Hello, Unknown Beta Readers, Goodbye Friends
Over the past year, I’ve completed multiple manuscripts. I labored through all the required tasks, including the completion of multiple rounds of edits, creating proposal packages, and creating cover mockups. Eventually, I reached the point where all the pieces were in place to query or self-publish — save one. I had no beta readers.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. I reached out to my professional circle on LinkedIn. In fact, I posted invitations to read on every single social media account I have. I asked just about everyone I knew offline to participate. And yes, I offered incentives, albeit modest ones. (I mean, I do have a writer’s budget to work with, people.) These included offers to reciprocate by reviewing my readers’ projects, if they had any, and to acknowledge their service both on social media and in the published books.
A few friends and colleagues agreed to be beta readers for me. I was pumped.
Guess how many read for me.
Zero.
As in, nobody.
Again, not for lack of trying. I reached out with reminders. No dice. No response. Ghosted.
Connected doesn’t mean readers believe in you or the writing profession
My experience might not be the norm. I’m sure there are plenty of readers with stronger networks who have had no problem finding beta readers. But I’m also pretty sure I’m not alone in struggling to find people who will follow through. Plenty of readers don’t have support from friends and family members: Some people find it difficult to commit to beta reading under the belief that writing isn’t a real job that can pay or reap other rewards. They might say they will read because they don’t want to offend by directly expressing those beliefs, but later on, they back out. I’ve even had family members refuse to read, telling me they were afraid of what I would think if they didn’t like the book.
Instead of quitting, embrace beta readers who are strangers
If you’re someone whose friends and acquaintances proved untrustworthy for beta reading, don’t despair. You don’t have to give up or pay through the nose to get feedback.
Instead of leaning on people from your network, find a free beta reading service, such as betareader.io. Although other services such as betabooks.co are great for inviting people to read for free, too, look for a service that is designed to bring authors and readers together — that is, that gets strangers to read for you.
Free services that connect you to beta readers typically allow the readers to select manuscripts they’re interested in, making the beta readers more likely to finish the job. The services might have limitations, such as allowing only a handful of beta readers or permitting you to get feedback on only one manuscript at a time, but you don’t have to worry about relationships getting weird if anybody is unable to complete their reading. The beta readers are there because they genuinely want to get books into the world and love to read, not because you roped them into reading by virtue of your connection to them.
This doesn’t mean you can’t continue to ask people you know to read for you. Free beta reading services also don’t mean that, once you’re in a better financial position, you can’t compensate your betas. But the free services for beta reading ensure that you aren’t left stranded. They can be a lifeline for new writers, or for any writer who simply doesn’t have a network of people to hand manuscripts to. At the very least, they’re nice additions to what you already have purely because the beta readers, as strangers, often can be more objective than readers within your network.