WHO are Beta Readers?
They are the kind, supportive people who read your first draft and simply tell you what they think. Clumsy sentence? They will tell you all about it. Something confusing? Yup. They're there to to say "I don't know what in tarnation you are talking about here."Beta readers need to be honest. Absolutely, positively, to-the-bone honest. And, they need to not be afraid to be honest with you. That means, you need to welcome honesty--even if it's not what you want to hear.
I am blessed to know many honest people--so I asked four of them to test-drive my first draft of Dust and Determination.
So, how does one pick beta readers? You start with honesty and work from there. They need to be readers. They need to know what a good book is, as they have read many. They also need to be good writers: They ABSOLUTELY need to know the difference between "your" and "you're,' bless 'em (and not be afraid to point it out if you dare make such a mistake). You see, your beta readers can alert you when you misspelled something, used the wrong tense or used the same word a wee bit too much. In my first book, I was quite fond of the word "brilliant." A beta reader told me it was all over the book and it got predictable. Find a new adjective! THANK YOU, beta reader! See? Brutal honesty is so important--it is vital for growth and learning. It makes your work better.
Next, find people who know nothing about your subject. I mean, nothing--these beta readers are so valuable because they will tell you if your book taught them something or confused them right into the stratosphere. You need to know this, dear writer! Then, find those betas who know a metric crap-ton about your subject. Experts can tell you what you missed.
I have two beta readers who know practically nothing about horses and polo, and two who know quite a bit about both. A nice mix is needed to create a book that appeals to a wide audience.
Not to be all mysterious--but okay, I will be--one of my SUPER-DUPER knowledgeable beta readers really likes the first draft. Really, really likes it. This is a big deal, folks. I bit my nails to the quick with anxiety when I handed him the first draft over three weeks ago. I wished, hoped and prayed he would like it.
I feel like Sally Field on Oscar night--day, week, and month made.
So, with this incredible and amazing vote of confidence from someone I respect and admire, I am happy as heck, grateful as all get-out and motivated beyond belief to create a beautiful, fun and informative book about the history of UConn polo.
Let's ride!
~Helen
