Where Can I Find Good Beta Readers?

And how can I tell if they're good?

You’re so excited—you’ve just typed those glorious words, THE END, on your manuscript. You’re wondering why you’re not hearing the sounds of fireworks going off outside, because this is a HUGE accomplishment. EVERYONE needs to know about this.

You’re right! It IS a huge accomplishment! You DO deserve fireworks! Everyone SHOULD know about this! So I say, CELEBRATE! You deserve it!

But don’t celebrate for too long. Yes, your brain absolutely deserves (and needs, I’m sure) a break. But remember, this is not a sprint—it’s a marathon (and a damn long one at that).

Soon, it’s time for a whole new type of work—revising that sucker.

More Spaghetti, Please

If you’re like me, you’re tired of hearing that same quote, over and over—”There are no good writers, only good rewriters.”

I actually prefer this quote I just read by actor and director Jordan Peele: “My first draft is just me shoveling a whole lot of sand into the sandbox, so that later I can come back and make castles out of it.” (I’m paraphrasing, of course)

That fits just perfectly with how I’ve started to look at zero/first drafts. As I mentioned in my last Substack, about what it was like going through line edits with my agent for my debut thriller, THE BETTER MOTHER (due out early ‘26), I like to call my method the “spaghetti method” of drafting, when I throw as much spaghetti as I can at the wall the first time around. Later, when it comes to revising, I go back and look at each noodle, so to speak. Some stick, and some I let fall to the floor for various reasons, such as length, wordiness, pace, etc. Or, as we all know, sometimes our minds (and our characters) wander off on tangential adventures or trains of thought that surprise us, because they weren’t in the original plan. That’s good! Why not? Throw that spaghetti at the wall! Shovel that sand! Later, when it’s time to go back and assess, you can get rid of that excess sand, or let that spaghetti fall to the floor. Sometimes those tangents really pay off, and sometimes, when you go back and look at the big picture, they just don’t fit in with the direction you choose for your overall manuscript.

Eventually, once you’ve gone back over your story a handful of times, trimmed it down, and offloaded the excess spaghetti or sand, you’re ready for one of the most exciting and nerve-racking points there is for a writer—feedback.

Beta Readers and Critiques - What Makes A Good One?

As much as we writers want lots of feedback on our budding novels, it’s important to pick qualified beta readers if we want to have any hope of our novel going somewhere we’re happy with (whether that be self-publishing and selling a decent number of copies, or attracting a literary agent and eventually landing a trad pub deal—it only matters what’s important to you). But what makes a beta reader “qualified?”

That’s such an important question. And I would never want to offend anyone by calling certain beta readers “unqualified.” Of course we want our mom, or our sibling, or our best friend to read our work! But maybe…just maybe…not yet.

I think one of the most important elements of choosing a beta reader is objectivity.

The best way to get an idea of where our work stands is to ask someone who has no trouble being real with you. Whereas mom, or sis/bro, or your BFF hate to hurt your feelings, an objective beta reader is going to give their honest feedback. Now, that doesn’t mean they have to be mean or rude, it just means they don’t have a problem telling you what they think could be problematic, or needs more work. We all know Mom will find it hard to say anything other than “I love it!”—or, maybe even the opposite, she’ll say, “this just isn’t for me,” and we’ll be heartbroken!

For example — it used to bug me a lot, but my spouse refuses to read my work in its early stages. When I would tell that to friends, they would gasp and get upset on my behalf, as in, “I can’t believe he doesn’t support your dream!” But that’s not it at all. My husband said he can’t wait to read the final version once it’s on a bookshelf, out in the world. But he knows if he reads any of my drafts, whether #1 or #57, he’ll be tempted to make suggestions of how he would have written it. Or he’ll point out a section of the story that he doesn’t understand, and I’ll be offended or hurt. And I totally get that. Sometimes our loved ones aren’t the best critics for us, and the last thing we want to do is cause tension in a relationship with someone who’s a big part of our lives.

So how do we find someone totally objective?

Where Are You, Betas?

I probably used at least three or four different beta readers, in phases, for my debut novel before I started querying it. I found them in a few different places.

I’m not a member of any local, in-person writing groups (I know, it’s crazy). My biggest reason for that is just time, really. I love supporting other authors, but I only have so many hours in the day to work on my own writing, let alone spend enough quality time to really evaluate someone else’s WIP and offer the thoughtful remarks they deserve.

But, I am a member of several online beta reader groups, mainly on Facebook, and some discussion groups/threads on X, Bluesky, etc. I have found those to be great. One in particular I really like is “Women Writers, Editors, Agents, and Publishers” on Facebook. We have self-promotion Mondays, First Line Fridays, etc., and of course just random posts where people ask for advice on certain roadblocks. (Plus, they’re great in helping to point out scammers out there!) I found two or three real, quality beta readers that way. But here’s an important point — I paid them.

Yes, there are a ton of people willing to beta read for free out there, but I actually preferred to pay mine, for a very important reason: I was guaranteed results. If someone wants my money, they’re going to give me an accurate deadline, stick to it, and a minimum amount of effort, offering feedback on a variety of elements of my manuscript. I am a full-speed-ahead kind of writer—I don’t have time to waste time. I’m already planning the next phase of my journey in my head and the last thing I want to do is have to chase down people who promised me feedback, and delay my progress. So, I’m willing to pay if it means I’m going to get thoughtful, organized feedback in a reasonable amount of time (say, under a month). That’s just part of being a professional.

Now you might be thinking, “But I can’t afford that!” And I TOTALLY get that. But to put it in perspective, I think the most I paid any one beta was $150.** And I’m telling you, IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY.

**This is not the same thing as developmental editing, or a full-blown manuscript critique from a professional editor, which costs much more, and rightly so. These are other aspiring writers who are voracious readers, and know the elements of commercial fiction, and just love to read and support other authors. This is a way for some writers/readers to make some extra money on the side doing what they love—reading. And there are a lot of good ones out there!

How to Tell if a Beta Reader is Good?

When I put feelers out in my Facebook writers group to find some beta readers, naturally, I got a ton of responses, because—well, money. So how did I weed them out?

First, the ones I chose had websites, showing me they were serious about their craft. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but their websites spelled out their exact rates (so I’m not getting a bait-and-switch situation, or a nasty surprise), and what I would get for that price. For example, some of them said their average feedback report could be anywhere from 5 to 10 pages, and would cover everything from voice, to character development, to pace, to dialogue, and more. THAT’S what I wanted. Think of it like getting paid to write a book report for school!

Some even include real-time feedback in Track Changes, such as their reactions to certain scenes, or parts that confused them, etc. I love that! I want to get into my reader’s heads as they read. I especially appreciate ones who will do real-time reactions in Track Changes on their first read, and then go back and take a lot of specific notes for their report on a second read. So valuable!!

A good beta reader will also ask you - what areas of feedback are you most looking for? And that’s key. For example, I was most concerned about the pace of my thriller. I asked, “Are there any areas of the novel where you think it drags, or that are uninteresting and I should consider cutting?” For my main character’s arc, I asked, “Is Savannah relatable? Are her reactions to the things that happen to her realistic and appropriate?” And for the overall length/word count, I asked, “Do you think it’s too long?” Naturally, I was going for that 90k-word sweet spot that many agents and editors look for, particularly in a debut, but I was afraid of cutting something that was really necessary to the overall story.

All of those things are green flags, my friends. I will also mention that half the fee up front, and half at delivery of the report, are standard and something to look for. And keep in mind that, especially with very serious/professional betas, you may need to book them in advance if they are working with several clients at the moment. So pay that deposit, and then consult with them about the specific things you are looking for in addition to the regular elements they always focus on for every manuscript. Of course, communication and responsiveness are key! Even if it’s just a quick note to say, “I’m finishing up with another client and will get back to you in the next few days!”, it shows a level of professionalism to always be responsive.

A good beta reader will often offer a phone or Zoom consultation, too, after you receive their report, if you want to toss around any ideas for revisions with them, or if you have any questions about their feedback.

Other good places to search for beta readers are on Reedsy (though those are much more expensive) or work-for-hire sites like Fiverr.

What About Beta Swaps?

Nothing wrong with free swaps! Just be discerning. For example, now that I’m agented, I often trade WIPs with some of my agent siblings. Or, the #WritingCommunity is so active on sites like Threads, X/Twitter, and BlueSky. Considering “getting to know” some other writers online. If you’ve chatted with them for a bit and are finding them intelligent, personable, and serious about their craft, that can be a wonderful option.

Just communicate, and be up front about what you’re both looking for. If you wrote a thriller, or a fantasy, or a horror novel, ask the other if that’s a genre they read often. I’m not much of a fantasy reader, so I’m probably not the best person to read a fantasy manuscript. But I’ve read a lot of romance/rom-com, thrillers, historical fiction, etc., so I feel like I could give some good comparisons and feedback on those genres.

Try Starting Small

I’ve done a few beta swaps where we only swapped our first three chapters. For those looking to sign with a literary agent, that is SO helpful, because we all know, if we can’t hook someone in the first three chapters, we’re not likely to get far.

This can also help you get a good feel for what someone is like as a beta reader, to see if you want to work with them further for the full manuscript down the line, especially if they don’t have a lot of prior experience.

Critiques in Phases

I did two different phases of betas with my debut novel. I sent it out to two, waited and got their reports, and then took some time with it. I got a lot of great feedback, implemented a good amount of it, and turned around a new draft that I was even happier with.

Then, I thought it was ready for another round of critiques, so I found another couple of betas, and went from there.

I know it can be so hard to know whether your manuscript is “ready.” That’s why multiple phases can be helpful. Once you’ve implemented a good amount of feedback, and you think it’s in good shape, try a fresh round. Eventually you’ll get back a lot more compliments than red flags.

What About Conflicting Feedback?

I’m working on a forthcoming Substack post about what it can be like to receive conflicting feedback. It’s SO common, and it can be REALLY hard to tell who to listen to! If you’ve had a similar problem, please tell me about it in the comments!

Where Have You Had Success With Finding Good Betas or CPs?

I’m sure we’d all love to know! Share your best tips with us in the comments!

What I’m Reading

I just finished SPELLS, STRINGS, & FORGOTTEN THINGS by Breanne Randall. I LOVE a good witchy book, and this one was fantastic. Think: If the characters from Virgin River or Gilmore Girls just happened to be super-powerful witches and they needed to band together to fight a great, dark evil. Plus, it’s quite spicy in parts! I loved it. Read my full review on my Bookstagram here.

Now, I’m about halfway through the audiobook of THIS GIRL’S A KILLER by Emma C. Wells….and OMG, I’m obsessed. Sooooooo good. Review to come soon!

What I’m Watching

To be honest, not a whole lot, these days. So much writing and bookish work to do! But my new guilty pleasure is “The Grosse Point Garden Society” TV show. It’s very “Desperate Housewives” with rich suburban drama, dark secrets, and a sprinkling of murder.

What are you reading and watching? I love to chat about this stuff!

xoxo,

Jennifer