Transforming Your Draft: How Beta Readers Can Elevate Your Writing

From book idea to publication and beyond.

Happy Saturday! In today’s newsletter you’ll learn:

📚 Who are beta readers?

📝 How might you use beta readers?

👉 How to incorporate beta reading into your revision practice

Beta readers are gold. If you haven’t had a beta reader for your work-in-progress, I encourage you to employ them in your revision process. If you haven’t heard of beta readers, quite simply they are folks who read a manuscript before it’s done to provide feedback to the writer.

Beta readers can be used at various stages in the process, depending on the writer’s needs and the project. My preference is to wait until I feel the manuscript is nearing the final stages of revision and I’m starting to circle around really minor details. It’s a signal to me that I need need an outsider’s point of view before I can move forward with more changes.

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

I select two or three writers whose work I admire and who will give me honest, credible feedback. I don’t need praise from them (I’ll get that from my mom—more on here here), I need the real, honest-to-goodness deal on what’s not working. I also choose one or two avid readers who know the genre. They might not be writers, but they know a good book when they read one. For Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories behind the Death Gate, I asked a teacher friend—Marybeth Levan— whom I trusted with my first book; Roy Kari, a professor at Laurentian University who knew much about Finnish history; Heini Heinonen-Kari, a librarian and avid reader, and Andrea Levan, also a Laurentian professor. In addition, my parents read every single draft.

For the Donovan novel (untitled upcoming novel to be published in 2026), I chose some trusted writer friends who had beta read for me in the past, including Emily De Angelis and Nancy Daoust, but I also asked a teacher friend—Kelly Rodriguez—who is an avid reader. She accepted my request with some trepidation, but her comments were stellar and helped me move the story forward.

I always start with an email explaining what I’m asking them to do (read and comment on my work-in-progress) and why (to get clarity about what is working and not working). After all, asking someone to read an 80, 000 word manuscript and comment on it is a big ask. In my experience, folks I’ve approached have been very willing to help me. In fact, some who have not done this process before need reassurance that they’re feedback is valuable. Other times the issue is available time, so I’ll work with them around that issue. On occasion, a reader declines, and that’s perfectly fine, too, and I’ll reach out to someone else on my list.

Once the reader has accepted the work, I send them an explanation of what I’m looking for, pointing out that the manuscript they are reading is a work-in-progress, and will go through final edits for spelling, grammar, and punctuation at a later stage, so they don’t need to focus on those elements. Instead, I provide a list of 10-15 questions that I’d like them to address during their reading. These questions might have to do with the protagonist’s transformational arc, the use of dialogue, descriptive details about setting, plot holes, believability, or any other issue I’m concerned about. Of course, I also ask them to comment on what they loved, because we need to hear that, too.

Sample beta reader email:

Dear ______,

Thank you for agreeing to read and comment on a draft of my work-in-progress entitled ________________. Your feedback will guide me in decisions for the next draft. I’m very interested in your reactions as a reader. I’d like to know what is working and what isn’t working for you.

As this is a draft, you may see typographical errors in all their forms. Proofreading the manuscript will happen in the final stages (I’m not there yet!), but if you are like me and you feel compelled to correct them, feel free. Or simply ignore and move on knowing they will be addressed at a later stage.

Please do not feel like you need to answer all the beta reader questions (see below). They are there as a guide for you and should give you an idea about what the role of the beta reader entails.

Greatly appreciated! I’m looking forward to your feedback.

Cheers,

Liisa

Sample Beta Reader Questions:

• Was the opening compelling? Did it grab your attention? Please explain.

• Did the manuscript keep your attention? When did it falter?

• Did you relate to the main character? Did you come to feel you knew the character?

• Did the setting pull you in, and did the descriptions seem vivid and real to you?

• Was the ending satisfying? Believable?

• What scenes/paragraphs/lines did you really like?

• What parts did you dislike or not like as much?

• What parts resonated with you and/or moved you emotionally?

• What sections should be elaborated on? What parts are confusing?

• Did you notice any discrepancies or inconsistencies in time sequences, places, character details, etc.?

• Did the dialogue sound natural to you?

• Is there anything else you’d like to share with me?

I usually send the manuscript as an attachment in the email, but some folks prefer a printed version. If that’s the case, I print it out and put it in one of those giant 3-ring binders. Whatever makes it easier for the reader.

Once the beta readers have had a chance to read and comment on the work, I review their responses. Sometimes folks write on the manuscript itself with inline comments, and sometimes they just respond to the questions. Either way, their comments are like gold to me.

Do I change everything based on their comments? Of course not. I may decide to adopt some changes, respond to some suggestions, or reject some comments, but every suggestion makes me pause and think about the decisions I’ve made. By doing so, I also get new ideas and insights, and make plans for revising my manuscript with a fresh perspective.

If it’s your first time working with beta readers, know that criticism of your work might feel a little painful at first, especially if you’re not used to receiving criticism. Reframe your thinking. You’ve asked someone to spend their valuable time commenting on your work. You’ve asked for their feedback. So, when they do that for you, be mindful they are not criticizing you, the writer, but providing you with valuable insight into this particular project from a reader’s perspective. Put on your analytical hat and decide what to do with the comments, and try to distance yourself from the emotional responses that might bubble up. Although some feedback may feel negative in the moment, it’s actually a reminder that you still have time to make your work the best it can be, and thankfully your reader has helped you get there.

While I don’t pay beta readers, I do give them some kind of acknowledgement, such as a card and gift card to a local bookstore. After all, they just spent all that time with my work-in-progress, they should be rewarded with a great book of their choice. Plus, I always make sure to mention them in the acknowledgement sections of the book they beta read for me. And, if they need a beta reader down the road, I’m happy to reciprocate.

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Here are a few suggestions for using beta readers:

• Hand select 3-4 beta readers

• 1-2 should be writers who know craft

• 1-2 should be avid readers who know the genre

• Provide a set of questions for the beta readers to answer

• Change the list of questions depending on the kind of reader (writer vs. reader)

• Provide a timeline for return of the work (be generous and work with the reader)

• Read the returned comments carefully and take notes

• Have a follow-up conversation with the beta reader

• Be curious with the reader (but not defensive)

• Make decisions about how to use the comments to move your manuscript forward

• Thank the beta reader (a small gift of gratitude is important)

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Happy writing!