You Beta Read This!

Bad puns aside, I jumped at an opportunity this past week to beta read for a fellow writer through a request on Twitter. For those who might not be familiar with the term, a beta reader is a test reader. It's someone who will give you feedback before you call a project "done".

(Fun Fact: Writers don't really ever call a poject done, they rewrite five hundred times and eventually get to the point where they hope it's not complete poop 💩)

I'm not on Twitter very often, definately less than I should be as an aspiring writer, but I happend across a request from author Sarah Rowlands looking for beta readers after making revisions to a few chapters of her current work in progress. Without hesitation, I sent her a DM offering to be one of her beta readers.

(BTW: http://www.sarahrowlandsauthor.com/. Now you can't say you didn't visit her site because my blog was so boring you didn't make it to the end. Seriously though...read to the end...)

Now, let's take a step back and pretend that the "without hesitation" part of that last sentance didn't exist. Had I not convinced myself a few years ago that hesitation in certain circumstances could be detrimental to personal growth (a blog post for another time), here is the thought process I would have gone through after reading Ms. Rowlands's request:

Ooo, I should do this! Wait, who am I to think I have ANYTHING important to say about someone else's writing? I'm not an expert. I make mistakes in my own writing all the time. Constantly. In fact, my writing is crap. Why am I even a writer? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?!

So the end of that may have gotten a bit dramatic, but my point is that self-doubt should have no place in a writer's willingness to help other writers. The fact is, when you read and critique someone else's work, you aren't doing so as a writer—you are doing it as a READER! You represent the millions of readers whose literary taste somewhat aligns with yours. These are potential fans, potential purchasers of future works. Your opinions matter, because if you don't like something, there is a good chance that someone else out there who will eventually read the book/poem/short story/whatever might also not like that something. In any case, writers are going to use feedback they think is helpful and disregard feedback that they don't need. It is the writer's job to determine if you, as a beta reader, represent their target audience.

But aren't they my competition?!

(Insert eye roll here)

I can assure you that bestseller status will not be achieved by ignoring your fellow writers' pleas for assistance. If you want to put that assumption on your CONS list for being a beta reader, go ahead, but here are just a few that need to go on the PROS list:

- You will become a better writer by observing other writers' successes or failures

- Other writers will be more willing to help YOU, if you have a track record of helping others

- Professional editing services are expensive, and the writing community is a wealth of free knowledge and experience.

- If you write, you probably like to read, and you get to read NEW content that hasn't even been released yet!

- Beta reading might open your eyes to a new genre that you have never read or written before.

- It forces you to step away from your own writing, which means you come back to it with a fresh eye.

- Connections with other writers is never a bad thing, because breaking into the writing biz is HARD.

We aren't talking about two hardware stores across the street from each other and trying to compete for limited business here. Readers keep reading. Readers read multiple authors. If you beta read outside of your own genre, you really aren't competing at all. If you beta read in your EXACT genre, you still really aren't competing at all.

Now that I have successfully vanquished all of your excuses, we can move on.

Before I tie a bow on this post, let me just say that I THOUROUGHLY enjoyed what I read from Sarah Rowlands. I don't know when her project will be released, but I cannot wait until it is because I now have a painful need to know what happens! Her writing grabbed my attention by the throat, and never let go. Go to her website (Link Above), read her blog posts, follow her on Twitter (@SarahRWriting27), join her mailing list, etc. You're missing out if you don't.

If you stuck with me it to the end of this post, here is a high five for your troubles. 🤚

HAPPY NIGHTMARES™!