Would you like to be part of the BFF Beta Brigade and help BFF authors
as they polish their stories for readers like you?
What is Beta Reading?
Beta Reading is reading a manuscript before it has gone through professional editing and noting what works and doesn’t work for you as a reader. It is not about your knowledge of the craft of writing or rules of grammar.
Who are Beta Readers?
Beta Readers are passionate readers who are prepared to read a manuscript in possibly an unpolished form and provide honest, respectful feedback.
What qualifications do you need to be a Beta Reader?
Each author will provide a list of questions/areas they’d like you to focus on when reading their manuscript, so it will probably vary with each author.
5 Top Tips for Responding to an Author:
1.
Be honest - Be prepared to answer the author’s questions clearly but constructively, even if your response is critical or negative. They’re asking because they want to know.
2.
Be specific - “I really loved it!” or “I thought the plot was boring,” are not much help to the author. Author Connie Flynn advises that we should avoid “Why did you…?” feedback comments. Why questions along those lines tend to put people on the defensive. She instead shares these excellent suggested critique phrases:
3.
Be thoughtful - Mean what you say, say what you mean, but don’t say it mean! A Beta Reader’s role is to provide constructive criticism, but this can be done without being savage. “Your plot is dreadful”, or “I thought your main character was absolutely awful” may not only leave the author feeling hurt and defensive, but it doesn’t give them any ideas on what specifically you think needs to be changed.
Focus on possible solutions, rather than the problem, such as: “Have you considered ...” “What if the main character...” “I like it when the hero ...”
4.
Observe deadlines - While you may be doing the author a favor, they’re depending on your feedback by a set time and probably have deadlines to meet which can’t easily be altered. Once you agree to a deadline, keep it, or let the author know as soon as possible if you can’t.
5.
Show respect for the author -
What if ...?
Beta Reading is reading a manuscript before it has gone through professional editing and noting what works and doesn’t work for you as a reader. It is not about your knowledge of the craft of writing or rules of grammar.
Who are Beta Readers?
Beta Readers are passionate readers who are prepared to read a manuscript in possibly an unpolished form and provide honest, respectful feedback.
What qualifications do you need to be a Beta Reader?
- Beta Readers need to love to read.
- Ideally a writer will have Beta Readers who are both avid readers in their genre as well as a few readers who are less familiar.
- Beta Readers need to have time to read and report back in a timely manner.
- Beta Readers should be generous with their thoughtful feedback.
- confusing sentences or plot points
- where your attention wavers
- whether you find the characters believable/likeable/sympathetic, etc.
Each author will provide a list of questions/areas they’d like you to focus on when reading their manuscript, so it will probably vary with each author.
5 Top Tips for Responding to an Author:
1.
Be honest - Be prepared to answer the author’s questions clearly but constructively, even if your response is critical or negative. They’re asking because they want to know.
2.
Be specific - “I really loved it!” or “I thought the plot was boring,” are not much help to the author. Author Connie Flynn advises that we should avoid “Why did you…?” feedback comments. Why questions along those lines tend to put people on the defensive. She instead shares these excellent suggested critique phrases:
- I don’t understand … (whatever it is).
- The detail seems … (to slow the pace, unnecessary, etc.).
- The … (character, setting, etc.) is coming across … (feisty, depressing, important, etc.). Is that what you intended?
- Did you want to convey (irritation, happiness, whatever)?
- How did … (Sally get to the store, John cut down the tree, etc.)? (Used to point out missing information.)
- Wasn’t … (John a blue-eyed man, Sally submissive, etc.) in Chapter (xx)? (Used to point out inconsistent information.)
- Carol’s (goal) seems to be … Is that correct?
- I’m confused about John’s motivation.
- And most important: I really liked … (end your feedback with a positive!)
3.
Be thoughtful - Mean what you say, say what you mean, but don’t say it mean! A Beta Reader’s role is to provide constructive criticism, but this can be done without being savage. “Your plot is dreadful”, or “I thought your main character was absolutely awful” may not only leave the author feeling hurt and defensive, but it doesn’t give them any ideas on what specifically you think needs to be changed.
Focus on possible solutions, rather than the problem, such as: “Have you considered ...” “What if the main character...” “I like it when the hero ...”
4.
Observe deadlines - While you may be doing the author a favor, they’re depending on your feedback by a set time and probably have deadlines to meet which can’t easily be altered. Once you agree to a deadline, keep it, or let the author know as soon as possible if you can’t.
5.
Show respect for the author -
- Focus –
- No pet peeves –
- Author’s Vision –
- Author’s Autonomy –
- Trust –
What if ...?
- I choose not to finish the piece?
- I notice grammatical and spelling errors?
- there’s a scene or character I don’t like?
If you think this sounds like something you would be willing and happy to do,
please Contact me, and I will send you a Google Form to fill out
so that we can match you with stories that are in your preferred genre.
please Contact me, and I will send you a Google Form to fill out
so that we can match you with stories that are in your preferred genre.
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