tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post6319979946533914114..comments2023-12-29T11:39:14.271-06:00Comments on 4RV Reading, Writing, & Art News: Using a Beta Reader Vivian Zabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129178812565073972noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-32123539991083800032015-09-30T14:57:52.674-05:002015-09-30T14:57:52.674-05:00Thanks for sharing how you use your betas, Michele...Thanks for sharing how you use your betas, Michele. Good ideas. I agree. Betas make a big difference.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-40127453545784761112015-09-30T14:57:03.294-05:002015-09-30T14:57:03.294-05:00Thanks for sharing Sylvie. I agree.
Smiles
Steph...Thanks for sharing Sylvie. I agree.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-89364285232718591882015-09-30T14:56:38.772-05:002015-09-30T14:56:38.772-05:00Thank you for sharing Michelle. I think if you can...Thank you for sharing Michelle. I think if you can bounce idea off friends, that's very helpful, and I've done it myself, but I usually do it with my beta readers. lol!!<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-82421434889635403902015-09-30T14:55:41.843-05:002015-09-30T14:55:41.843-05:00Victoria, I agree - it took me a lot of time and e...Victoria, I agree - it took me a lot of time and effort to find good beta readers and I appreciate them.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-51255249419702704502015-09-30T14:55:08.002-05:002015-09-30T14:55:08.002-05:00Carmen, I agree. What makes a beta reader success...Carmen, I agree. What makes a beta reader successful is that the reader reads/writes the genre you do. That gives their feedback added dimension.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-90630358131127399622015-09-30T14:53:59.620-05:002015-09-30T14:53:59.620-05:00Awesome, Paul! And I think you made a good choice....Awesome, Paul! And I think you made a good choice. If you've got a children's story than feedback from children is really helpful.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-25228178380448014042015-09-30T14:53:11.398-05:002015-09-30T14:53:11.398-05:00It's always good to have feedback so you can i...It's always good to have feedback so you can improve in your next story. Glad to hear the publisher has a panel of readers. That's a good way to see if the story works.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-81332168899372840632015-09-30T14:52:04.469-05:002015-09-30T14:52:04.469-05:00Margaret, thanks so much for sharing. Beta readers...Margaret, thanks so much for sharing. Beta readers are invaluable, aren't they? I also have my work looked over by a beta reader(s) before I submit, too.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-84172343246372151632015-09-29T18:32:32.094-05:002015-09-29T18:32:32.094-05:00I don't use Beta Readers, per se, but I have t...I don't use Beta Readers, per se, but I have two people I ask for an edit, who are willing to tear my work apart and give helpful suggestions. If I have a children's story, I try it on children. If I have a book based on Biblical material, I ask my pastor to read it and give suggestions (he's also a published author). I find people who would be the audience for whatever book I need read.Vivian Zabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06129178812565073972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-83409213059513099962015-09-29T18:21:47.775-05:002015-09-29T18:21:47.775-05:00I have a hard time finding beta readers because I ...I have a hard time finding beta readers because I don't know a lot of people who read what I write. My daughter is THE BEST beta reader and is brutally honest. I've also recently enlisted a good friend's two daughters. They read my stuff on their work commute. And my best friend will read for me and give me honest feedback. Usually what I want to know is "does this story work?" and "does it make sense?" and "did I leave anything out?" Beta readers can be helpful but you have to be picky about them. And I've had a couple agree to read for me, but then the never seem to get around to it which is very frustrating, so I definitely won't ask them again! Barb Meyershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02029503587741190674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-2618792317349768212015-09-29T15:27:04.197-05:002015-09-29T15:27:04.197-05:00Timely information, Stephanie. I judge a lot of co...Timely information, Stephanie. I judge a lot of contests and have recently been editing some self-published novels. It's so much better to seek help before manuscripts get this far. I firmly believe in using beta readers.Toni Noelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13207975510163242665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-81746278160140350822015-09-29T09:49:30.584-05:002015-09-29T09:49:30.584-05:00I use three trusted beta readers at the most, and ...I use three trusted beta readers at the most, and they're ones that know the score. It's good to get more than one perspective, and usually they don't always notice the same things. An author should make it clear that being a beta doesn't mean just reading so you can provide a good review, but it's about looking for problem areas that need tweaking. Morgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-44592821208326445492015-09-29T08:35:24.617-05:002015-09-29T08:35:24.617-05:00Beta readers are invaluable. Who you choose, their...Beta readers are invaluable. Who you choose, their skills/abilities to spot issues were important considerations. And another? The group has shifted over the years as I've grown in my craft. The best combination was two family members and a multi-published author in the genre.Adding to the unique mix was someone with newspaper experience as a feature-story writer and editor. She has since gone on to become a multi-published western author. Besides providing a good laugh when a grammar construct went wrong, they were invaluable to helping me grown. So far I'd say they have a 90 percent hit rate. Thanks Karen, Sandra, the Nova Scotian pixie and disorderly wordds. Helen Hendersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01194876999519569188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-13526053262212478042015-09-29T02:54:16.199-05:002015-09-29T02:54:16.199-05:00Great article! I had 3 beta readers- my dad, my ni...Great article! I had 3 beta readers- my dad, my niece, and a good friend. :) All provided insight and were honest. They helped me immensely and provided me with the confidence I needed before submitting to 4RV. Since 4RV accepted my manuscript, I'd say my beta readers were on target with their advice! :)StepmomShawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12853176933886434836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-81349611188447197482015-09-28T20:07:12.666-05:002015-09-28T20:07:12.666-05:00Thanks for the questions to ask a beta reader. I h...Thanks for the questions to ask a beta reader. I hadn't thought about doing that, but it seems like a good idea.Jana Richardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16624650840243322617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-54263989994855236352015-09-28T18:11:58.006-05:002015-09-28T18:11:58.006-05:00I've got 1 critique partner that serves as a b...I've got 1 critique partner that serves as a beta reader, but I would like to get a couple more to get varied viewpoints. I think they're invaluable. We see our same old mistakes over & over.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-9444297251596253172015-09-28T16:51:18.536-05:002015-09-28T16:51:18.536-05:00I don't often use a beta reader but I do use m...I don't often use a beta reader but I do use my critique group. This is my go-to set of people for help with the story. Then I send it off to my amazing editor who can find any mistakes that I missed.Melissa Keirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10247037321769755660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-77142462383543768552015-09-28T16:40:32.907-05:002015-09-28T16:40:32.907-05:00I'm an indie publisher, and I find beta reader...I'm an indie publisher, and I find beta readers invaluable as well. I write historical fiction, and they can point out words I used that were not yet coined in the era, social faux pas, things that don't make sense, etc. <br /><br />I prefer other authors as betas as they tend to see things regular readers do not.<br /><br />My final beta is a grammar/punctuation expert.<br /><br />I also post on an online forum where readers are good about commenting. This becomes my "focus group." In my last novel, a romance mystery, their feedback helped me follow the readers thoughts about who was the mole. In addition, they told me they thought my heroine was acting a bit immature, and most importantly, they thought the book ended on more of an angsty cliffhanger than I was anticipating which led me to delay the release. <br /><br />I would MUCH rather hear comments from betas and a broad range of readers in a 'controlled' environment rather than be surprised with scathing reviews on Amazon....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-20473192889197042832015-09-28T15:13:20.618-05:002015-09-28T15:13:20.618-05:00I use beta readers...some at various points in my ...I use beta readers...some at various points in my WIP. There two or three (they change) who I'll ask to read up to a major plot change or subplot shift. Their comments will help me take the right direction. Then I have others (usually four) who will read the entire mss.<br />I'm also in two critique groups, so I look for and have a lot of feedback. Beta readers are invaluable. Michele Drierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06944263184981732147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-50450989385692923622015-09-28T14:54:11.293-05:002015-09-28T14:54:11.293-05:00I love the idea of beta readers, they're a hug...I love the idea of beta readers, they're a huge help to any aspiring writer.<br />SylvieAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18282789362239329670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-53984061350403257452015-09-28T14:42:41.226-05:002015-09-28T14:42:41.226-05:00Ok, let's try this again. I don't use beta...Ok, let's try this again. I don't use beta readers typically. For the shorter stories I've published, I tried it. I found it to be an unnecessary extra step, though. My publisher has several rounds of edits, so by the time the books make it to print, they're pretty solid. I do have a couple of friends that I use as sounding boards for general concept though.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208462397141188664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-33133289486456897122015-09-28T14:42:24.719-05:002015-09-28T14:42:24.719-05:00I have the world's best beta reader. :-) She r...I have the world's best beta reader. :-) She reads my books. I read hers. And both of us are quite willing to point out what doesn't work or if a certain word has been used 10 times in a paragraph etc. It takes time and effort to find a good beta. Great article. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00859109777005545304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-89386107812492733652015-09-28T14:37:01.170-05:002015-09-28T14:37:01.170-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208462397141188664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-23800132649328579252015-09-28T14:08:20.158-05:002015-09-28T14:08:20.158-05:00Thank you for an interesting and useful post, Step...Thank you for an interesting and useful post, Stephanie!<br /> I always use beta readers after finishing a novel. In my opinion it’s best to find a beta reader who knows more about writing craft than I do, to get feedback from someone who’s more skilled and knowledgeable than I am. And if I can find a beta reader who has read or written lots of books in my genre( paranormal) and has a clear understanding of how my genre works, I’ve struck gold.<br />Best of luck with your writing!<br />Carmen<br />http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06645785208371532099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925401174378785919.post-70300763991010913302015-09-28T13:49:02.427-05:002015-09-28T13:49:02.427-05:00I've just had the opportunity to try a beta re...I've just had the opportunity to try a beta reader for the first time: a friend's 12-y-o daughter who will read and comment on the label of a sauce bottle if there's nothing else handy! She's agreed to read a pirate-themed children's book for me! :)Paul McDermotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02430184962132539192noreply@blogger.com