Beta reading is a really fun way to read new books for free. If you're looking to try out
beta reading for the first time here are a few of my top tips resources and things to
consider. [Music]
Beta readers are incredibly valuable to writers, so signing up as someone's beta reader can be a
great way to help out a writer that you know. If you're unfamiliar, beta readers are people who
receive an early version--or a beta version--of a book, for the purpose of giving feedback from an
everyday reader's perspective. First off, here are a few things that first-time beta readers
should know about the process. Beta readers are usually recruited after the writer has done their
own editing, but not before the final edits. Most of the time it will be done after the professional
developmental edit, but it depends on the writer and the project. This means that these books are
not going to be perfect. Beta readers can expect errors like typos and rougher areas of writing,
but overall it should be an enjoyable book to read, and a completed story. Some writers will
have multiple, smaller rounds of beta readers instead of having all their betas read at once.
This is so they can get feedback from a few people, make changes on any errors that are found,
and then get feedback from a fresh set of beta readers to see if they've sorted out the issues.
So if you sign up to beta read something, the writer might decide to put you in a
later group you'll have to wait a few extra weeks to actually start reading the book.
If this happens and you know you won't be able to beta read during the time that they asked,
it's totally okay to ask if you could be moved to a different group. Each project will be different,
but usually you'll have about a month to finish reading and commenting on the book. Most of the
time you'll be working in either Google Docs or Microsoft Word, and using features like track
changes and comments to give feedback. Most--but not all--writers will have a set of questions for
you to answer after each chapter, or after every few chapters. They’ll be asking things like,
what did you like and not like? And asking also about certain characters or events that happen
in that area of the book. Personally, I have 10 to 12 questions for about every three chapters,
and it takes my beta readers about one minute per question to answer. And usually there will be a
longer set of questions at the very end of the book that are asking about the book as a whole.
This will usually be your last chance to give any more pieces of feedback that you thought of
while you were reading. Next you should know that it takes a little bit longer to better
read a book than it would to just normally read it. This happens for a few different reasons,
mostly just because the book is rougher, and you're going to be paying more attention as
you're reading because you're looking to give your opinion on lots of different parts of the book.
And answering the questions will also take time. Next I’ll quickly touch on paid vs free beta
reading. So there are people on websites like Fiverr that offer paid beta reading services,
but if you're signing up to beta read for a writer, you should not expect to be compensated.
So unless it is explicitly stated by the writer in their sign up form or otherwise, you should
not expect to be compensated for beta reading. Though oftentimes authors will send beta readers
an e-copy of the book once it's published as a little thank you, but this also is not expected.
Beta reading is about you getting a sneak peek into a new book from a writer that you enjoy,
and also about helping them on their journey to publication. So if you're interested in
becoming a beta reader, where should you look? There are lots of places online that you can
find books to beta read. First, you can follow writers that you like on their social media,
as well as follow their email list. Another great way is Goodreads groups and forums. Goodreads has
dozens of groups for connecting writers and beta readers. My two favorites are the groups called
"Making Connections" and "Beta Reader Group" which I will link both below. I found quite a few great
beta readers through both of these groups, and there are tons of writers posting about their
books here every single week. So these two groups are going to be great places to find something to
your taste, because they also have folders for genres so that you can really easily find what
you're looking for. So there are so many writers out there looking for beta readers that it can
be difficult for beta readers to choose which books to sign up for. So when choosing a book
to sign up to beta read, here are a few things you can consider. First, do you think you would like
this book? This one sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised. I’ve had people sign up to beta read my
teen fantasy series who do not like teen books or fantasy books. I don't know why. This baffles me.
Writers really want feedback from people who are familiar with the genre of the book. Personally,
I would never sign up to beta read a romance novel because I don't read them. Just by reading
frequently in a genre, you become familiar with those books and so you really know what to expect.
This means you also are used to things and so you know when something isn't right.
And you also should consider can you read this book in the allotted time? Most writers will
give about a month for their beta readers to finish up reading and commenting, so make sure
you quickly take into consideration if you have time to do this. As I said, beta reading a book
will take a little bit longer than it would for you to just read it normally, and this is because
you're probably going to be paying a little more attention to it, and you're going to be answering
questions. You’re most likely also going to be stopping to write notes while you're reading,
which not everyone does while they're reading all the time. The time it takes will vary greatly,
so you can use this website readinglength.com to figure out how much time a book of similar
length would take you to read normally. Then just add a little extra buffer time,
and then you'll be able to gauge if this is going to be a good match for you. Next we'll talk about
what kind of feedback you can expect to give on a book that you're beta reading. The amount,
frequency, and subject of your comments is going to vary completely on what the author
is actually looking for. I know writers who had more than 15 questions after one chapter, and I
also know writers who only have one 30 question questionnaire at the end of their entire book,
so it totally varies. Either in their beta readers wanted post or their initial email to you, they
should tell you what exactly to be looking out for, and also what their goals for the book are,
and when/how often there will be questionnaires. That being said, here are a few things that I
find most helpful for my beta readers to point out. What did you like and dislike,
and why? The "why" is a really important detail to me. Also point out any areas of confusion or
unclear writing. This can be entire scenes or just small phrases. It’s also super helpful to
note anything that slows you down or is kind of clunky or awkward to read. Also anywhere you had
to re-read for clarity. Oftentimes writers can become blind to these issues because
they've reread the paragraph so many times at this point, so it's really helpful for betas
to point these out. Next is places the characters or story are lacking. Did a scene feel cut short,
or dragged out? Does the thread of a subplot kind of fizzle out? Do any characters feel flat?
And lastly would be things you don't connect with. Are the villain’s motives unclear or unrelatable?
Do any areas of conflict seem drawn out or inflated for drama? These are based on some
of the most valuable feedback that I’ve gotten from beta readers, but the most important thing
for you to note as a beta reader is what stands out to you, good or bad. Beta readers are super
valuable to writers, and I’m really grateful to have so many great ones on my team. If you'd like
to dive into the world of Olexia, you can read Age of the Gods, which is a free short story
that'll link down below. Alright that's all I got for you so thanks for watching. Bye!
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