Being an author (or aspiring to be one), one term that you have come across regularly is ‘Beta readers’. If you have been looking for beta readers for your book, you are at the right place.

Beta readers are equally important both for fiction and non-fiction books. In this article, you will get a brief of who beta readers are, what they do, are they important, and how to find them. You will find 12 simple ways to find beta readers for your book, irrespective of the genre of your book. Let’s dive in:

What are Beta Readers? What do they do?

In the software industry, the beta versions of the software are available to a few users for testing before the launch to the entire public. This process is to find out the flaws and rectify them. Similarly, the Beta readers of the book are those initial readers who read the book (which is in the manuscript stage) from the reader’s point of view and help authors with the improvements.

Are Beta Readers important?

The Beta readers play a pivotal role by giving an outsider perspective to the content that can help polish the book. The feedback by the beta readers helps understand the reader’s expectations, and any errors in characterization, concept, pacing, and voice, sentence structures, etc.

How to find Beta Readers?

i) Friends/Family:

If any of your friends or a family member loves reading books esp. the genre you write in; well, that could be an opportunity for you to get a Beta reader. But make sure to choose someone reliable and the one who would be genuinely interested in your work, though such people might be hard to find in your family or friends circle.

ii) Author Website:

Are you into building your mailing lists? For an author, the website plays an important role in the collection of email ids of the visitors. They are later regularly updated through emails. Among these visitors, there might be many who would like to be beta readers for your works. The addition of an option 'register as a ‘beta reader’ beside the place for submission of their emails; and in newsletters would go a long way in building a group of beta readers for your works.

iii) Goodreads:

Goodreads is a go-to place for all things books. For an author, it is not just heaven filled with readers, but also home to numerous interested beta readers. On Goodreads, you would also find many author support groups you could connect to for your requirement for beta readers.



iv) Fellow Writers:

Did you know that you have a great resource in the form of your author connections to procure beta readers from? Yes! You have the entire writing community on your back. If you are already in connection with some authors who write in the same genre as you, you could approach them to give your book a read and share their feedback. If you aren’t connected with other writers, you could get active on Twitter and connect with many authors. Build a relationship with them, and then approach them to figure out if they would be interested in becoming your beta reader.

v) Followers on social media:

You might ignore it or might not really know the power of the followers you have on social media. You can post the requirement on your social media profiles, and you might find some gems from among the followers who might become your long-term allies.

vi) Find relevant groups on social media:

Social media has opened the doors for you to connect to anyone globally. You can use social media platforms like Facebook that consists of many author-centric groups and communities. You could join and be a part of those groups, interact with the members, mention your requirement through posts, and you might find the support you need.

vii) Join local writing groups:

The local writing groups can be a great source for getting more writing friends (authors) in your location, and thereby potential beta readers. The face-to-face meeting and interactions can foster a relationship with fellow writers.

viii) Explore Coffee shops and Bookstores:

Another offbeat method to find beta readers is checking with the Coffee shops and Bookshops for reading events. In the book-reading events, you might find many potential beta readers you could connect to.

ix) Websites & Platforms to find Beta Readers:

Since the demand for beta readers is rising, many platforms have come up that helps authors like you to find and connect with your potential beta readers. A couple of examples of such platforms are Critique Circle and My Writers Circle. There are many such platforms.

x) Attend writing workshops:

Similar to joining local writing groups, attending the writing workshops will give you an opportunity to network with fellow writers and build your connections.

xi) Participate in writing forums:

Participating in writing forums is yet another way to interact and build connections with other writers and readers. You will be able to discuss facets of writing like finding beta readers and receive recommendations and suggestions. If the members in those forums find your content interesting, you might find some beta reads from those forums.

xii) Offer to become a Beta Reader for other authors:

One of the best ways to get is to give. Yes! If you want to get some quality beta readers for your content, become one for other writers in your genre. Connect with other writers through offline or online mediums, and offer to become a beta reader. The authors would be happy to have you as a beta reader, analyze well and help them with your suggestions, and they would be happy to return the favor.

Conclusion:

There is no question on the importance of beta readers. Are they important? Yes, they truly are. But more often, the authors (or the aspiring ones) are not aware of the ways to get a beta reader for the book. Though beta readers do not replace editors, they still are pivotal for the success of a book. We hope that you derive some value from this article and the ways listed are helpful to you