You’ve finished your novel. It’s amazing. At least, you think it’s amazing. Isn’t it? But no, really…. wait… is it??
What if you missed something important? What if you have flat characters? Or a predictable plot? What if people hate it?
These are all typical questions that run through a writer’s mind before publication.
So you’ll need a second pair of eyes to tell you if anything is amiss in your novel. Consider getting some beta readers. Your beta readers will read through your novel and give you feedback to improve it before publication. You can usually get people to volunteer as beta readers, or you can hire them for cheap, or you can post on Wattpad or another online reading site for feedback.
But it’s too vague to say, “Read my book and tell me what you think.” You won’t get the information you need that way. Instead, you give your beta readers some direction on what to look for.
For my books, I always give my beta readers a questionnaire. They read the book, then answer the questions. Not too few, not too many.
Here are the questions I ask my beta readers:
1 – How do you feel about the main characters: [character names here]? Was anything unclear or inconsistent in their personalities? What did you like? What would you change about them?
2 – How do you feel about the supporting characters: [character names here]? Was anything unclear or inconsistent in their personalities? What did you like? What would you change about them?
3 – How do you feel about the minor characters: [character names here]? What did you like? What would you change?
4 – How is the writing style? Is it easy to follow or difficult to read? Was the language/style easy to enjoy or distracting?
5 – How is the overall plot of the story? What scenes did you like best? What scenes felt awkward? What scenes would you like to have seen?
6 – How do you feel about the beginning and end? Is the beginning interesting enough? Is the ending satisfactory?
7 – Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about your thoughts on the story?
You can also ask your beta readers these questions:
1 – What are your feelings about the setting? Can you imagine yourself in this place easily, or is it hard to imagine? What would you add?
2 – What parts of the plot were easy to predict or too outrageous?
3 – If your friend asked you what you liked most about this book, what would you tell them?
4 – What scene was your favorite?
5 – Who was your favorite character? Why? Who was your least favorite? Why?
Getting Feedback
Send these questions to your beta readers, with a deadline for their answers. (I usually do 3 weeks from the date I send them the PDF manuscript.)
Once you get their fantastic feedback, you can get to work on your final touch-ups before sending it to your line editor.
Feedback is the best way to improve your writing. Don’t be afraid of it! It will help you become the author you’re meant to be!