Christine Kelly Reads and Writes

If you’ve followed me on twitter (X), you’ve seen me tout the benefits of Beta Reading. For those of you new to the writing community, or my friends reading my blog (hi!), Beta reading is when you have other writerly people read you works in progress (WIPs). When I first started writing, I had read that one needed a beta read to be query “ready”, but there were limited resources telling me where to find betas, how to return the favor and how to do it well. So I’m here to give you the run down.

First, where do you find beta readers?

There are a few places you can find beta readers. Some are paid, and some are free. Whether it cost you money or if you find someone online randomly, be sure that you’re aware that you never know what you’ll get. Not all beta readers are the same. Some will give you advice you click with, and some will make you feel like sh*t. Stick with those you mesh with.

The first place I suggest running to when searching for beta readers is Bianca Marais’s Beta Reader Match Up. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it’s priceless (though it does have a price of $25). I did it three times. Each time I have found at least one person that meshes with what I am looking for, what I expect in return from what I offer, and a good community I now call friends.

Another place to go for free match up is Twitter/X. I know, I know, many people hate being on social media, and this isn’t the only free option, but it has been a fruitful one, so I would be remiss to look over it. This involves putting yourself out there and trusting that someone won’t steal your idea. I have to say it– because it’s happened now to a few people I speak with– there are people out there that will take your idea and ghost you. Or maybe the first only. Or the latter. Either way, it’s not a 100% foolproof place to go, so proceed with caution. That being said, I had someone read my early work (I’m still sorry early Beta, you know who you are!), and they a. taught me how to beta read because they are so fantastic, and b. they now have a great book deal so they helped me improve my craft immensely.

I also found people to read my work on CritiqueMatch . This is probably my least favorite place to go and I had one person absolutely eviscerate my work. But back in my early days of forming a writing community I was desperate. It works. I know a Indie published author uses it and I LOVED her work. There are good people on there, you just need to find them.

Lastly, sometimes other people online will host beta read match up or in Julie Artz’s case, a “meet cute”. Keep an eye out on socials, that’s another great way to meet new people (or slide into their DMs too! But be cool.)

So you have a beta reader, what’s next?

Yay! You have a beta reader! This is exciting, someone is going to read your story! But how to proceed? I remember sending off my first story to a beta reader and just said: HERE! Promptly, they asked me what specifically I wanted them to look for and when they wanted it done by. I, of course, didn’t wanted to be casual , so I said, just tell me your thoughts and whenever! Luckily, it was a good beta (hi, Teresa!), and they were kind enough to give me thorough guidance on where pacing may have lagged, where I missed interiority (a lot), and where there were some things that just weren’t working. There were inline comments made in the document I had sent in, along with a summarized version of notes for the overall story.

Dear reader, guess what I did? Not that. Since I had offered to read for them the same as they read for me, I just made inline notes, not citing craft, or anything specific, but just spittin’ out vibes. And listen, I didn’t know what I didn’t know then. I have learned so much from reading more work, learning about craft, and listening to how others critique work. Now, I’m much more structured and know how to word or ask certain things in order to convey the point. So here is what I’m going to offer you, a few tips on what to do when you offer beta services, along with what to expect in return.

Beta Reading Tips:

• 1. Pay attention. Beta reading isn’t for skimming, or skipping. If you do find that you are losing interest, note that to the author as a point of pacing and identify why it may be lacking (in a nice way). Does the scene have tension, stakes, or action? Identify where to improve and suggest ways the author could edit.
• 2. Remember that this isn’t your story. Don’t go in and change the authors voice or tell them that this isn’t how the story should be told. This is their story and they know their characters. Tell them if there is something that isn’t sitting right with you as a reader. For instance, if the third act break-up bothers you, tell the author whether you usually like third act break-ups, and if you do, tell them why this one specifically isn’t sitting right, even suggesting what they can do to fix it. All the while give them space to keep the story theirs. Don’t tell them they need a whole re-write. Usually it’s much simpler than that.
• 3. When sending your manuscript out, be sure to tell the other authors what you want them to look for. There will be scenes (you know the ones I’m talking about!), that already have you questioning if they work. Usually, I’d say 7 out of 10 times, those are the ones that aren’t working. It’s hard to stick with your gut when you may love those scenes. But ask your beta’s what they think and they’ll tell you.
• 4. Don’t expect to have your work read and back to you quickly. I know the dream is to always have people all in love with your work, but most times your beta readers have their own writing, a job, and a family that will keep them busy. Asking them to take the time to read your story– even if they’re returning the favor– is a big ask. Be gentle on your due date. If you need it quickly, be prepared for people to say no.
• 5. Be kind. I don’t think that this needs to be spelled out, but even if you are reading something that you think isn’t any good, don’t say that. Unless they’re problematic (racist, bigots, all the bad horrible things), be gentle with your suggestions. Usually when it’s something that needs a bunch of work, I take only the big ticket items and suggest those changes. Because if they make those, the little things will likely change too.

Is there anything I missed? Obviously, beta reading can be nuanced and I could go into specifics about what to look for (first pages alone could require a whole post!), but I’m hoping this will cover the basics for anyone out there looking for some guidance.