A Beta Reader is someone that reads a newly finished (or sometimes even a work in progress) book with a critical eye, looking for areas that need improvement. This is different from an editor in that you aren’t really looking for spelling or grammar issues, but rather ways to improve the story. Are the characters strong and make choices that fit their personality? Are there issues with the setting or continuity? Is the language usage above or below the intended audience? That sort of thing. Specific questions will be provided as an electronic questionnaire by the author, which means they’ll be different for each book.

Instead of just giving a normal review of the book, the author is looking for a much more in-depth look at what worked or, often more importantly, what didn’t work. They can then take your feedback and incorporate anything they agree needs to be changed BEFORE it gets published and reviewed by the masses.

Beta Readers aren’t used by every author, but the ones that do find the process very helpful in creating a much stronger and more successful book.

Beta reading can be done in different ways, so even if you’ve been a beta reader before, be sure to read the details on how the Hidden Gems Beta Reader program works in case we do things differently!