback within a reasonable time frame. Choose someone who has a little free time on their hands or who you’ve known to be reliable in the past.

When you’re ready to start sharing a book with beta readers, check out these tips on what questions to ask to get the best beta reader feedback and how to protect your book (and your friendships) with a friendly beta reader agreement.