The Differences Between Alpha and Beta Readers
You may have heard the terms alpha reader and beta reader floating around your writing community; you may have even heard someone use the terms interchangeably. But is there a difference between the two, and if so, what is it? Read on for more information.
Alpha Readers
Just as Alpha denotes the first letter in the Greek alphabet, an alpha reader is the first person to read your manuscript, ideally in its early stages. Think first or second draft. If you haven’t shown it to another soul (unfortunately, cats don’t count . . . or read) and you want feedback, then an alpha reader is who you need.
Alpha readers come in two general flavors: uncritical and critical.
Uncritical readers may include family and close friends (of the nonwriting variety). They’re your cheering squad, the people that leave you feeling good about what you’ve done. They may or may not have useful feedback for revision, but they recognize the hard work you’ve done. Having an uncritical alpha reader is great if you’re new to writing or if a writing project was tough. We all need people who believe in us.
It is, however, important to have critical alpha readers too, and if you can only choose one flavor, pick the critical (yet kind) one. A critical alpha reader should be, first and foremost, a person who reads a lot, and if they’re familiar with the genre you’re writing, that's ideal! The ultimate alpha reader, however, is another writer (or agent) who works in your chosen genre. But whether they’re readers or writers, it can be helpful to ask them to focus on a few specific questions you have about your work.
Critical alpha readers will be able to tell you if your concept is a good one and if what’s in your head is translating well to paper. They may even point out stuff like plot holes and underdeveloped characters. Their job is to say, “Awesome, you finished. Here are some suggestions to improve the next draft.” And while they are not editors or proofreaders (and shouldn’t replace them as such), they can often save you money and time.
Beta Readers
Beta readers are critical readers who look at your manuscript before it goes to publication. Think of them as the test audience for your book, the people who will determine if your book is marketable to other readers. To get the most out of the beta reading phase, you need to choose readers who read your genre. They will be familiar with the tropes and conventions and will be able to point out inconsistencies in your manuscript.
After all, a romance without a HEA or HFN is not a genre romance. If your intention is to market to romance readers and you do not meet this convention, your beta readers will let you know, leaving you with the choice of changing your novel or marketing it to a different audience.
Your beta readers shouldn't be family or friends, even if they're experts in your genre, as it's impossible for them to be unbiased (sorry, moms and besties out there). You should also aim to have multiple readers at this stage so that you're getting a decent amount of feedback, but make sure you don't have so many that you become overwhelmed (the amount before overwhelm can vary by person, so if you've never entered into this process, experiment). Beta reading swaps are popular and a great way to exchange services and meet other authors. Search them out via social media or author associations.
In Summary . . .
Alpha and beta readers come at very different times in your manuscript’s progress, but they are both helpful in steering the course to writing and marketing success. And while you don’t have to take every bit of advice—it’s your book, after all—working with their feedback (especially if multiple readers have similar concerns) can help you avoid pitfalls and meet your goal of getting published.
If you are in need of a critical yet gentle reader of the alpha or beta kind, I can help you with that! I also offer developmental edits for those who would like a professional overlook of their manuscript and how to improve it.
