I’m busy right now editing both my second Tracefinder book (Changes) and the fourth Hidden Wolves book (Unsafe Exposure). And every day, I’m grateful to my beta readers, who worked on the early versions with me.

I thought, as part of my appreciation for these amazing folk, I’d discuss the topic of betas on this month’s blog.

These are some of the questions I get:

What does a beta reader do?

Betas are volunteer advance readers – people to whom I can send the first draft of a book and say “Tell me what doesn’t work for you” and get back… pure gold. Not just typos, although I have a couple of betas with eagle eyes. But the little things that take a book from good to better.

They tell me…
“Nick took off his jacket twice in this scene, without ever putting it back on in between.”

“At the beginning Alex was scared of this guy, but now he says they’ve been good friends. Which is true?”

“I didn’t feel any anxiety until well into the scene. I think you could increase the intensity by foreshadowing it earlier.”

“There’s an abrupt and confusing change of tone between these characters halfway through this chapter.”

“I thought it was November in Minnesota. Would it still be that warm outside?”

As an author, I’m deep in my story as I create it. Things that seem obvious to me, from inside my characters’ heads, may look different to my readers. Over months of writing, I may forget changes or details in the setting or characters, that will cause problems when the story comes together. My betas help catch these.

Not every writer uses betas, or is lucky enough to have good ones. I didn’t at first, but am so grateful for the people I’ve connected with over the last 4 years.

What’s the biggest thing a beta ever caught for you?

Once I forgot I’d killed off a secondary character. I got a very helpful beta comment: “Isn’t his father already dead?” Oops. Yeah. No zombie dads allowed.

Do I have to be an author or editor or English major to beta?

No special requirements at all. You don’t even have to be good at spelling or grammar to offer useful ideas. Many of my best beta readers have no particular credentials beyond loving books. Sometimes it’s great for a beta not to be an author. When I offer someone else a read, I have to be very careful not to impose my own writing style on their book.

Where did you find your beta readers?

Several of mine were fans – they wrote to me with comments first and, over online conversations, showed insight into the characters and stories that made me want to ask their opinions. Some of them volunteered once they felt comfortable with me; a couple I asked first, if they had time to maybe, please…

Some of my betas are authors I’d read for, often through the Goodreads M/M Group’s Don’t Read in the Closet event, who then returned the favor. Some are people who signed up when I put out a specific request, perhaps on a “Looking for a beta reader…” thread. Some are people with a special expertise. For Chasing Death Metal Dreams, for instance, I had two transgender betas, and two Hispanic betas, to read for sensitivity to the issues I was writing as an outsider.

Is it a big commitment to beta?

The only commitment you make is to completely read the one story you volunteer for, and to give some feedback. I’ve had betas who did one quick pass on one novella, with a few useful general comments. I have others who continue to generously offer to read most of the novels I write. Many are in between, reading a story here and there.

What if the author doesn’t like what I say about their book? I’m nervous about offending them.

Hopefully that won’t happen. Especially if you’re online friends first and know each other’s communication style. But of course, authors are human and some are touchier than others. And some betas are better or worse at being tactful with criticism. The best thing to do is to discuss it before you start. Ask them what kind of feedback they want.

If you beta read for a first-time author, it’s probably good to be gentle. Try to point out all your favorite things, as well as the suggested changes. One thing you can do, at the end, is to read down through your comments in order. If the total makes you feel pessimistic, try to add some more positives into the mix.

The more experienced the author, the more they probably want you to focus on potential changes. When my betas read for me, I usually get a couple of general “I really liked this book” comments, maybe a couple of smiley-faces beside favorite lines, and then anywhere from ten to three hundred suggested changes. In my case, that’s what I want.

Every item my betas catch, or question, is something I won’t see pop up in a negative review later. It’s a collaborative effort to improve the book. Praise is sweet, but I don’t need much of it from them. Their willingness to put all that time in on my book speaks for itself.

But the best thing is to have that discussion up front. Some authors really want to know about the bits you like, especially if they do a lot of cutting in edits – they don’t want to lose your favorite parts. You can also ask an author what they’re most worried about. I give my readers a list. Questions like, “Do these two characters’ points of view sound different enough?” or “Does the romance get physical too fast?”

What if I say I’ll beta read, and then I don’t like the book at all?

If you really can’t find things you love, you might email the author and say the book just didn’t fit your reading preferences, so you don’t think you can be helpful in a beta. Don’t lie about how great it is – that’s not doing us writers any favor. Although be kind, if you can.

You might explain, “One of the main characters just never appealed to me,” or “The BDSM was too intense.” But beta reading is a collaboration. It doesn’t make sense to work on a book you can’t feel excited about helping to create. That doesn’t make you a bad beta, just incompatible. I’ve had a couple of readers who really didn’t like my style, and we simply parted ways with a “thanks for your input.” They may be great betas for some other author.

Do beta readers get paid?

Not usually. I try to make sure mine get a free copy of the final book. And if they have an interest in my other books I may pass along other freebies. But we authors depend on the generosity of strangers… who become friends.

How can I become a beta reader?

If you have author friends you chat with, a simple statement of “I’d be interested in beta reading if you ever wanted me to” works. They may be well supplied, or they may jump on your offer. Or ask to keep you in reserve for when they need someone new.

If you have particular expertise, offering that is great too. For example, “If you ever write a book about a doctor/rodeo-clown/landscaper, I have a lot of experience with that and I’d be happy to beta read it.” Or if you’re willing to read for sensitive portrayal of minority characters, yes, please, say that.

If there’s an author you’d love to read for, but you don’t know them, you can message an offer. But remember, sending out a beta copy of an unpublished book is also a matter of trust. I don’t usually accept beta offers from someone I haven’t gotten to know first. So perhaps, participate on their social media. Offer occasional opinions. Become someone they know as reasonable and thoughtful, then offer.

You can also go to one of the places where authors look for beta readers. The Goodreads M/M Romance group and other writer-reader groups will often have a thread for connecting searching authors and interested readers. It’s not as easy to be sure you’ll be a good fit for each other, but I’ve both offered and requested betas on those threads that were a good experience.

Is beta reading a good way to move toward becoming an author?

Sometimes. I’ve had betas who went on to publish. Being a beta helps you make contacts, and demystifies the process. Seeing a book go from rough draft to finished release may reduce your worries about whether your own first draft is worth the work.

But mostly, it’s fun – helping craft a book that will head off into the hands, and hopefully hearts, of the author’s fans.

**

I want to wind this up with a big thanks to everyone who has read for me so far – Johnathan, Jess, Kate, Tully, Eric, Gillian, Lila, Jason, Jari, Feliz, Melanie, Dustin, Gary, Blaine, Justin, JR, Anne, Taylor, Cleon, Chris, Cary, LC, Susan, Jordan, Jennifer, Cole, Randall, Laura, Cris, Jerry, Yvonne, Sammy, Beck, Jessa, Ensan, Shaz, Trish, Nic, K-lee, Goesta, Samantha, Kim, Buzz, Eija, Marc, Jaye, Shayla, Sara, PJ, Averin, Nico, Karen, Jay, Jamie, Gaby, Maria, Erin, Raevyn, Kay, Audrey, Aimee, JM, Kris, Samantha, Dana, Astrid, Erin, Joanna, Steve, Ralph, Lori… and anyone whose name I’ve missed, among all those who helped make any of my 40-plus published works or my one-hundred-or-so YA short stories better. You betas ROCK. <3

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bio:

Kaje Harper grew up in Montreal, and spent her teen years writing, filling binders with stories. But as life got busy, the stories began to just live in her head. The characters grew, met, endured, and loved, in any quiet moment, but the stories rarely made it to paper. Her time was taken up by work in psychology, teaching, and a biomedical career, and the fun of raising children.

Eventually the kids became more independent and her husband gave her a computer she didn’t have to share. She started putting words down in print again, just for fun. Hours of fun. Lots of hours of fun. The stories began piling up, and her husband suggested if she was going to spend that much time on the keyboard she ought to try to publish one. MLR Press accepted her first submission, the M/M mystery Life Lessons, which came out in May 2011. Kaje now has many novels and short stories published, including Amazon bestseller The Rebuilding Year, and a selection of free short stories and novels in a variety of gay romance genres, available on Smashwords and elsewhere. She currently lives in Minnesota with a creative teenager, a crazy omnivorous little white dog, and a remarkably patient spouse.

Website: http://kajeharper.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper

Goodreads Author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4769304.Kaje_Harper