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Tahlia Newland

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The Best Beta Readers are the Most Critical

May 12, 2012 by Tahlia Newland

When you ask someone to read your work, I suggest that you take the attitude that their criticisms will help you to make your book better. You should look forward to their criticism and understand that the harsher they seem, the better your book will be when you have fixed the problems. It’s better to have the criticism before it’s published than afterwards when it’s too late to fix it.

This is why the best beta readers are the most critical and I always tell mine to be very critical and not to feel that they will hurt my feelings. Here are my suggestions for the kind of things you can ask them to look at.

  • If you lose interest, please stop reading & I’ll send you a revised edition later. Tell me where I lost you.
  • In general, does the story/plot work? Is there anywhere where it wanders or seems unclear or irrelevant?
  • Is the beginning engaging? Does it make you want to read on? If not, why? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
  • Were any of the sections too slow? Were you bored? Where? Any idea why you felt this way?
  • Did you like the characters? Why, why not? Were their motivations clear and their actions and dialogue realistic? Were the changes in POV clear?
  • What did you think of the ending?

I had some terrific beta readers read my work in progress recently, but even after I’d fixed all the problems they had pointed out, my super-critical husband slammed the middle chapters – and I’m really glad he did.

He said he loved the first half and hated the second half (yes, he was that blatant; if you don’t divorce your critical spouse, it helps you develop a thick skin) so we looked at the crucial middle chapters and worked out why. One of my other readers had said that that part was a little fuzzy and needed to be tightened, but even after I thought I’d done that, according to hubby, it just wasn’t working. So we sat down and worked out why.

I discovered that I was skirting around the real guts of what I was trying to say. I hadn’t given the material the depth it needed to work. I’d skimmed the surface and taken away its power. To him, it came out looking pathetic. We decided that I had to write it more real and direct. I did and now it has the power and clarity that it needs. It’s real and it’s believable, and if I’ve had to bare my soul to do it, then that’s what it needed. An artist doesn’t do anything truly meaningful without taking risks and pushing themselves just that little bit further.

So take your criticisms as the cloth that will make your gold shine, not the hammer that will smash it.

How do you react to what your beta readers tell you?

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Filed Under: Editing, Writing & publishing, How to handle criticism Tagged With: beta reading, Dealing with crticism & rejection, imporving your writing, positive attitude, writing

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Comments

  1. Jacqui Murray says

    May 13, 2012 at 6:05 am

    How do you find your betas?

  2. Tahlia Newland says

    May 13, 2012 at 11:40 am

    For my first novel, it was hard, but I had a friend with a degree in creative writing, another one who was a published author and I also used my daughter’s teen friends. (YA writers could go to their local HS & find a teacher who can ask some kids to read & feedback) For my short stories, I picked up one from a writter’s tweet where she asked if anyone would beta read for her in exchange for doing it back. I asked another girl who commented on my blog a lot who is an editor, and the last ones I found when I asked the awesome indies authors if anyone would help out.

    • Jacqui Murray says

      May 13, 2012 at 12:32 pm

      I’m impressed. I’m not too brave about showing my work around. I need to be, but I find it immensely difficult. I know in the long run that hurts me, but psychologically, I can’t get past it. We’ll see what happens.

Trackbacks

  1. How to make sure that your self-published books make the grade | Tahlia Newland, author says:
    October 1, 2012 at 9:11 am

    […] Don’t let your ego get in the way during this process. Remember that your team is there to help you make the book better, not to massage your ego. The more critical they are, the better your book will be in the end. Tell them that and insist on complete honesty. (More tips on working with Beta Readers here) […]

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Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

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