What do you expect from a beta reader?

Excellent points made. My needs tend to change with the story, but generally run the gamut of yours.

Beta-ing, I'm on the "ask what they want first" bandwagon here, mostly so I don't waste anyone's time (mine or theirs) giving them something they can't use. When getting beta'ed, I'm generally looking for someone to point out any plot holes or inconsistencies, anything that doesn't make sense or just doesn't work for whatever reason, anything they can't follow. I want to know how it flows, if the timing's right and consistent, if it flags or gets slow anywhere. I also want to know what DOES work as far as the plot, characters, feel of the story, etc. I usually only hand something over to be beta'ed once I've proofed it as thoroughly as I can, so I also want to know about any oopsies in grammar or punctuation, but I'm not generally looking for full line edits. What I generally can't use is personal tastes. Rimming's a good example. Lots of people like it. Lots of others think it's icky. Not that I don't care if someone doesn't like reading about it, exactly, it's just that if my characters are doing it, it's clearly something they like and therefore there's no reason why they shouldn't do it just because Beta Reader A thinks it's gross. If it seems out of character, though, THAT I want to know about. I hope that makes sense... I think everyone has moments when they feel a bit defensive when someone puts the red ink all over their baby. But, for me anyway, those little twinges go away pretty fast, and I find that I can learn a great deal about how to fix the work in question, AND how to do it better next time. I'm with you in this boat, Madam Blue. If I want technical assistance, such as punctuation, grammar and the like, I generally ask them to proofread it for me, and explain what all I want. I've found it difficult to find someone who can discuss the story itself, rather than focusing on the technical aspects. I'm generally more concerned with the artistic points, such as plot and character development. Homonyms, typos, etc. can be handled by myself, a proofreader, and ultimately my editor. I could actually use a good beta reader right now. It's tough finding one. Of course, I'm begining to wonder if I've got the two terms, beta reader and proofread, mixed up, after reading the rest of the thread. :roll:

<threadjack>Tom Collins in da howse!</threadjack> 8)

<threadjack>Tom Collins in da howse!</threadjack> 8) Hey, my beautiful sista. :D *big kiss* I'm loved...who knew, eh? :lol:

I have a post on my blog about -*test*-('")/beta reading that might be of interest. http://realmsoftheraven.blogspot.com/2007/03/-*test*-('")-reading.html - maura

That is a good article. Thanks for posting the link. :-)

Just brutal honesty. I think some of us (myself included) go out of our way not to hurt others' feelings, but if we are to grow as writers, we need honest feedback on our work. I so miss the days when my best friend and I secretively wrote together. We could be so upfront with each other that only the best elements of the story survived. What I wouldn't give to have that back. Or to find someone new to write with who was on the same wavelength. I'm far too shy to share my writing with anyone I know now. *sigh* -hanna

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