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.  

Ethics of Critiquing

 Never talk about what you critique to others.

Never show someone else's work to others.

Never "borrow" a critique partner's ideas or characters.

Respect others' time. Critique in a timely manner, and don't send your life's work at once.

Agree upon an amount of work (a chapter or more) and stick to it unless the other person agrees to see more.

Agree on what each of you wants from a critique and give it. Some of the choices are a general overview, copyediting only, or a check on accuracy from an expert.  

The checklist I blogged about last week is also a good starting place.

Be specific. Be fair. Be kind. Don't say, "I hate this." Say, "Your hero is unpleasant because...," or, "He may be rude to the heroine here, but show he is a nice person to others so the reader can like him and see him as a worthy hero."

ALSO mention what works. "The heroine is really charming. I loved the way she...," or "Your descriptions are excellent. I could see the waves around the pirate ship and smell the ocean."

Don't be too kind. If you see a problem, mention it so it can be fixed. It's kinder in the long term for her to know this problem now rather than in the rejection letter from an editor.

Ask questions if you don't understand a comment, but don't defend your work. It's a waste of time for both of you.

Anger is a waste of time, as well. It's no fun to be told that your writing isn't perfect, but you'll have to learn to deal with it. Even the best writers in the world have editors who change things so learn to deal with criticism or forget about a writing career.

If you can’t control your anger, walk away from the critique for a while then come back.  

Respect each other's voice and individuality. Don't suggest rewrites as you would do it.  Instead, suggest rewrites that will improve the author's vision.

Respect your own voice and vision. The critiquer can only give SUGGESTIONS. Only you can decide whether to change your work. Only you know what you are trying to achieve with the entire book.

Always thank your critiquer because she gave up writing time to help you.

NOTE:  Feel free to copy this to share with a critique partner, but if you'd like to share this text otherwise online, please ask my permission.  You need not ask permission to link back to this article.  

Critiquing Questions

 The critique questions below are only some of the questions you'll ask yourself as you critique another person's work. Add to this list as you need to.

It’s always a good idea for both of you to have a list to share with the other.  

CRITIQUING A CHAPTER OVER A PERIOD OF TIME (SEVERAL REWRITES)

THE FIRST CRITIQUE QUESTIONS

The first critique should be an overview of plot and character. Questions you should ask include--

Does this chapter advance the story?

Tell more about the characters?

Give plot information?

Does it work with the chapter before it?

Specific elements to examine in a general critique are

PLOT

Do the characters and plot work well together, or is the plot just pasted on?

Does it make sense?

Does one thing lead to another?

Has the story started at the right place?

Does the action escalate?

Are more plot questions asked before a plot question is resolved?

Does the plot fit genre boundaries?

CHARACTERS

Does each character sound different?

Are the characters doing what they, as characters and personalities, should be doing, or are they being moved around for the convenience of the author?

Do we understand why they are doing certain things?

Does each major character have a strength and a weakness which will be affected by the plot?

In the romantic relationship, is their emotional conflict strong enough for the length of the work?

Will it take more than one long talk to resolve their conflict?

Does their romantic relationship work with the action plot?

In the action plot, is the conflict between the hero and his opponent strong enough?

Is the opponent strong enough to really push the hero to his limits?

LATER CRITIQUES

Later critiques should also examine the nuts and bolts of grammar, spelling, language, dialogue, point of view, correct historical and scientific information, etc.

Finding a Critique Group

Some places you can find a critique partner or group are local writer's groups (only if there are others who write in your genre or subgenre), RWA chapters, or other writers' groups.

I’ve listed some links below with advice on finding critique groups, partners, etc.  

WHEN CRITIQUE GROUPS DON’T WORK

http://hopeclark.blogspot.com/2011/01/know-when-your-critique-group-doesnt.html

DEALING WITH REJECTION AND THE BAD CRITIQUE:

http://www.andrewjackwriting.com/2011/01/five-strategies-for-writers-to-deal-with-rejection-and-critique/

PLACES TO FIND CRITIQUE PARTNERS ONLINE:

http://thewritelife.com/find-a-critique-partner

TELL YOUR CRITIQUE PARTNER EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT:

http://thewritepractice.com/critique-partners

LOOKING FOR A CRITIQUE PARTNER?

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/01/are-you-looking-for-critique-group-or.html

HOW TO FIND AND BE A GREAT CRITIQUE PARTNER:

http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2016/08/how-to-find-and-be-great-critique.html

Why You Need a Critique

 Today, I'm starting a series of blogs on critiquing.

Why do you need a critique?

Another pair of eyes spots problems.

Grammar and spelling problems are easily avoided.

Clarity problems -- Does a phrase or an event not make sense to another person?

Someone else can see the diseased tree when you only see the forest.

If you want only praise, let your mother or your best friend read your book. If you want honesty, get a good critique partner.

Critiquing someone else's work is good for your writing. By learning to spot others' weaknesses, you can more easily spot your own.

Explaining writing problems helps you understand them.

Pushing Humor Too Far

 The mystery series was a cozy with a light tone and humorous moments, but the third book in the series started with the murder of the heroine’s closest friend and moved through the next days with sleuthing as well as the process of grieving for and burying someone you love.

I imagine most would agree that this situation is not a comedy waiting to happen.  Unfortunately, the writer was so desperate to bring the light tone in that she proceeded to add slapstick.  

At the family visitation, one of the heroine’s friends pretends to knee the heroine’s boyfriend, her heel breaks, and she really kicks him in the jewels.

The heroine receives a threatening phone call, then her bedroom door knob jiggles.  She slips as she reaches for a Taser and bangs her head, then, before she realizes it’s a cop friend, she shoots him as he enters her room and he slips banging his head.  They end up concussed together on the bed where her friend discovers them the next morning and has a fun time wondering what went on between the not-a-couple.

I could only shake my head during these scenes that so desperately tried to add humor to a situation that wasn’t funny.  Not only was the over-the-top-to-the-point-of-ridiculous humor displaced, it tried so hard that the book fell apart.  

Moments like this are what trusted critique partners, beta readers, and good editors are all about.  They should have told the writer that sometimes a light tone just doesn’t fit the situation, and that poor taste and slapstick have no place in certain situations.  

How can you judge this with your own writing?  Think of your novel as a movie.  If you are writing a mystery movie full of dark atmosphere and duplicitous suspects, a scene from DUMB AND DUMBER just won’t  fit, will it?  A light moment of character revelation or a funny story about a victim would.  

Stay true to the tone that’s needed and listen to your early readers.  That’s more important than trying to maintain the tone of the series.  If not staying true bothers you, then find another plot that will fit that tone. 

Writing Witty Dialogue

Witty dialogue is found in most Regency romances, and the comedies of Shakespeare are rife with word plays and banter between clever characters, but it also has a place in other writing.

Put two clever characters with a sense of fun together and let them at each other so they duel with words, and the reader is in for a treat that requires as much attention to the word play as the characters must pay.

This is from an unpublished contemporary novel.

"You have the tail of an ass," Ariel said. 

David raised one eyebrow haughtily. "Women have told me I have a nice ass, but not one has mentioned a tail." 

"They told tales." 

"I am happy you are named for the sprite Ariel and not Puck. I could wake up with the head of an ass." 

“Don't toss Shakespeare at me, amateur, or speak of Bottom. Why change your head into an ass? It would be redundant since you act like one already." 

Witty dialogue, particularly in a romance, is emotional and personal foreplay.  It reinforces a sense that these people “get” each other and are equals emotionally and intellectually.  

Outside of romance, the most surprising and common use of witty dialogue is between the hero and the villain who also “get” each other.

Dueling with words can be just as much fun for the characters and the reader as dueling with swords, and just as dangerous.