The Importance of Different Kinds of Beta Readers

Can I tell you how much I LOVE my beta readers and critique partners?

I mean, SERIOUS love here.

I'm sure I've mentioned them before, but if not, just know they rock. Today I'm only highlighting two of them, but there are others just as wonderful. Each one brings a different level of insight to help me improve my stories.

Kathy is my first beta reader. And she is a reader, not a writer. She knows how to get excited about the idea and the potential while still pointing out major character or plot flaws. Do you know how priceless that is!! The balance between building me up, encouraging me, and saying "but this is NOT working over here" is perfect. 

She doesn't write notes in the document I send her. Instead, she calls me up and we have a conversation about what she read. She asks questions and I get the chance to explain what I was aiming for with certain characters or scenes. Then we delve into how I can pull it off better, or discuss alternatives. It's really cool. Kathy is a collaborator as much as a reader. And she's mine! All mine, I tell you! *maniacal laughter*

*cough* 

After Kathy helps me iron out some of the big picture flaws, I move to my other betas and critique partners. 

CD Coffelt (AKA Huntress). She just "gets" me. In fact, we might just be different versions of the same person. I love her stories, she loves my stories. We write at the same level with similar styles. She gets into the document and helps me find the details that I'm missing, as well as some of those pesky punctuation issues that I ignore during drafting. She's a saint for putting up with it actually. 

What I love most about CD's critique style is she will comment on "odd" bits, but she will also mark lines and phrases that she feels are especially well written. I'm trying to emulate her in that aspect. Be positive, highlight the great things as well as point out the areas that need work. 

There are generally a handful of other people that get to read my "pre-publishable" works. My daughter(s), hubby, another best friend or two whose opinions I highly value (Laura, Kara), and then there is my amazing writer's group. We've been sparse in numbers lately, but man has that worked to my advantage! All of these people help give me a perspective on how the story is perceived by different ages, personalities and genders. I know I won't be able to please all of them, and I'm not even going to try, but it's fun to see the variety of thoughts one story can provoke. 

All of these people have helped me tremendously with FADE INTO ME over the last two months. It went from a  49K draft of potential to it's current 58K state. It's not perfect yet, but man has it grown. The characters have come alive. The plot is better developed and streamlined. And the coolest (and perhaps the scariest!) thing? This completely stand alone book developed spin-off potential for one of the secondary characters. 

*headdesk* Like I need another idea at the moment! No worries, I've filed it away until I finish revisions on Search For Knowledge.

Do you have betas and critique partners? Who do you want to shout out to today?

Hulu and Beta Readers

Ok, this may strike you as strange at best and down right crazy at worst, but we have not had cable or satellite TV for over a year. We don't even have an antenna to pick up the local PBS station. And you know what? We don't miss it.

Now, don't get me wrong. There is a lot of TV watching going on in our house. It's just a lot cheaper or free. Everything we watch is on Netflix or Hulu, and it's saved us money. We all need more of that, right?

For those of you who watch Hulu--Have you ever noticed the role they play in Beta testing commercials? Well, at least that's what my husband and I think they are doing. Most of the the commercials make us look at each other and say, "someone got paid for THAT?" Yeah, don't judge, you know you do it too. (And with books no less!)

And then there are some that are personal favorites of my family. The ones we hope pop up. The ones we can watch over and over and never get tired of.

For instance:

Is the Pen Mightier than the Sword?

The Ramifications of Yes


See, everyone needs to test out their great ideas until they find the ones that work. As writers we need Beta readers even more than the advertising business. A commercial lasts thirty seconds. We want readers to invest hours of their lives to reading our books.

Do you have a good Beta reader or two? Are they just Betas or are they critique partners?

A good Beta can become one of your critique partners. Don't forget that! Carol AKA Huntress Beta read for me almost a year ago and became one of the people I trust to read everything I write. Amazingly, she's willing to do that! She's honest and encouraging even when pointing out what isn't working.

I feel privileged to work on the Unicorn Bell blog with her and Marcy. I also feel like a total Poser, but that's a post for a different day.

Check out these wonderful ladies and the blog. It's dedicated to critiques and helping you find Betas and Critique Partners. You know, the good stuff. The stuff that will make our writing better and agent/publisher worthy.

Now, I'm off to finish these last four queries I promised myself I would mail this week. I've also got an idea or two for a vlog to start working on. *insert grin*