Julie Broad explains what beta readers are and when to use them in nonfiction writing. You invite unpaid readers at different manuscript stages, from first draft to final, each with specific goals like testing your concept or catching errors. She covers how to recruit the right people, what questions to ask them, and how to handle feedback that might be unhelpful or slow you down.
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We recently had a situation where the author of one of the books that we were working on disagreed with us about who the audience was for the book. So rather than keep arguing, we brought in some beta readers to see what they thought. Now, if you're wondering what the heck a beta reader even is, or what they do, and whether you need them for your book, well, stick around because today's video is for you. Hey, I'm Julie the Book Broad, an award winning author and the founder founder of a fantastic company called Book Launchers. We're your fabulous professional self publishing team helping you write, publish and sell nonfiction books that will grow your business and make you money. One of the superpowers of our company is how much we care about our author's books. I've been very fortunate to attract people who are not happy until a book is as good as it possibly can be. Most of the time my team can come together to find solutions to the challenge a book faces, or together with the client, they find a way to tackle an issue that's preventing a book from being its best. But every once in a while, we know the book is missing the mark and just needs more input or a fresh perspective. And that's when we call in the beta readers. So what is a beta reader? Usually it's an unpaid, non professional person who will read your book and give you some input, a critique if you will. Prior to your book being published, people are brought in as beta readers at different phases of the book process. You might bring them in at first draft or in mid edit, or maybe in pre publication. Each phase would have a different objective for bringing in beta readers. First draft is more of a proof of concept. So you're asking your beta readers whether this message has hit the mark for the audience. You might say what can be done to address the flaws or maybe the weak areas of the book. Mid edit is probably for more eyes to catch smaller issues with the book around, how things are explained or whether they keep the audience engaged from story to story and concept to concept. Final draft. Well, the beta readers at that point would be an extra set of eyes to catch any errors before it goes to print and probably boost the confidence of the author that it's good enough to publish now. So some recommend only working with other writers, while others suggest your beta readers would be selected from your target audience. I kind of think it depends on what kind of feedback you're looking for and what your goal is in having beta readers. So if you're thinking of maybe getting beta readers, your first task is to figure out what is your goal in bringing on beta readers to your team. Spell it out. Do you want eagle eyes to catch final errors in your proof before you sign off on it to go to print? Or are you looking for the wisdom of a targeted audience to find where your book may be dull or confus? Write that down so you're clear. And me, I write it down in the form of questions for the beta reader so it's instructions and I can be sure we're getting the input that we need from the book. Because if you just ask somebody to read the book and give input, you're going to get information all over the map and it might not actually be useful. So when I was looking for beta readers for one of our clients, this is what I wrote. Specifically, I said it's not gone through any edits yet, so it's still raw. We're looking for a few readers to read some of it, so scan the rest and really give us a feeling. For 1. What do you think the book is about? 2. Who do you think is the most likely audience for the book? 3. What do you like about the book? 4. If you could change something about the book, what would you change? We're not looking for editing of any kind and do not expect anyone to read the entire book because it's long and we really need your input in the next 10 to 14 days. So I was super clear and that is what I shared with each beta reader. Now you need to think about who is going to be the best and most likely to help out and do it within your timeline because heads up, a lot of people are going to say they're going to do this and a lot of people are also not going to get it done. When it comes to nonfiction, I think you're generally best to go with people who will be in your target audience for input, but fellow writers in a similar space can be invaluable too. For the project mentioned above, I posted on a couple of writing forums I'm a part of and gave a couple of generic subject matters that the book involved in order to make sure that people would be somewhat interested interested in this book to begin with. From there I had five volunteers, so that's what we went with. Once you have the beta readers on board, send them the manuscript and the timeline and expect that you may have to follow up to make sure you're getting the input in the time frame that you need it. When I did this for my books in the past, I had five Beta readers and only had the complete manuscript reviewed by two of them. The other three had the best of intentions and started the book but didn't finish. So just know that if you think you really want the input of three people, you probably should ask five or six. Finally, while beta readers are rarely paid for their service, it's still a service. So I recommend you do something in thanks, whether it be a small gift card or some other service in kind. If they provide you with decent input that took time and effort and deserves a thank you at the very least, send them a nice thank you note and a copy of your book when it comes out. Now, the reasons I actually don't recommend beta readers most of the time is beta readers have the best of intentions. But the best of intentions doesn't always translate into clear, actionable advice that will improve your book. Sometimes it can confuse it and make you doubt yourself or your book when you shouldn't. Also, beta readers slow down your book process. I was demanding in asking that these beta readers turn it around in 10 days, but I also wasn't asking them to read the whole manuscript or go over it with a fine tooth comb. I was looking for high level general input. And finally, beta readers can also give you overconfidence in your book. I've seen this way too many times. Too many people have friends read their book and then they believe them when they tell them how amazing it is. I know because so many authors bring us manuscripts that they say they've had glowing feedback from early readers and we read it and wonder who the heck was telling them such falsehoods. Strangers will be more honest most of the time. When I bring on beta readers for our clients, they don't meet each other, they don't know each other, so there'll be more honesty. Now I'm curious. Have you used beta readers for your book? How did it work out for you? Please share in the comments below and when you comment the day a video is released and you'll be entered to win some sweet book launcher swag. We have a very popular noboringbooks mug. I've been told coffee tastes better in it and you also will have a shot at becoming one of my YouTube besties like Saluto UBA Self Publishing with Dale Ms. Amber Brian K. Morris. Big virtual hugs to you for your likes, shares and comments. Alright, so up next, I highly recommend you watch this fantastic video on hiring great editors because beta readers are not a replacement for a brilliant editor. But if that's not your jam or you watched that one already. This fabulous little writing tip right here is also a good one for you to watch. Guaranteed enjoyment and education. Or your money back. It's free to watch. Get it? All right. See you at the other video.
