Beta Reader Critique Guide

Being a good beta reader is an art, a carefully crafted skill for most people. The critiques they provide are invaluable, but especially for aspiring authors throwing their work out there, so to speak, with 700,000 other manuscripts (published last year). So how do you help new beta readers out without overwhelming them? I did some searching and found a little help.

Dimitri Tishler and MelanieConklin compiled a nice list of tips for beta readers. I’ve taken a lot of their suggestions and added in several of my own to create a Beta Reader Critique Guide (see below). I place the guide at the front of the manuscript so that it’s the first thing beta readers see. It includes a personalized note at the top, thanking them in advance for taking time to read my book. Then I put the beta reader critique form at the back of the book so it's the first thing they see when they finish reading. And they can summarize their thoughts for each of the major categories. My example below is for beta readers with hard copies but is easily modified for electronic versions of your manuscript.

I don’t claim my Beta Reader Critique Guide is perfect or complete, but it’s a fantastic jump start if you’re wondering where to begin. I’d love to hear from those who have done something similar. If you have tips you’d add to this, leave a comment. The goal is to help beta readers understand what to look for as they read your book. I have no expectation that anyone will critique my book on every single point listed in the guide. But I do believe this will help new beta readers give a more thoughtful critique than they otherwise might have.

BETA READERS

I hope you enjoy reading HOWIE & THE PRINCE OF GREED. Please feel free to mark up the manuscript as you read. If you find a mistake, circle it. If something doesn't make sense, circle it and let me know. Write in the margins or at the end of chapters or use the survey at the end of the book to summarize your thoughts. Or you can type out your feedback and email it to me. Whatever works best for you. To help get the creative juices flowing, I’m looking for any feedback you have to offer regarding the main topics described below:

-          Plot / Story Pacing

o   Does each scene have a natural flow to it or do they move too fast or too slow?

o   Are the transitions between scenes smooth or are they clunky and disjoined?

o   Do chapters start and end well, make you want to keep reading?

o   Are the scenes authentic and believable – keeping in mind this is a fantasy novel?

o   Does the plot surprise you? Disappoint you? Is it too predictable?

o   Are there enough action scenes? Do they create enough excitement?

o   Is the plot too predictable or are there nice surprises along the way?

o   Is there any payoff (sense of satisfaction) for reading this book? Is there closure?

-          Grammar / Dialogue / Structure

o   Does the story show you or tell you what’s happening?

o   Is the passive voice (was, would, etc.) too excessive?

o   Are there too many cliché phrases? Or too many adverbs (words ending in “ly”)

o   Is the dialogue differentiated from one character to the next? Are you aware of which characters are speaking by the identity of the dialogue?

o   Is the dialogue smooth and interesting or is it stiff and clunky?

o   Does the book read easy or are you pulled out of the story by frequent mistakes?

o   Who does my writing most remind you of?

-          Character development

o   Is it easy to identify with or remember each the main characters? Or are there some characters you have a hard time following or remembering? Who they are?

o   Are there any minor characters which seem over or under developed - how?

o   The story is written from the viewpoint of Howie - does the view point ever stray?

o   Are the characters believable?  Do you care about any of them? Do they do things that seem illogical?

o   Who is your favorite character and why? Who is your least favorite character and why?

-          Theme / Symbol / Metaphor

o   Do you like the spiritual or religious themes which underpin this story or do you find them intrusive and uninteresting?

o   Does the incorporation of Native American culture and mythology come across as authentic – what worked or didn’t work for you?

o   Does the Lenpe language used in the book help or hinder the story, was it written in a way that made it easy to understand or did you find it disruptive?

o   Does the medallion come across as a believable object of power in the context of the story? Did the medallion’s connection to Lenape and Christian culture/topics help or hurt the story?

-          World Building / Setting

o   Can you visualize the scenes being described?

o   Do the scenes get bogged down in too much detail?

o   Is the setting or environment believable and authentic?

o   Does the setting enhance or distract from the story?

-           

BETA READER CRITIQUE – 8 Questions

Thank you for reading or attempting to read my book. A writer is nothing without readers. Please be honest with your feedback. Specific examples of what worked and what didn’t will give me the best chance at making improvements and of the book being successful. Please refer to the front page of the manuscript for a detailed description of questions you can answer within each feedback category covered in questions 4-8 of this survey.

1. Did you finish reading the book (circle the correct answer):  Yes    or     No
2. Please rate HOWIE & THE PRINCE OF GREED as you would on Amazon (circle your answer).
1. One Star
2. Two Stars
3. Three Stars
4. Four Stars
5. Five Stars
3. Write a brief critique that you might leave if you were posting this to Amazon or Goodreads right now (your comments will not be published or used without permission).
4. Summarize your thoughts around story plot and story pace.
5. Summarize your thoughts around character development.
6. Summarize your thoughts on grammar, dialogue, and structure.
7. Summarize your thoughts on the story’s theme, symbolism, or metaphor.
8. Summarize your thoughts on the story’s setting (world building).

BETA READERS WANTED!

Beta Readers Wanted! My goal is to find Beta Readers in all fifty states for my new book, HOWIE & THE PRINCE OF GREED. It's a young adult fantasy that is similar in style and concept to PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, only with Native American mythology.

I've been working on HOWIE & THE PRINCE OF GREED for three years. It's gone through numerous revisions, several of which have been critiqued from beginning to end by my writing group (two published authors), and an English Professor at Colorado State University. It's also been critiqued, in part, by New York Times best seller, Jennifer Nielsen, and SCHOLASTIC author, Kimberley Griffiths Little. In short, the manuscript is fairly polished and won't be something you have to slug through.

BETA READERS
I'm looking for individuals who are willing to read the manuscript with pen in hand and unafraid of marking up pages as you go. I'm looking for a cross-section of readers in multiple age groups and with varying reading preferences. Please don't volunteer if you're simply going to read it and say "I like it" or "I didn't like it." I'm looking for detailed feedback. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence a book before it gets published.

PRIZES
Yes, there are prizes! I wish I could do more, but this is my small way of expressing appreciation for taking time to help me. A writer is nothing without readers. I can't do this without you!

• $25 Amazon certificate to the person who finds the most mistakes. Mistakes can be grammatical, character references (mixing up names, descriptions, etc.), or plot points. All mistakes should be noted on the manuscript in the place where they are found.  

• $25 Amazon gift certificates for the top three critiques. All Beta Readers will be given a critique form to fill out. The three critiques that provide the most helpful--informative--details AND improve the story will win. You don't need to write a book (I've already done that). Concise statements about what works and what doesn't work and how it might be improved is all I'm looking for.

HOW TO SIGN UP (BETA READERS)
1. Send an email to BenHutchinsAuthor@gmail.com with "BETA READER" in the subject and with the following information in the body:

• Full Name
• Age Group (6-12, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-60, Above 60)
• Mailing Address
• Which category best describes the type of books you  most like to read (choose one)?
• Middle Grade (books geared toward kids 8-11)
• Young Adult (books geared toward teenagers 12-18)
• Adult (books geared toward adults 19 and above)
• I don't normally read books
• Which genre of books do you most like to read (choose one)?
• Sci-fi
• Romance
• Mystery
• Fantasy
• Historical fiction
• Realistic fiction
• Horror
• Non-fiction
• Have you been a Beta Reader before (yes or no)?
• Do you spend more than ten hours a week writing (yes or no)?
• Do you have Native American roots (yes or no)?
• Are you a published author (yes or no)?
• Are you willing to write a review of the book on Amazon or goodreads (yes or no)?
• Are you willing to use social media--blogs, twitter, facebook, etc--to promote the book if you like it (yes or no)?

SELECTION PROCESS
As stated before, I'm looking for a cross-section of readers so please keep your answers to the questions honest. I'll give priority to those who sign up first, but will cap the number of Beta Readers in each profile segment. Either way, I will let you know. And there is a strong possibility that I will do multiple rounds with Beta Readers if I make any significant changes to the manuscript, so even if you're not chosen in this first round, you might be in a follow-up round.

PROCESS
Those chosen for this first round will be mailed a copy of the manuscript with a critique form. I'm asking that you finish reading and critiquing the manuscript within three weeks and then mail it back to me in a prep-paid envelope. Then I get the fun job of combing through all your critiques to see what I'm doing well and to make improvements where needed. It goes without saying, but Beta Readers are expected to keep the manuscript confidential. No copies are to be made, digitized, or posted on the Internet. I will inform everyone when the book is available for purchase.

You Are Going To Die

* * * HERE IS A SMALL FACT * * *

You are going to die.

This is one of the opening quotes in The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak). The personification of death makes the book worth reading on its own. I am especially intrigued with this book because death is a central theme in the young adult novel I am writing, The Lackawanna Prophecies--Howie and The Prince of Greed.

I read an article about the life of Walter Breuning, interviewed at the ripe age of 114, and not to long before he died. This is my favorite quote from him: "We're going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you're born to die."

Perhaps easier said than done, but at 114 years of age or those suffering great mortal pain, death comes as a relief. I experienced this in a personal way during the worst part of my recovery from a severe concussion. I was trapped in my own mind because any form of communication made me sick. For several days I couldn't watch TV, talk to my wife or kids, or even listen to music. It was just me in the dark--sunglasses-on-shades-drawn-lights-out kind of dark. I even had ear protectors to block out as much sound as possible. If that condition had been months and years instead of a couple of weeks, I would have welcomed death if and when it came.

I hope kids who read my novel will think differently about death, that it doesn't have to be this scary or horrible thing, especially in the natural course of life. Death can be beautiful and merciful. Billions and billions of people have experienced it, and some have lived to tell the tale. There's nothing wrong with being afraid of the unknown, but death is not the evil monster society and media often portray it to be. That classification belongs entirely to people who perpetuate it's untimely role.

So . . . getting back to my book, a possible hook might go something like this:

In a world where no one can escape death, some are chosen to experience it again and again.

* * * DON'T BE AFRAID * * *

Dusting Off The Cobwebs

Life interrupted. That's how I've felt over the past six months. Last November I suffered a serious concussion playing basketball. The referee didn't even call a foul. Where's the justice? The body blow to my head sloshed my brain enough to make it near impossible for me to function on a cognitive level. It was like someone had kicked up all the dirty scum from the bottom of the pond and it sort of hung around for months, clearing up just enough every once in a while for me to think I was getting back to normal.

Man down.

Yes, that's how it was. Locked in the tower of my home for 2 weeks before I could even handle something as basic as a quiet and brief conversation. Phone, TV, my children . . . it was all more than I could handle. Everything made me sick. It was almost three months before I even dared venture back to the office for work. My brain got saturated so fast, that I couldn't handle anything that required serious thought for more than a few minutes at a time.

Don't make me cry.

Okay, I finally get it. Women don't have to have a reason to cry. Cry all you want. I did. The first four months of my recovery were filled with random moments of pure emotion that spilled out my eyes, sometimes for no reason at all. I was starting to wonder if someone had slipped me a heavy dose of estrogen during one of my hospital visits. Thankfully, order seems to have been restored in that department.

Will I ever be normal again?

Who knows. What's normal? I'm working 40 hours a week now and have been for two months, but I'm only in the office 3-4 days a week. I'm trying to bump that up to 4-5 days a week. I still get dizzy every day and nausea seems to be my new best friend. I've been wearing sea band bracelets, but I have no idea if they're really helping. I've also been wearing a Halter monitor for two weeks to figure out why my heart's skipping beats every time my pulse goes up--as in walk-up-a-flight-of-stairs up. My energy/strength levels have only recovered to about 70-80%, sometimes a little less depending on the day. And the brain drains are still happening. Doesn't that sound like fun? It's a weird way to describe it, but that's what it feels like when it happens: like my brain is draining out the back of my head. When that happens, I get sick pretty fast. I was in the ER three times two weeks ago when it first started happening. The whole unknown thing can be kind of scary. All tests revealed nothing. Hey, I guess I'm normal.

It's all in my head.

Yes, that is what I'm coming to believe. I'm pretty sure I've been having some serious anxiety attacks--classic post concussion syndrome stuff.The muddy waters are still settling. I think I'm still cognitively bumping into logs or rocks as I swim through the foggy haze of my brain. The good news is that most of my life activities have returned to a new normal. I'm working. I'm writing. I'm throwing ball with my boys. I even started a major remodeling job on my home. I know,  probably not the smartest thing, but there's no going back on that one--not after sawing through two walls and ripping out two door frames.

Dusting off the cobwebs

So alas, here we are again, not that anyone is reading because I've been gone for months. Hey, I know, you can only wait around so long. But I'm back. And I've resumed the re-write of my novel, The Lackawanna Prophecies--Howie and The Prince of Greed. I'm working on chapter 18 with about ten more chapters to go. I was supposed to be done in January. Perhaps I will be--next January. I'm just grateful to be writing. I hope you are too.