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The Beta Reading Process in Three Steps - Helaina Parejo

11/15/2020

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One of the most nerve wracking yet rewarding parts of the writing process can be sharing your work for the first time. It’s likely that you’ve been working in solitude on your piece for months or even years and you’re finally ready to move forward. Whether that be pursuing self-publishing or querying agents, it’s critical to get outside feedback on your book before considering publication. 

Most writers get this necessary feedback through the beta reading process. Beta reading refers to the process where the writer of a piece allows a few individuals to read their work and offer critiques on it before taking the next steps in publishing. While it seems like a pretty simple concept, there are many variables and aspects of the process that are left open ended, or up to the writer to decide. Because of this, when looking for tips on the beta reading process, many new writers stumble upon contradicting information and opinions. This makes it difficult to begin the process and feel confident that you are conducting it correctly. 

The beta reading process can be a confusing one to navigate, but following some simple tips can help you create a process that works best for you, your work, and your beta readers. 

Do You Need To Have Beta Readers? 
For many new writers, the beta reading process appears daunting. They don’t know where to begin, how to find readers, or how to conduct reading surveys. Oftentimes, they opt to drop the process completely rather than expose themselves to feedback. While it is truly up to you to decide if you want to go through with the beta process, almost every professional writer would urge you to complete it. 

There are many benefits to working with beta readers. The feedback provided is a first glimpse into the mind of outside readers, (hopefully) unbiased and ready to critique. It also acts as an opportunity to make lasting connections in the writing and publishing community. Keri Mikulski, an accomplished author and Writing Arts professor at Rowan University remarks, “The most beneficial part of the beta process is the relationships that have grown out of sharing work and being vulnerable with each other”. The beta reading process is a way to share your writing and practice being vulnerable with people you trust before sending it off to the far more intimidating eyes of professional editors, agents, and publishers. 

Step 1: Preparing the Process
Deciding how you would like to conduct the beta reading process can be overwhelming. There is no guidebook or clear-cut instructions on how to go about sending out chapters, how to contact readers, or how to set a timeframe for the process. This is because every writer does it differently, sometimes even changing their routine depending on the project or the beta reader. 

While there are many components to the process that can be flexible, there are two key things to keep in mind when preparing to contact beta readers. First, make sure that you provide clear deadlines for when you would like each section of chapters (or the entire manuscript, if you are sending it out all at once) to be completed along with the corresponding questionnaire. In the same realm, you will want to tell your beta readers how long the process will take from start to finish. While the end date does not need to be exact, you will want to be honest about how long your manuscript is as well as how many weeks/months it will take for them to read it within your allotted deadlines. 

Step 2: Finding Beta Readers 
Now that you have a set procedure for your beta reading process, you need to actually find some beta readers. This part can be challenging for many new writers as they are still attempting to build their writing community. If you are comfortable, you can try finding beta readers, or critique partners using social media or online forums such as Wattpad, the NANOWRIMO website, or Authortube (YouTube channels dedicated to writing). 

If you would rather stick to people you know, you can always try reaching out to friends and family. While they may not have the deep insight or critiquing practice as fellow writers, utilizing friends’ and family members’ opinions can give you a better idea of how the general public will view your work. 

Step 3: Coming Up With Questions 
One of the most exciting parts of the beta reading process is finally getting to ask the questions about your work that you’ve been harboring in your mind for a long time. You have some valued opinions at your disposal, so the pressure to ask the ‘right’ questions is definitely present. Still, it can be a difficult list to curate. Through my personal experience, I found it most helpful to include questions specific to each chapter chunk while also adding recurring, more general ones that can be applied to almost any work of writing. 

My three favorite questions to include in my beta reading surveys are: 
  • Did the characters and their actions feel believable? 
  • When did you first put the reading down? 
  • What are some of your predictions for the rest of the book? 

While many writers rely on certain questions to garner more specific feedback, others allow the beta readers to offer insight wherever they see fit by not giving them a survey. Mikulski states, “At this point in my career, I have a few beta buds that I trust, and we know each other pretty well as writers so I don’t normally have to include questions with my critiques. However, sometimes, depending on the needs of the project or specific areas in my work that I’m feeling might be lacking, I might include questions focused on those areas”.  Both methods of receiving feedback have their strong points and drawbacks. It is up to the writer to decide which method works best for them and their readers. 


Now that you’ve compiled all the necessary tools for the beta reading process, the only thing left to do is sit back and wait for the feedback to roll in, which will, admittedly, probably take longer than anticipated. Still, the wait is well worth the feeling you get your first questionnaire submitted. Whether it is filled with criticism or overwhelmingly positive, won’t matter. It will all be overshadowed by the excitement over the fact that someone actually read your writing! In a bit, you will be able to look back on the critiques with fresh eyes and pick which advice you will carry through with you to the next round of edits. And you will be one step closer to publishing your work. 

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  • Home
  • Programs
    • Creative Writing Minor
    • WA Major
    • Minors >
      • Publishing and Writing for the Public
      • New Media Minor
      • Technical & Professional Writing Minor
      • Writing Arts Minor
    • Certificates of Undergraduate Study >
      • CUGS in Creative Writing
      • CUGS in Publishing and Writing for the Public
      • CUGS in Technical and Professional Writing
      • CUGS in Writing Studies for Educators
      • CUGS in Professional Communication
      • CUGS in Writing for the Environment
    • 4+1 (B.A.+M.A.) Program
    • Degree in 3
    • Graduate Programs
  • Advising
  • WA Major
    • Writing Arts Journey
    • Required Courses >
      • General Education >
        • Science and Mathematics
        • Social and Behavioral Sciences
        • Literature, History, Humanities, and Language
      • Introduction to Writing Arts >
        • History & Materiality of Writing
        • Issues in Writing
        • Technologies & the Future of Writing
      • Methods Choice >
        • Communication Theory
        • How Writers Read
        • Tutoring Writing
      • Creative Choice >
        • Creative Writing I
        • Writing Children's Stories
      • The Writer's Mind
      • Writing, Research & Technology
      • Literacy Studies >
        • Situating Writing
        • Writing With Technologies
      • Senior Seminar: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation of Writing
      • Portfolio Seminar
      • Free Electives
    • Elements of Language >
      • American English Grammar
      • Editing for Publication
      • Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics
      • Linguistics
      • Rhetorics of Style
      • Semantics
    • Concentrations >
      • Creative Writing >
        • Creative Writing I
        • Creative Writing II
        • Film Scenario Writing
        • Fundamentals of Playwriting
        • Magazine Article Writing
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Screenwriting I: Writing the Short
        • Screenwriting II: Writing the Feature
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Teaching the Writer's Workshop >
          • Publishing & Writing for the Public >
            • Applied Media Aesthetics: Sight, Sound and Story
            • Editing the Literary Journal
            • Environmental Writing & Rhetoric
            • Fiction to Film
            • Introduction to New Media
            • Media Law
            • Online Journalism I
            • Participatory Media
            • The Publishing Industry
            • Publication Layout & Design
            • Photojournalism
            • Professions in Writing Arts
            • Rhetorical Theory
            • Self Publishing
            • Writing for Popular Culture
            • Writing for the Workplace
            • Internship
            • Research Practicum
        • Writing Children's Stories
        • Writing Comedy
        • Writing Creative Nonfiction
        • Writing Fiction
        • Writing Genre Fiction
        • Writing Poetry
        • Writing the Young Adult Novel
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
      • Technical & Professional Writing >
        • Developing Health and Scientific Literacy
        • Introduction to Technical Writing
        • Medical Writing and Rhetoric
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Scientific Writing and Rhetoric
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Writing to Bear Witness
        • Writing for Nonprofits
        • Writing for the Workplace
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
    • WA Learning Community >
      • Publishers
  • Internships
    • Internal Internships
    • External Internships
  • Careers
  • Faculty
    • Faculty Resources >
      • Best Practices in Online Learning
      • Syllabus Requirements
      • HyFlex/Remote Learning
      • Canvas Support >
        • Writing Comedy
      • Accessibility in Online Courses
      • Racial Equity Online
      • Supporting Developmental Writers Remotely
      • Building an Online Classroom Community
    • Acknowledgements
  • Blogs
    • Writer's Insider Blog >
      • Spring 2022 >
        • Writing Diverse Characters
      • Fall 2021
      • Spring 2021
      • Fall 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Fall 2019
      • Spring 2019 >
        • An Interview with Devon James & Rachel Barton
        • Confession Travel Writer
        • Self-Publishing: A Change in Perspective
        • CCCA Career Fair: Having Your Future in Mind
        • Alumni Success: Entering the Working World
        • Behind the Scenes of Rowan's Hiring Process
        • Writing Comedy
      • Fall 2018 >
        • Singularity Press: Rowan's New Start Up
        • Writing Arts Club
        • How Can We Evaluate Creative Writing?
        • More Inclusive Events for Technical Writers
        • Guest Speaker Manuela Soares
        • Glassworks Reading
        • Spotlight: Taylor Henry, Recently Published Rowan Alum
      • Spring 2018 >
        • Publishing and Writing for the Public: A Reconstructed Concentration
        • What You Think You Know About Technical and Professional Writing is Wrong
        • The Toni Libro Medallion Award Winner: Myriah Stubee
        • An Interview with a Publisher
        • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Winner: Sara Skipp
        • The College of Communcation and Creative Arts 6th Annual Student Awards and Showcase Ceremony
        • Rowan Alum, Marissa Cohen, On Self Publishing and Advocacy
      • Fall 2017 >
        • Upcoming Classes in the Writing Arts Department
        • The Writer's Journey Blog by Earl Garcia
        • Rewriting The Department's Social Media Platforms
        • Rowan University Writing Arts Club Reinvents Mission
        • Glassworks Launches Issue Fifteen
        • For Futuristic Consideration: An Exploration of Careers in Writing
      • Spring 2017 >
        • Technical Communication: An Overview
        • A More Inclusive Future for Technical Writers
        • Easing the Tension: Breaking Down Technical and Professional Writing
        • Growing the Technical and Professional Writing Concentration
      • Fall 2016
      • Spring 2016
      • Winter 2015
      • Fall 2015 >
        • 2014 and Prior >
          • Archive
    • The Bulletin Board
    • RU Writing? Podcast
  • Creative Writing
    • CW Faculty Publications
    • CW Course Offerings
  • Writing Center
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    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
  • Awards
    • 2022 Emerging Writers Scholarship
    • Denise Gess Literary Awards
    • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Award
    • AnToinette Libro Graduate Medallion Award
    • Past Awards >
      • 2008 Hollybush Writing Competition
      • Write Rowan, Right Now! Contest
  • Student Groups
    • Writing Arts Club
    • Avant Literary Magazine
    • The Whit Newspaper
    • Her Campus Rowan
    • Odyssey at Rowan
    • Singularity Press
  • Events
  • ECCCA
    • RU Deptartment of Writing Arts - Home
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