So, you've written a book. You've even self-edited the book a few times; perhaps have several drafts. It is polished and ready.
Or is it?
This is what I found myself thinking AFTER I'd submitted a contemporary romance manuscript to SourceBooks, Berkeley Publishing and Harlequin. It was 2018 and I had the book, blurb, and synopsis. I submitted it all with high hopes. What I didn't realize at the time? I should have let someone else read it first!
Now, this may seem obvious. However, it was the very first book I'd written and edited several times. I was proud. I was also TERRIFIED to let others read it. Which, I now understand after years of Involvement with the author community, is an extremely common fear. It's the age-old conundrum: the only way to be published and recognized as a skilled writer is to let others read your book.
Not something 2018 me was ready for.
Waiting for a response from publishers, I decided to get more involved in the author community. To my horror, I learned of the importance of beta readers. To sum up, I found out they:
Give feedback on the overall story
Give their opinions on characterization, pacing, and triggers/sensitivity
Help find plot holes
Ask questions that you may think were answered but were not
Offer critical (sometimes heartbreaking) feedback on a piece of the story that needs work
Give compliments and accolades!
Beta readers are integral to making your book the best it can be.
What did I do after I learned this? I made some connections and sent the manuscript off to a few beta readers. They gave great critical feedback that allowed me to see how NOT READY my book was. One of them disliked it so much they didn't finish it. Another helped me with comments throughout the document and the third gave me some great praise on my love scenes. As a result, I was not at all surprised when none of the publishers I sent the book to picked it up.
Was it tough to read the feedback? Yes. My ego took a hit. Was it gratifying to get the opinions of other writers? Also yes! It was wonderful to learn ways to improve the story and characterization. Some authors even have two rounds of beta reads. One round for critique, the author makes changes, then another to see if the changes have had the desired effect. With my first beta read also came the sense that a book takes a village. Feedback is so valuable. My work improved.
Now, fear not. You don't need to change your whole story. Ultimately, you are responsible for the end result. You make the final decisions on what gets cut and what remains. Yet wouldn't you like to create something that resonates with readers?
This is the superpower of beta readers. They helped me improve my story. And they continue to do so for every book I write.
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