Adventures in Beta-Reading
(Did you see what I did there? Did you? Bonus points if you can figure it out!)
It's official, I have sent out my novella to my first batch of (non-friends or acquaintances) beta-readers!
But don't go breaking out the champagne just yet, this is just another step in the editing process. I'll be using the responses I receive to help refine the story itself, and working with an editor for grammar/line editing afterwards.
In addition to sending out a copy of the novella draft, I also included a 10-question survey for the betas to complete after they finished reading. Is this a requirement for beta-reading? No, there are many different ways to gather your beta-readers' opinions. Some authors prefer to interview each reader, whether over the phone, on Skype, or in person. Others construct extremely detailed questionnaires, digging down to the nitty gritty of the piece.
My questions were a little more broad. There were key elements I specifically wanted opinions on, but more than anything I want my beta-readers' initial impressions as readers, as opposed to editors.
This is uncharted territory for me, so we'll see how the surveys come back. I've already learned that not every beta-reader will be the best person to review your work. They may not be your target audience, or their critiques may not be constructive, (and there is absolutely a difference between constructive criticism and outright negativity, be careful not to confuse the two), or they might make suggestions that simply don't work for your story in the end.
Also, it's important to remember that the purpose of seeking out beta-readers is to fine-tune your work. Part of this is seeing what elements of your writing does or doesn't resonate with your target readers. Do 9 out of 10 beta-readers dislike a key characteristic of your protagonist? Then maybe you need to consider that this doesn't suit the character. (Unless your goal is to disturb people, then by all means, disturb away!)
In case anyone is curious, here are the ten questions I've sent to my betas:
1. Did the story hold your interest from the very beginning? If not, why not?
2. Did you get oriented fairly quickly at the beginning as to whose story it is, and where and when it's taking place? If not, why not?
3. Could you relate to the main characters? Did you feel his/her pain or excitement?
4. Were the characters believable? Are there any characters you think could be made more interesting?
5. At which points, if any, did you feel angry or frustrated (not in a good way) with the protagonists? Why?
6. Did the dialogue keep your interest and sound natural to you?
7. Was there enough conflict, intrigue, and tension to keep your interest? Were there any parts of the story you felt compelled to skip over?
8. What promises do you think I or the characters have made to you so far?
9. (I can't tell you this one, it contains spoilers!)
10. Just for fun! If you could have dinner with any character from the novella, who would it be and what would you like to ask them?
A couple of these I came up with myself, the rest I gathered from researching other writers' beta methods. It's really up to you, as the writer, and what you want most out of your beta-readers.
One of my favorite sources for this process was the below video posted by Jenna Moreci, one of three she's done on beta-reading and how to get the most out of the process.
Enjoy!
It's official, I have sent out my novella to my first batch of (non-friends or acquaintances) beta-readers!
 |
| Woohoo!! |
But don't go breaking out the champagne just yet, this is just another step in the editing process. I'll be using the responses I receive to help refine the story itself, and working with an editor for grammar/line editing afterwards.
In addition to sending out a copy of the novella draft, I also included a 10-question survey for the betas to complete after they finished reading. Is this a requirement for beta-reading? No, there are many different ways to gather your beta-readers' opinions. Some authors prefer to interview each reader, whether over the phone, on Skype, or in person. Others construct extremely detailed questionnaires, digging down to the nitty gritty of the piece.
My questions were a little more broad. There were key elements I specifically wanted opinions on, but more than anything I want my beta-readers' initial impressions as readers, as opposed to editors.
This is uncharted territory for me, so we'll see how the surveys come back. I've already learned that not every beta-reader will be the best person to review your work. They may not be your target audience, or their critiques may not be constructive, (and there is absolutely a difference between constructive criticism and outright negativity, be careful not to confuse the two), or they might make suggestions that simply don't work for your story in the end.
Also, it's important to remember that the purpose of seeking out beta-readers is to fine-tune your work. Part of this is seeing what elements of your writing does or doesn't resonate with your target readers. Do 9 out of 10 beta-readers dislike a key characteristic of your protagonist? Then maybe you need to consider that this doesn't suit the character. (Unless your goal is to disturb people, then by all means, disturb away!)
In case anyone is curious, here are the ten questions I've sent to my betas:
1. Did the story hold your interest from the very beginning? If not, why not?
2. Did you get oriented fairly quickly at the beginning as to whose story it is, and where and when it's taking place? If not, why not?
3. Could you relate to the main characters? Did you feel his/her pain or excitement?
4. Were the characters believable? Are there any characters you think could be made more interesting?
5. At which points, if any, did you feel angry or frustrated (not in a good way) with the protagonists? Why?
6. Did the dialogue keep your interest and sound natural to you?
7. Was there enough conflict, intrigue, and tension to keep your interest? Were there any parts of the story you felt compelled to skip over?
8. What promises do you think I or the characters have made to you so far?
9. (I can't tell you this one, it contains spoilers!)
10. Just for fun! If you could have dinner with any character from the novella, who would it be and what would you like to ask them?
A couple of these I came up with myself, the rest I gathered from researching other writers' beta methods. It's really up to you, as the writer, and what you want most out of your beta-readers.
One of my favorite sources for this process was the below video posted by Jenna Moreci, one of three she's done on beta-reading and how to get the most out of the process.
Enjoy!
Comments
Post a Comment