WHAT IS A BETA READER?
The term comes from the software industry, where a "beta" version of a program is released to a group of testers, who work the bugs out. For our definition, the writer is the "alpha" reader, doing a thorough critique before releasing it to the beta readers, your fellow writers who will give you the feedback you need to hone your work to publication quality. It's a lot faster than chapter-by-chapter critique, and is reserved for novels that are complete. You get your very own Meetup to talk about nothing but your book. How exciting is that? HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR A BETA READ? To qualify for a beta read, one of the following criteria must be true.
OKAY, I'VE MET ALL THE CRITERIA, WHAT DO I DO NOW? Step 1 The novel must be completed and should have undergone at least one editorial and proofreading pass. Step 2: You contact a BSFW organizer that you know and who knows you. The list of organizers is on the Meetup page. Request that they sponsor your beta read. If they say yes, submit your manuscript to them. If they believe the manuscript is ready for a beta, then we move on to the next step. Step 3: You and your sponsor organizer will find a place for your meetup. It could be virtual if you want. You specify the day and time. Give people a fair amount of time to read your work. Submit your first chapter to your sponsor and they will make it available for prospective beta readers. That chapter will be available for any member to read before they commit to reading the full manuscript. Give them the information they need to understand your work so they can decide if they're the right critics for your manuscript. (this is information that will go onto the Meetup calendar event): Title Word count Genre Sub-genre if any Brief description - the equivalent of the back cover blurb, 500 words or less. Specify any questions you have for your critics as they read, and what type of feedback you’re after: pacing, characterization, plot, when they became engaged or what scenes failed to hold their attention, etc. You can also tell them what feedback you are not looking for as well. Be as specific as you can. Step 4: Let people know that you have a Beta Read scheduled by entering it onto the BETA Form on the BSFW Members Page. The form is on the side panel. Just scroll down the side of the page. As people RSVP to your meeting, you provide them with your complete manuscript. The ideal number of beta readers is up to you, but should be similar to the number needed for any good critique. We suggest between three and ten. If you’re not getting the numbers you need, talk to your sponsor organizer about how to get the word out, or reach out to individual members of the group whose feedback you value. It might also be wise to send out reminders once or twice during the critique period, since it is so protracted, to remind them of the upcoming meeting. Your sponsor organizer can help you do this. Then critics read your manuscript and you meet for your critique! IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT BETA READ:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
|