The Benefits of Being a Beta Reader

Why You Should Be a Beta Reader

Yesterday we (Alfie and I) talked about why authors need beta readers (alpha readers, too, but more on that later), but now let’s address the advantages to being a beta reader. No, beta readers don’t often get paid, unless you luck onto a wealthy best-selling author. 

Authors that can afford to eat on what they earn are rare as hen’s teeth (cliché! Don’t use that, you just thought, didn’t you? Yay! I wanted to show you’d be a great beta reader!) So get real. Beta reading is often a labor of love. Love for an author, for a developing book, or just for words.

But you can get so much more out of it than that. I often read novels and find things that I’d love to say, “Uh, uh, can’t have that!” or “Change this!” It was addressed in my nit-picking post about using the indefinite article (“a”) to describe something as if it were unique when it isn’t, usually a sensation the writer has turned into a “thing,” a noun. (No, I don’t want to describe it more here. Read the post about small gripes on a great book and if you don’t understand, tell me on Facebook.) 

Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to say to an author something like, “That would never happen in real life,” or “Anachronism!” or “If you used that phrase/word again, I’ll put this book down so fast!” You can do it if you’re a beta reader. Being a beta reader gives that sense of power, instead of paying for a book and then fuming that you bought something that drives you crazy.

It also gives a sense of accomplishment, being the para-writer, the aide-de-camp to the author. YOU help develop the story and make it great. And you can expect gratitude in some form, even if only simple thanks. If you don’t get it, no need to continue reading.

And who knows? Maybe what you get out of beta reading is a feel for how a writer develops a story into a novel or a real-life event into a non-fiction book. Maybe, even if you doubt it now, this could lead to you giving it a try. 

I might beta read for you one day…

If you’d prefer not to muck around with unfinished manuscripts, you may prefer to join a reader team. That’s is a list of people who get free books if they are willing to write a review. My publicist insists that I end this with a link to sign up for my reader team. There you can get free review copies of my books, as well as that of other authors when I happen upon them. I’ll also let you know if my books are on sale, a perfect choice for those who just wants to keep their opinions to themselves.