This is K.M. Wyland and you are listening to the Helping Writers Podcast. I hope you enjoyed this

week's episode 13 rules to be a better beta reader. Among the greatest gifts one writer can give another is that of being a beta reader.

A beta reader is a volunteer who reads over a rough manuscript and offers feedback on what's working and what's not.

This feedback can span the gamut from simply a general reaction to a full-on critique. But not all beta readers are created equal.

Just as you can learn to be a better writer, you can also learn to be a better beta reader.

Earlier this year, I received the following email from Archie Krieger.

He said, I have been doing a lot of beta reading lately. I was looking for a guide or checklist to help folks like me to be a better beta reader.

The critique group I'm a part of is prolific, a beta read a month. I've searched through your site and nothing on the details just etiquette.

And he's right. I haven't written much about beta reading for the same reason I don't write a whole lot about editing in general.

And this is because the most foundational principles of both are no different from those of good writing.

If you know how to write a solid story, you'll

know how to edit one. Indeed, much of the trial and error of learning how to write solid

first drafts begins in the trenches of troubleshooting our sloppy first drafts

and figuring out how to fix them. The simplest answer to how to edit is learn about story structure character development good prose

pacing etc and the same rules apply in beta reading however because of the extra accountability we bear in taking on a

beta reading job, it does bear some extra forethought. My own early experiences with

beta readers transformed the way I approached the story,

as well as boosting my confidence. But most writers will also encounter a beta reader or two who,

despite their best intentions, do more harm than not,

either by offering faulty advice or by undercutting confidence.

The entire writing community benefits when we all try to become the best

beta readers possible.

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