Beta Readers: Part Two - How Do You Find a Beta Reader?
So you've gone through the pros and cons and have decided that you need a beta reader. So how do you go about finding one?
The first place most people look is their family and friends. Maybe you've talked about your idea with someone and they wanted to read it. That's all fine and dandy, but make sure you can trust them to be honest and critique fairly, but strictly. It's like on American Idol with those people that can't sing but are convinced they can because all their family and friends told them they're awesome. Well of course they say that. It's their job as family and friends. So make sure whoever you choose isn't going to just say 'I liked it' and move on. You want them to say 'I like it, but...' and tell you what works and what doesn't. Because that's what a good beta reader does. I actually avoid letting my family and friends read my work for this reason. I don't want to hear that it's good, I want to know what I can fix. I wouldn't let family within ten feet of my WIPs, but that's just personal preference for a variety of reasons.
Another place to look is a critique group. These are places that are created to read other writers' work and give feedback. Some groups are live and others are online. Live groups are great because you can meet in person and make new friends with people that share your love of writing in your own area. If there aren't any, start your own. Otherwise you can look online. There are many wonderful groups online -- I belong to one -- but make sure the one you choose fits your needs and has members you can trust.
Then there's my favorite method: online. I know none of my beta readers in real life and all of them --with the exception of Andra's first reader -- came through Absolute Write. This forum has a whole section dedicated to beta readers offering their services and writers looking for them.
Wherever you look, make sure it's somewhere you trust and that you find someone that fits the bill. Next week I'll talk about what kind of beta reader you need.
The first place most people look is their family and friends. Maybe you've talked about your idea with someone and they wanted to read it. That's all fine and dandy, but make sure you can trust them to be honest and critique fairly, but strictly. It's like on American Idol with those people that can't sing but are convinced they can because all their family and friends told them they're awesome. Well of course they say that. It's their job as family and friends. So make sure whoever you choose isn't going to just say 'I liked it' and move on. You want them to say 'I like it, but...' and tell you what works and what doesn't. Because that's what a good beta reader does. I actually avoid letting my family and friends read my work for this reason. I don't want to hear that it's good, I want to know what I can fix. I wouldn't let family within ten feet of my WIPs, but that's just personal preference for a variety of reasons.
Another place to look is a critique group. These are places that are created to read other writers' work and give feedback. Some groups are live and others are online. Live groups are great because you can meet in person and make new friends with people that share your love of writing in your own area. If there aren't any, start your own. Otherwise you can look online. There are many wonderful groups online -- I belong to one -- but make sure the one you choose fits your needs and has members you can trust.
Then there's my favorite method: online. I know none of my beta readers in real life and all of them --with the exception of Andra's first reader -- came through Absolute Write. This forum has a whole section dedicated to beta readers offering their services and writers looking for them.
Wherever you look, make sure it's somewhere you trust and that you find someone that fits the bill. Next week I'll talk about what kind of beta reader you need.
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