Beta Readers

QUESTION:  What is a beta reader?

The term "beta reader" is a bit mushy in definition according to who uses it, but the most common usage is a reader who reads most if not all of your book after you write it and before you send it off to the agent or editor.  That's as opposed to a critique partner who works with you through the whole process.  

Often the beta reader is a reader, not a writer, so you are allowing a test run of your book.  The beta reader should be a fan of your genre.  Someone who hates romance or doesn’t read it isn’t your ideal audience. 

Sometimes, if your book has specialized knowledge in it, your beta reader is an expert on that knowledge so they are reading to be certain you got it right.  For example, if your heroine is a physicist and her theories are part of the story, you should find a physicist in her field to vet the book for accuracy.  Often, these readers will only read specific parts of the novel that deals with their specialty.  

Like critique partners, some beta readers are excellent while others are absolutely useless.  Be sure to have more than one so you get a better sense of both the quality of the readers as well as the quality of your novel.