Have you heard of a beta reader?

In the worlds of, say, website development, video games, or other endeavors, you have likely heard of beta testers. These are the folks who prowl through a website, try out a game, tinker with a toy or something before the thing is set loose in the general public. A beta tester will tell the developer what worked about their product, what didn't work, what might be improved upon, and what they LIKED about the product.

Beta testers are valuable!

In writing, we have beta readers. A beta reader can serve many functions, depending upon the author.  As in other fields, a beta reader should be willing to prowl through the story/manuscript/work, making note of what worked for them in terms of the story, what might be improved upon in terms of the story, things that jumped out at them as either GREAT or AWFUL, and so on. They are not necessarily pre-editorial types, though they can serve that function as well, upon mutual agreement.

In my current book, I will have a professional editor read over my "pre-editing final draft". But before I send it to her, I send it to my beta reader.

I wrote the first draft, tweaked it, read it again, and checked with my beta to make sure she was ready to receive the draft. Then, I printed it out. Because for her and for me, a printed draft is much easier to be critical with. Notes can be jotted in the margins. Smiley faces can be added. And I find that I am usually a more critical self-editor when I have a paper draft. My first drafts, for example, are always printed.

Today, I got the manuscript printed on the new laser printer, tucked it in an envelope, got return postage (my beta is in another state entirely!) and send it out Priority Mail.

If I'm very, very good, I won't go tinkering with the manuscript on my end until I get that marked version back in the mail.

Lucky me, I've still got a backlist title to re-format AND a new series idea I'm tinkering with...

But still, I don't know how "good" I'll be at staying away from Mac's Daring Heart !