_ Tips for Writers
Editors or “Beta Readers”
You’ve written a story, a non-fiction book or even *gasp!* a novel! GOOD FOR YOU! Now what? The first thing you need to do is put it away for several weeks, then re-read it with the “fresh eyes” you’ll have from not looking at it for so long. Proofread, edit, revise, revise, revise. Then put it away and let it “simmer” a while longer. Then read it again. Revise, revise, revise, as many times as it takes until you can’t find anything else to fix.
At this point you’ll need to find some editors, or, as the online community calls them, “beta readers.” These folks should be well-read, well-spoken, and kindhearted enough to not rip your guts out when they give you their critiques. (It helps if you manage to grow a thick skin before you get their reports back.) They should also enjoy reading the genre or type of novel you’ve written, or have a good understanding of your non-fiction topic. A fan of romance novels (for instance) wouldn’t be as capable a judge of your sf (science fiction) novel as someone who cut their teeth on Asimov, Clark, and other greats in the sf genre. So choose your betas wisely.
These folks, whether online acquaintances or people you know in real life, need to be honest with you, first of all. You don’t want someone who gives you only “Oh, that’s WONDERFUL!” comments, which are nice for your ego but do nothing to help you improve as a writer. These readers should act like editors, making notes throughout your manuscript when they find instances of weak writing, or places lacking in clarity, or scenes that are out of order, for instance. Another thing these readers are good for is helping you maintain consistency. “That character’s name was James two chapters earlier. When did he become Jimbo?” “That incantation had an ‘r’ in it when it first appeared on page 107.” People who can spot this kind of inconsistency are a treasure! Cherish them when you find them!
Whatever problems these readers point out, they should be able to tell you honestly, “This sentence doesn’t make sense to me--can you clarify it?” without you blowing up at them.
Your readers will send your manuscript back (either via email or snail mail) with their comments and suggestions marked. Then it’s up to you to decide if their idea is better than yours or not. You need to do this objectively, so remove your heart from your sleeve and stick it in a drawer somewhere so it won’t get in your way! This is no time to get your feelings hurt or your nose out of joint. You will benefit most from your readers’ input when you try to read the section they commented on with THEIR eyes, not with your preconceived notions. If several of your readers make the same or similar comments about something, that’s a heads-up—something there truly needs attention. If only one of them makes a comment about something, it could be just a matter of opinion whether the thing they’re commenting on needs to be changed or not.
The thing to remember is, it’s just a story. Not your baby, child or lover. It’s a story, a product of your imagination, and yes, for a while, it does hold such a close place in your heart, it’s painful if anyone says anything bad about it. But time and writing other projects will help you become more objective about your previous stories or novels. So yes, it’s your story, and your word is law when it comes to deciding if your vote or the editor's or beta readers’ votes are the deciding ones. But it’s also a good idea to try to keep some emotional distance from the story so you can read their suggestions with clear eyes and an open mind.
These readers’ most important function is to be readers—to give you an idea how readers in the marketplace will respond to your story. They need to tell you which parts of the story work and which don’t. Perhaps they can even tell you why a section doesn’t work. Maybe the dialogue is flat instead of sparkling. Perhaps a character isn’t developed well enough to have as strong a part as you’ve given him. Whether they can identify the problem specifically or not, the reader saying “this scene doesn’t work” is usually enough to make the author sit and think about the scene differently. And that’s what you want.
You don’t have to do everything, or even anything your readers suggest. It’s your novel, after all. But if you want to make your story or novel the most entertaining read possible, trust your readers when they tell you something doesn’t work for them.
If you find a good reader (and if you’re wise, you’ll try to have three or four at least, not just one!), take the best possible care of him or her. Remember to thank your readers both privately and in public (on your writers’ forums and on your Acknowledgement pages of your book), and send them a free copy of the published book when it comes out as a thank you. I have some readers who’ve been with me through quite a few stories and novels now, and we have a good working relationship. They know they can be honest with me, and I know I can trust them. My readers have helped me improve my writing and tell better stories, for which I’m very grateful. And yes, they get credit in my Acknowledgements as well as free, autographed copies of my novels.
Editors or “Beta Readers”
You’ve written a story, a non-fiction book or even *gasp!* a novel! GOOD FOR YOU! Now what? The first thing you need to do is put it away for several weeks, then re-read it with the “fresh eyes” you’ll have from not looking at it for so long. Proofread, edit, revise, revise, revise. Then put it away and let it “simmer” a while longer. Then read it again. Revise, revise, revise, as many times as it takes until you can’t find anything else to fix.
At this point you’ll need to find some editors, or, as the online community calls them, “beta readers.” These folks should be well-read, well-spoken, and kindhearted enough to not rip your guts out when they give you their critiques. (It helps if you manage to grow a thick skin before you get their reports back.) They should also enjoy reading the genre or type of novel you’ve written, or have a good understanding of your non-fiction topic. A fan of romance novels (for instance) wouldn’t be as capable a judge of your sf (science fiction) novel as someone who cut their teeth on Asimov, Clark, and other greats in the sf genre. So choose your betas wisely.
These folks, whether online acquaintances or people you know in real life, need to be honest with you, first of all. You don’t want someone who gives you only “Oh, that’s WONDERFUL!” comments, which are nice for your ego but do nothing to help you improve as a writer. These readers should act like editors, making notes throughout your manuscript when they find instances of weak writing, or places lacking in clarity, or scenes that are out of order, for instance. Another thing these readers are good for is helping you maintain consistency. “That character’s name was James two chapters earlier. When did he become Jimbo?” “That incantation had an ‘r’ in it when it first appeared on page 107.” People who can spot this kind of inconsistency are a treasure! Cherish them when you find them!
Whatever problems these readers point out, they should be able to tell you honestly, “This sentence doesn’t make sense to me--can you clarify it?” without you blowing up at them.
Your readers will send your manuscript back (either via email or snail mail) with their comments and suggestions marked. Then it’s up to you to decide if their idea is better than yours or not. You need to do this objectively, so remove your heart from your sleeve and stick it in a drawer somewhere so it won’t get in your way! This is no time to get your feelings hurt or your nose out of joint. You will benefit most from your readers’ input when you try to read the section they commented on with THEIR eyes, not with your preconceived notions. If several of your readers make the same or similar comments about something, that’s a heads-up—something there truly needs attention. If only one of them makes a comment about something, it could be just a matter of opinion whether the thing they’re commenting on needs to be changed or not.
The thing to remember is, it’s just a story. Not your baby, child or lover. It’s a story, a product of your imagination, and yes, for a while, it does hold such a close place in your heart, it’s painful if anyone says anything bad about it. But time and writing other projects will help you become more objective about your previous stories or novels. So yes, it’s your story, and your word is law when it comes to deciding if your vote or the editor's or beta readers’ votes are the deciding ones. But it’s also a good idea to try to keep some emotional distance from the story so you can read their suggestions with clear eyes and an open mind.
These readers’ most important function is to be readers—to give you an idea how readers in the marketplace will respond to your story. They need to tell you which parts of the story work and which don’t. Perhaps they can even tell you why a section doesn’t work. Maybe the dialogue is flat instead of sparkling. Perhaps a character isn’t developed well enough to have as strong a part as you’ve given him. Whether they can identify the problem specifically or not, the reader saying “this scene doesn’t work” is usually enough to make the author sit and think about the scene differently. And that’s what you want.
You don’t have to do everything, or even anything your readers suggest. It’s your novel, after all. But if you want to make your story or novel the most entertaining read possible, trust your readers when they tell you something doesn’t work for them.
If you find a good reader (and if you’re wise, you’ll try to have three or four at least, not just one!), take the best possible care of him or her. Remember to thank your readers both privately and in public (on your writers’ forums and on your Acknowledgement pages of your book), and send them a free copy of the published book when it comes out as a thank you. I have some readers who’ve been with me through quite a few stories and novels now, and we have a good working relationship. They know they can be honest with me, and I know I can trust them. My readers have helped me improve my writing and tell better stories, for which I’m very grateful. And yes, they get credit in my Acknowledgements as well as free, autographed copies of my novels.