After plugging holes, restructuring, rewriting, and much line-editing and copy editing, the alpha-reader agrees -- it's time to send out the WIP to beta-readers to gauge the general reader's impression of the MS.
To avoid the disappointment of receiving little or no feedback, as I did with a different WIP many years ago, I sent beta-readers this email, to clearly set my expectations for their reading and comments. I approached parents of teen readers separately, asking for permission to read, first. The instructions to teens were a bit different than those to adults.
In both cases, I am very specific. I got the idea and structure for these expectations from this website, but personalized it and tailored it to fit my needs.
Hi, beta-readers,
Before I get into the details, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for your assistance in completing my first novel.
If you asked for a printed copy of the manuscript, it has been mailed to the address you provided, with an addressed, postage-paid envelope for you to return the novel to me when you're finished with your comments.
If you indicated you wanted to read an electronic copy, you will shortly receive an email from this address, indicating I am sharing a pdf file via Google Drive with you. Please email your comments to this address, when you're finished. I will delete the copy of the manuscript from my Drive at the end of the summer. If you will need more time to read, please email me to let me know.
So, what is a beta-reader? Someone who assists the author by reviewing a pre-release version of a book.
Who are my beta-readers? Teachers grades 4-8, ex-journalism colleagues and teens.
What do I expect from you? I expect you to be harsh! Tell me what you are really thinking as you are reading. “I wonder why the character didn’t…” or “What the heck? That came outta nowhere,” or “This part seems really confusing.”
How soon do I want replies / feedback? I’m hoping to get your feedback within 3-4 weeks, so I can incorporate changes and pitch at a conference in September.
I am sure you will find typos and grammar errors, even though I've line-edited it several times. Please make a note of those so I can clean them up. However, I don’t want that to be your focus, and if you choose to ignore them, that's okay. I want you to read and enjoy; I DO NOT want you to feel like you're grading papers or editing copy. Yuck!
I especially want your feedback on the following big picture items:
- Does the story engage you?
- Are there sections that drag? Or move too fast?
- Do the characters seem real?
- Do they behave and talk in a consistent manner?
- Did I leave too many clues so that you figured out the ending well in advance?
- Or did I not leave enough clues, making you feel like I pulled a fast one at the end? If I did it right, you should be able to look back and think, “Oh, yeah, he’s the killer.”
- Finally, are the opening pages and the second to last chapter too violent? I've gotten mixed reactions to these, and am genuinely looking forward to your feedback on this point. My target readers are "Young Adult," which is defined by SCBWI as age 12-18. That's quite a range, developmentally, and I realize some of the content may not be appropriate for the younger end of the spectrum.
Most of all, I hope you enjoy the read.
Again, thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Have a fantastic week,
Email to Teens, After Getting Parent Approval to Read
I asked your mom if it would be OK for you to read and give me feedback on this novel, and she said it was.
So here's what being a novelist's "beta-reader" entails.
1. Read the manuscript. Then prepare to be brutally honest with me. I will respect your opinion, no matter what. Reader's Bill of Rights - you have the right to put it down and not read, if you get started and decide you don't like it, or it's "just not your thing." That's totally OK. Let me know what turned you off to the story. Not all books appeal to everyone.
2. As you're reading, be thinking and aware of how you're reacting to the story, so you can answer the following questions:
- Was it any good? If not, what didn't you like? Be specific.
- Were there places where it was it boring? Tell me where.
- Were there places where it was confusing and you couldn't follow what was happening? Tell me where.
- Were the characters believable? If not, tell me why, or what would make them more believable.
- Did you like the way the story progressed? If not, what would you have preferred to see happen?
- Was the ending satisfying? If not, tell me why or what could be changed.
- Were you able to see the clues that led to the villain, once they were pointed out? If not, what could I do to make them more like "clues"?
- What else would you want to see done differently in the story?
