THIS IS FOR YOU!!!

If you’ve spent months or even years writing a book, getting to the point where you’re finally ready to let someone else read it can feel terrifying. You’ve probably read the same chapters more times than you can count, changed the same sentence five different ways, and convinced yourself that you know every little thing about your story. But eventually, you reach a point where you need someone who hasn’t been living inside your manuscript to tell you what is actually working and what isn’t. That’s where beta readers come in.

Beta readers are people who read your manuscript before publication and give you honest feedback from a reader’s point of view. They aren’t there to rewrite your book for you or tell you exactly what every scene should become. Instead, they help you understand how your story feels to someone experiencing it for the first time. Did they connect with the characters? Did the romance feel believable? Were there parts where they became bored or confused? Did the ending work for them? Sometimes, as the writer, you are simply too close to the story to notice these things yourself.

But finding beta readers is not as simple as posting somewhere and saying, “WHO WANTS TO READ MY BOOK?” I know it can be tempting, especially when you’re excited to finally have people read your work, but the people you choose can make a huge difference in the kind of feedback you receive. You want readers who are actually interested in your genre, who understand what kind of story you’re trying to write, and who are comfortable being honest with you even when the feedback might not be what you were hoping to hear.

WHEN SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR BETA READERS?

One of the first things to figure out is when you actually need beta readers. You generally don’t want to send them your very first messy draft and expect them to help you figure out the entire story. Before bringing in beta readers, it’s a good idea to take your manuscript through your own revision first. Read it again, fix the obvious problems, make sure the plot is working as well as you can make it, and get the manuscript to a stage where you genuinely want outside feedback.

For me, I think of beta readers as part of the stage where you’re asking, “Okay, I’ve done everything I can see on my own. Now what am I missing?” That makes their feedback much more useful because they can focus on the reader experience rather than pointing out things you already knew were unfinished.

You also don’t need to wait until your book is absolutely perfect. That is kind of the point of having beta readers. Your manuscript should be readable and reasonably polished, but it doesn’t need to be publication-ready before you send it out. You’re asking them to help you find the things you can’t see anymore.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND BETA READERS?

This is probably the question writers ask the most, and thankfully, there are more options than you might think. One of the easiest places to start is with people you already know who genuinely read the kind of books you write. If you’re writing a YA romance, for example, a friend who reads YA romance all the time can often give you much more useful feedback than someone who rarely reads the genre but happens to know you personally.

You can also look within writing communities, book communities, online reader groups, and social media. Bookstagram, BookTok, writing communities, Discord groups, and writing friends can all be good places to meet potential beta readers, especially if you’ve already built relationships with people there. I would much rather approach someone who has interacted with my work and already understands the kind of stories I write than send my entire manuscript to a complete stranger simply because they said they were willing to read it.

Another great option is other writers. Writers can sometimes notice things that regular readers might not, especially when it comes to pacing, character arcs, structure, dialogue, or scenes that aren’t pulling their weight. At the same time, I wouldn’t make your entire beta team writers. You are ultimately writing for readers, so having people who simply love books and can tell you how the story made them feel is incredibly valuable too.

And yes, your family can sometimes be great beta readers, especially if they genuinely read your genre and are willing to be honest with you. The important part is making sure they understand that you are asking for real feedback, not just compliments. Having someone tell you, “I loved it because you wrote it,” is lovely, but it doesn’t necessarily help you revise your book.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BETA READER?

A good beta reader doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional editor or another author. What matters more is whether they are the right reader for your particular book. If you’re writing a YA contemporary romance, someone who regularly reads YA contemporary romance is going to notice different things than someone who only reads thrillers or historical fiction.

I also look for people who can explain why they felt something. “I didn’t like this character” is not nearly as useful as “I stopped connecting with this character around chapter twelve because their reaction didn’t feel believable to me.” The second kind of feedback gives you something to actually think about when you revise.

A good beta reader should also be honest without being unnecessarily harsh. You want someone who can tell you when something isn’t working while still understanding that there is a person behind the manuscript. You don’t need someone who loves everything you write, and honestly, you probably shouldn’t want that. You need someone who cares enough about the story to tell you where it could become stronger.

DON’T JUST ASK, “DID YOU LIKE IT?”

This is something I really recommend keeping in mind when you send your manuscript out. If you simply tell your beta reader to “let me know what you think,” you might get a lovely message back saying, “I loved it!” and then have absolutely no idea what you’re supposed to do with that.

Instead, give them questions that encourage them to think about specific parts of the reading experience. You don’t need to give them a giant questionnaire with fifty questions, because that can make reading feel like homework, but a few thoughtful questions can make their feedback much more useful.

For example, you could ask them what they thought of the story as a whole and whether the characters felt believable and developed naturally throughout the book. You could ask when they felt like the story truly began, whether there were any places where they found themselves wanting to skim, which scenes were their favorites, and whether there were any moments they wished had lasted longer.

For a romance, I would also ask about the relationship itself. Did they believe the chemistry between the characters? Did the relationship develop naturally? Was there a moment when they became invested in the couple? Were there any romantic scenes that felt unnecessary or rushed? Sometimes your beta reader will point out a tiny moment that you completely overlooked, and suddenly you realize that it is actually one of the most important scenes in the entire relationship.

You can also ask them about the ending, the overall theme, their favorite character, the moments that made them laugh or cry, and whether there were any parts where they felt confused. These questions help you move beyond a simple “good” or “bad” reaction and understand what the reader actually experienced while reading your book.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE FEEDBACK YOU RECEIVE

This is probably one of the hardest parts of having beta readers: you don’t have to accept every piece of feedback you receive.

If three different beta readers point out the same problem, that is definitely something worth looking at. But if one person says they hate a character because they personally dislike that type of personality, while everyone else connected strongly with the character, you don’t necessarily need to change the character just to satisfy one reader.

Beta feedback is information. It isn’t a list of orders.

Your job as the author is to listen, look for patterns, think about why your readers reacted the way they did, and then decide what actually belongs in the story. Sometimes a beta reader will identify a problem you hadn’t noticed at all. Other times, they might suggest a change that simply doesn’t fit the story you’re trying to tell. Learning to tell the difference is a huge part of the revision process.

And honestly, this can be emotional. Someone might point out a problem with a scene you absolutely love, and your first reaction might be to defend it immediately. Try to give yourself some time before deciding what to do. You don’t have to change something just because someone mentioned it, but you also don’t want to dismiss useful feedback simply because it hurts to hear.

HOW MANY BETA READERS DO YOU NEED?

There isn’t one magic number that every writer needs. Some authors work with only a few trusted beta readers, while others have a larger group. I think it’s much more useful to focus on who your readers are rather than trying to reach a certain number.

Having ten people who barely read your genre and give you vague feedback may be less helpful than having three or four readers who genuinely understand your target audience and are willing to give thoughtful responses.

You also want to make sure you can actually process all the feedback you receive. If you give your manuscript to too many people at once, you might end up with so many different opinions that you can’t see the story clearly anymore. More feedback isn’t automatically better feedback.

QUESTIONS I LIKE TO ASK MY BETA READERS

When my beta readers finish a manuscript, I want to know more than whether they enjoyed it. I want to understand what stayed with them after they closed the book, where they felt most connected to the story, and where that connection might have disappeared.

Some of the questions I like asking are: What did you think of the story as a whole? Which character did you connect with the most, and why? Did the characters feel like real people to you? At what point did you feel completely invested in the story? Were there any parts where you found yourself wanting to skim? What was your favorite scene? Was there a moment that made you laugh, cry, or feel particularly emotional? Did the romance feel believable and natural? Were there any moments that confused you? Were there any scenes you wish had been longer? Did the ending feel satisfying? And what do you think the main theme or message of the story was?

You can obviously change these questions depending on your book. A mystery is going to need different feedback from a romance, and a fantasy novel may need questions about world-building that wouldn’t make sense for a contemporary story. The important thing is to ask questions that help you understand the specific things you are trying to accomplish with your book.

ONE LAST THING...

Finding beta readers can feel scary because it means letting people into a story that you have probably spent months or years working on. I completely understand that feeling. Your manuscript is personal, and sending it to someone for the first time can feel a little like handing them a piece of yourself.

But that outside perspective can also be one of the most valuable parts of the writing process.

Your beta readers are experiencing your story without having your outline, your Pinterest board, your character notes, or the thousands of thoughts that exist inside your head about why a particular scene happens. They only have the book in front of them, which means their reactions can show you exactly where the story is communicating what you intended and where it might not be.

So don’t rush into finding beta readers just because you’re excited to have someone read your book. Take some time to find the right people, make sure they understand what kind of feedback you’re looking for, and remember that you are still the author at the end of the process.

Your beta readers can help you see your story more clearly, but you are the one who decides what the story becomes.

LET’S TALK!

If you’ve ever used beta readers for your writing, I’d love to know how you found them and what your experience was like. Did you ask friends or family to read your manuscript, find readers through an online writing community, or build a small group of readers you’ve worked with over time? And if you’re currently looking for beta readers, what is the hardest part of the process for you?

I’d also love to know what questions you like asking your beta readers after they finish reading. There are so many different ways to approach the process, and I think writers can learn a lot from hearing what has worked for other authors.

And if you’re currently preparing your own novel for beta readers, good luck! There is nothing quite like the moment when someone else finally gets to read the story you’ve been carrying around in your head for so long.