If you act interested in a writer’s work-in-progress, you’re quite likely to find yourself roped into being a beta reader. You might be flattered, afraid, or confused at the idea. What is a beta reader, anyway?

A beta reader is not a writer, not an editor, not any sort of publishing industry professional. (If they have any of these jobs, they aren’t doing them when they beta read.) The beta reader is a person who loves stories, who reads a lot, and who knows the depth and breadth of their favorite genres. Optimally, beta readers’ opinions are that of a story’s ideal readers. They beta read because they enjoy a peek behind the scenes of book production, want to support their favorite authors, and would like to improve the quality of stories.

What Is The Beta’s Job? 

The primary task for you, the beta reader, is to tell the author the truth about their story. The writer might give you a list of specific questions that generally boil down to: Did you finish the story? Were you ever bored or confused? The author may “quiz” you about the events of the plot, the motivations of the characters, etc., just to see if you “get it.” The more specific you can be, the more helpful the feedback. For example, “At what point did you get bored?”  “Oh, here. Page 15. When the characters were having lunch.” What bored you at that point? “Well, they are talking and eating pie. For three pages. Nothing is happening.” The author may love and need an info-dump at that point, but maybe they need to find a different way to convey backstory.       

What Does The Writer Expect From The Beta?

• Your comfort with a manuscript as opposed to a finished book. You will see spelling and grammatical errors in the work and encounter awkward sentence structures. Although some of your confusion with the story may very well arise out of these flaws, the writer really needs the beta feedback before they edit and proofread the manuscript. If you uncover issues that require rewrites, the author doesn’t want to have spent time editing and proofreading sections that will go away or be significantly changed.
•  To identify problems in their manuscript. The writer isn’t fishing for compliments by asking you to beta read. You should share what worked for you in the story—that’s always nice to hear—but the main point of the review is to identify problem areas. Answer the writer’s specific questions, but also share any special knowledge or insights you have. 
• A report within the agreed upon timeframe, even if the report is “I haven’t read it yet.” The writer is waiting for your feedback before moving the project along to the next phase. If it turns out you can’t read the manuscript as planned, please let your author know as soon as possible. If you have a problem with the document—you find you need it in a different format, for example—give the author a chance to help you solve it.

What Isn’t The Beta’s Job?

The beta reader is not expected to be a critique partner, editor, or proofreader. You can comment on awkward phrases or misspelled words, but that isn’t really the task at hand. The writer or paid professionals will deal with editing and proofreading later.