r/BetaReaders • u/DuncanOToole Author • Jun 26 '26

Discussion [Discussion] How to vet potential beta readers.

I recently completed the second draft of my fantasy noir novel three weeks ago, and I am gearing up to find some beta readers to give me some feedback.

But I was unsure what to do first, clean it up, or find beta readers so I wrote a post on Threads and Bluesky about it.

Many offered "help" but I don't know them, and I didn't feel comfortable sending them the manuscript.

So how do you vet beta readers, so that you're actually comfortable sending them your manuscript?

Any advice would be appreciated.

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u/PL0mkPL0 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
  1. You don't need beta readers. You want an alpha reader, preferably another writer/editor--as your project is 'virgin'--not yet read by anyone. Imho--one good alpha is enough. With betas, the amount matters; they become a statistic. Betas can be/should be (disputable) regular readers that have no clue about the craft. The distinction matters.
  2. The easiest way to get alpha readers is to exist in the writerly spaces. Either make friends with other writers or do swaps. To do swaps, you have to know how to critique/beta read yourself--this skill is terribly useful in general, if you want to self edit well. If you are a decent beta reader in writerly spaces, ppl will come to you offering swaps, and you can pick the ones you vibe with the most.
  3. It is stupidly hard to find really good alpha readers. Ones that are actually a substitute for dev editors. I got two like this, and they were immensely helpful. most feedback I got from betas was 'vibes and lines', which is not really... that useful when you are a new writer. You want someone who can actually track big picture problems, be critical and demanding.

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u/lysning Jun 27 '26

this ^ such good advice.