Beta readers are what they call the small group an author lets [or begs to] read their writing. Of course, like usual, I had no idea of this terminology until it was too late...
The idea is, when you're ready, that you share your work with family and friends, in order to receive positive reinforcement and constuctive criticism. The problem I had several years ago is that I would ask people to read my work before the ink was dry, expecting the reader to fall down in passionate disbelief at my great writing and instead getting scared looks after the reader tried to decipher my giberish.
Not good.
Like everything in a writer's life it seems, I learned this one the hard way....don't ask people [especially family] to read your work until you've edited it thoroughly, otherwise you're asking for trouble. I would say things like "Don't pay attention to the spelling...or the plot. Ignore the cardboard characters and suspend disbelief at the premise; but then please, please, tell me what you think....don't hold back."
The good news is my beta readers aren't the 'hold back' types...which brings me to the present, where I don't share my work until I mean it. I've lost the daily fulfilling positive feedback, but in the long run, I think my writing will be better off....and so will my beta-readers.
More on beta-readers in a future blog.
If you're enjoying the posts, please forward it on to friends with similar tastes...I've hit a roadblock in growing the site and need your help. Thanks
Geoff
I think the bravest thing a writer does is turning his/her work out to face the world. I don't know if I could handle it myself and I know I can be a scathing critic...
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