Questions for Beta Readers: A Precious Resource for Writers -

My debut novel is in the hands of beta readers, and I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment in sending it out. This feeling lasted a good two hours. Then I was eclipsed, and I continue to be eclipsed by the constant barrage of (what I feel to be) brilliant revisions that should have occurred before the manuscript left the safety of my laptop. Are they really brilliant? In mulling, only sometimes. Will the repeated revisions in pursuit of perfection ever end? Who knows…In the meantime, while I exercise patience, I gladly share some questions I asked my beta readers. These specific questions allow you, as the writer, to help them focus their feedback that guides your next steps in revision.

Who Are Beta Readers?

Beta readers are kind and generous souls who volunteer their time and effort to read your manuscript through the eyes of “any reader.” You don’t expect editorial-level comments or critique, but your manuscript should be accompanied by a general construct listing the type of feedback that will be helpful to you. Feedback such as “It was great, I loved it!” is always good to hear, but it’s the specificity of feedback that will allow you an elevated, richer perspective.

The questions asked are to help your beta reader understand your expectations, and for you to make insightful revisions. Flattery is a plus, of course, and motivating, just as a negative review is unpleasant and can be deflating. However, beta reader feedback is not meant to buffer or beat up the writer’s ego. Their assessments are a resource in the long line of resources that make you a better writer.

It’s important to remember beta-reader feedback is based on the specific reader’s perspective and background, and therefore subjective. Ideally, you want a nice mix of perspectives:

They should read or be drawn to the genre of your writing;
They should not consist of “all” family or “all” friends. A mix of those who know you, whose feedback might be biased, and those whose feedback is objective to the work; and
Writers and editors, along with regular readers with no professional background in writing, are a key to a balanced review.

The Importance of Including Questions for Beta Readers with Your Manuscript.

As an editor, I advise writers to ask the questions below of their beta readers to appraise the personality of their story, to unearth pieces of plot that make sense to the writer but no one else, to reconfirm the nuances land in the way they were meant to. You will see the question not only ask “what” but “why.” As a writer, I tailored some of these questions to fit my story, as you should.

When you’re ready to send your finished manuscript to beta readers, I urge all writers to first have a very clear sense of your book, your story, your writing style, and message before you ask someone for their opinion. The questions you ask should spring from a true need to understand specifics of your story. A general “What do you think?” about your entire manuscript opens you up to a barrage of opinions. Beta-reader feedback is just that: their opinion as a reader.

You, as the writer and author of your work, must assess what feedback is right for your story, or not. The responsibility of absorbing, analyzing, and revising your manuscript based on their feedback is entirely yours. Therefore, the more specific and tailored the question, the more clarity you have in recognizing what responses carry weight.

Questions about the opening hook and first chapters, characters, dialogue, trustworthy narrator, pace, place, etc., can be asked in a way any reader will be happy to answer.

Questions for Beta Readers

Opening and Ending:

Did the first chapter and/or first line help draw you in and keep your attention and curiosity throughout?
If the opening didn’t hold your attention, at which point of the story (or which chapter) did you become engaged?
Was the ending satisfying, or are there points that were not resolved for you?

Plot, Pacing, and Worldbuilding:

Were there any points where the story lagged, and you started to lose interest? Please list the chapter or section.
Was the story easy to follow? If not, which parts were jarring to your reading experience?
Was there anything particular in the telling of the story that you found confusing?
Was there anything in the timeline you had trouble believing or seemed illogical or far-fetched?
Did the pacing match the feel of the story? Ie: calm during quiet times, agitated during suspenseful times, etc. If not, which chapters felt contrary to the action on the page?
Are the places you are taken to believable? If not, which places didn’t allow you to suspend disbelief and why?

Characters, Their Motivations, and Dialogue:

Which character(s) did you find most engaging, and why?
Which character(s) did you find least engaging, and why?
Were any of the relationships between characters inauthentic? If yes, who and why?
Were you able to keep track of the characters, i.e., who was who?
Did you feel any character was superfluous to the story? I.e., if they were taken out, the story would not change for you.
Did the story unfold through each introduction of character seamlessly? If not, which character or chapter didn’t work? (For character-driven novels.)
Did you dislike any of the character names? If yes, who and why?
Were the characters’ voices different enough to tell them apart? If no, which characters came across too similarly?
Were the accents of certain characters hard to follow? (Important for stories using dialects or accents.)
Was there any point at which the dialogue didn’t work or was unrealistic? If so, where?

Overall:

What was your overall impression of the story?
What did you like about it the most?
Was there anything that didn’t work? If so, what?
Did you notice any inconsistencies in the plot, with the characters, or with anything else that affected your reading experience?
Did the settings/places have too much description or too little?
Any favorite lines or dialogue?
Did the multiple POV/omniscient style of storytelling work for this story? (Change to reflect the POV used in your manuscript.)
At any point, did you feel less trusting of the narrator? If yes, where?
Were there any repeating grammatical errors that distracted from the story? (Note: You must not expect copyeditors’ or proofreaders’ style updates here, but if something in your technical writing troubles a majority of beta readers, it warrants review.)
Does the “blurb” give you just enough information to be interested in the book if you were to see it in a bookstore? Or what would you like to see included in the blurb now that you’ve read the entire story?

Any General Comments:

I hope this list of questions gives you a guideline to build your own as you congratulate yourself on finishing a manuscript and getting that much closer to publishing!

As always, here’s to keeping the magic of writing alive!

If you have any questions on the importance of having your manuscript read by beta readers, contact us via our contact page.