Once you have read the story over yourself, and you feel comfortable with how it reads, it’s finally time to put your book in the hands of someone else. And yes, for most, this is as terrifying as it sounds. Especially when you’ve put your heart into it, spent so many hours trying your best to make every word perfect, and now you are going to give it to someone who, if they are being honest, will tell you it’s not perfect. It’s tough to deal with sometimes, but I assure you, it’s okay. You can handle it; you just need to be cautious and approach it correctly.

There is a multitude of ways to go about the beta reader phase, be it with family, friends, online, strangers, reading groups etc. You are free to choose whichever route you want. There are plenty of websites that will match you up with readers who will provide feedback.

If you are choosing family or friends, you need to make sure you are getting quality opinions. The problem with family and friends (if they are supportive) is they will tell you they love your book no matter what. They will not see any flaws, plot holes or anything else that could be constructive to improving your story. It can be good for the ego sure, but it doesn’t help much when trying to put out your best work. So if you do choose this route, make sure you pick people who will give you honest, but kind feedback. It can be simple too, such as “This part didn’t make a lot of sense to me” and “This didn’t read the way I think you wanted it to.” They don’t have to break down every word. They are just a reader, so have them read the book. You can ask them to simply jot down their opinions on each chapter as they read naturally. What they think will happen, what they thought as they were reading. I find this to be a great help, because if I am trying to lead a reader in a certain direction, but none of my beta readers are picking up on my “foreshadowing” then perhaps it needs to be adjusted. Little things like that can go a long way in helping you.

If you choose to go through the online route to find beta readers, again, you must be cautious, and in a way, protective of who you hand your book to. Unlike family and friends, who might be overly positive about your story, people on the internet… well they aren’t always as positive. I tried this for my first book, and some of the comments I got back were rude, pointless, and in some respects just plain nasty. Now, I’m not saying all beta readers on the internet are like this, by no means. What I am saying is, that you might have to try a number of beta readers to find ones you actually want to trust and work with.

Also remember, this is still your story, just because people give you an opinion, doesn’t make it fact. You don’t have to go around changing every single thing someone says they don’t like about your book. What you should be looking for is consistency. If multiple people bring up the same section of a book, then it might be worth looking into, but if someone says, “Your main character should have black hair instead of blond because it would show off the duality of his personality better…” (That’s a real comment by the way) then it’s okay to ignore that. Use your best judgment, and do what you feel is best for your story.

For me personally, I stick to a select few close friends, who I can trust will give me proper feedback and not just say I love this, to everything. I’m simply not a fan of the randomness of internet readers, and their varying opinions. It’s just not for me. And always remember, once you find some beta readers you trust and respect, do whatever you can to keep them around! They are like gold!