5 TIPS FOR FINDING AND USING BETA READERS

WRITE. FIX. REPEAT. Episode #67
This episode's topic is beta readers: what they are, what you can (and can't) expect from them, where to find them.
Welcome to WRITE. FIX. REPEAT. Join author and writing teacher Patricia J. Parsons for a weekly 5-tip dose of instruction and inspiration to improve your chances of success in writing and publishing.
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[@johnglynhughes4239]

Excellent tutorial, thank you!

[@PatriciaJParsons]

Hope it helped! Happy writing! P.

[@andreasboe4509]

Sober, concise and true.

[@PatriciaJParsons]

Thanks. Hope it's useful information to consider. P.

[@davidbell9222]

I think knowing, and letting your beta readers understand your expectations is great advice. On finding beta readers...Family, close friends, and particularly the zoo of online writer's groups; all have their negatives (with few discernible positives), but can you suggest good places, or methods of acquiring beta readers...for a new writer, without a developed network? Might be a follow-up part two vid?

[@PatriciaJParsons]

What about former or current colleagues you respect? Perhaps contact an English professor to see if there might be senior or grad students who might like the idea in a favourite genre? Any Instagram followers you actually know IRL? Let's think about it a bit more for a f/u!

[@surfit.]

I agree with your opinions, especially for a beta reader who is an author. I did find one online, and his criticism helped. He went offline when he found a publisher. But where do you find a beta reader? I've been searching for months (not every day) and a lot looks sketchy, like you can't trust them not to steal your ideas.

[@PatriciaJParsons]

I think someone you know and trust is the best beta reader. Remember, they are not editing, so they only need to know what they like. And you only need a couple. If your books appeal to younger adults, you might advertise for them on a classified board for university students. Or join a relevant group on LinkedIn... a slightly better crop of potential beta readers than Facebook!

[@baqirhemraj7639]

Patricia J. Peterson, I found your postings precise, informative and useful. Personally, I have found it very difficult even when I find an expert, based on what I have written, who is prepared to read my work when approached. It seems there is no incentive for them to do so as they are busy unless it is a university course. How can such a problem be resolved? Is it OK to offer some monetary payment bearing in mind that an expert may be offended?

[@PatriciaJParsons]

You need to search online for an editor. There are many, many professional editors for hire. You will, however, have to do a bit of research, contact a few and inquire as to precisely what services they offer for what money. And be sure to ask for references. Some also offer a free 200-word critique so you can see what you'd be buying. Best of luck!

[@baqirhemraj7639]

@@PatriciaJParsons I had published an academic non-fictional book and I had hired the services of a proofreader because I was too close to my writing and might not have identified the mistakes.
For my second book and others, I have decided to do both - proofreading to ensure that the words I use convey the exact meaning and to do an editing job aiming at simplifying my writing so that it is easy to read and be understood by others who are not experts in my field.
I also gave my manuscript to the non-experts for them to read to see if they are able to understand based on what I have written, whether it is clear or not and what additional information I need to supply, bearing in mind I do define all the foreign words used.