What type of feedback do I need?
If you have been a part of the writer community online, you’ve probably heard buzz words thrown around for the feedback authors receive.
“My book is with betas!”
“Just sent my story of to my editor.”
“Can’t wait to get my manuscript back from copy!”
The rub is often these words are used without any coupling to the type of feedback writers are getting. They might say beta, but in actuality, they sent an author friend a very rough draft and she’s unofficially doing a developmental edit. It can make it confusing for writers!
Part of being a novelist is sharing your work with key people before publication. This article is here to help breakdown the type of feedback writers get for their novels and the value of each. Afterward, you should have a clear understanding, so you can seek out the right resources for your manuscript.
Alpha Readers
An alpha reader is often a trusted friend or fellow writer who reads a very rough draft of your manuscript. It’s likely a version you haven’t done edits on yourself. Their goal is to let you know if your story idea is working from the perspective of a reader. Do you have the start of something worth reading?
The feedback doesn’t follow any standards in the industry. It is usually loose and casual, and may even be given on chapters as you write them.
With an alpha reader, you need someone you have a strong relationship with. It shouldn’t just be your mom’s friend who you know reads. They are getting an unpolished version of your novel and need to be ready to support your writing at that level.
Tip: With all free feedback, be mindful to keep the relationship in balance. You do not want to monopolize your reader’s time. If you find you are writing a lot, and looking for regular deep feedback, it may be time to use a developmental editor.
Critique Groups
Critique groups focus on middle draft work. They may focus on a section of your work, and give feedback on specific elements, for example on your character arc or pacing.
Typically these groups are made up of seasoned writers. There are usually page limits or rules for feedback to keep things fair. Reciprocity is part of the process. The time and energy you give others is what they put into helping you. Often you will give a lot of your own time helping others before your work will be read. Finding a critique group that works for you is a long game, so be prepared to dedicate some time.
Beta Readers
This is the term I see thrown around the most by authors, and it is usually used as a blanket term to mean “I had someone read my book and tell me what they think.” Often though, the term beta reader is grossly misused and feedback ranges from a copy edit, to emotional margin notes from a best friend.
So let’s set the record straight. The point of a beta reader is to have someone, who is your ideal reader, read a finished copy of your manuscript. Their value is to tell you the experience of reading it. They are not putting inline comments in a document or suggesting big plot shifts. Nothing of an editorial nature. Beta readers give feedback on things like emotional impact, how engaged they were, and if anything was confusing are unrealistic.
It’s all about the experience of reading. The value for the writer is you get a litmus test of your work before publication. How will my readers feel about this story? Feedback is meant to be food for thought so you can sort what changes, if any, you want to make. One option is to give them a handful of questions to guide their feedback. This helps focus their responses to the things you specifically care about.
Ideally, if you use beta readers, you have a few, so you can compare notes to see if their opinions are personal preference or if there is a wider consensus. I recommend picking a variety of personalities too, from the cheerleader to the critic, but whoever you pick, make sure they are your ideal reader. As in people who you would try to sell the book to. If your partner loves procedural mysteries and you write rom coms, the feedback can only go so far.
Developmental Editors (DE’s)
Developmental editors are trained professionals who read your manuscript and give you feedback on how well your story works. They are diving into the story structure scene by scene. DE’s look at the elements that make your story yours, ie tone, voice, and vision. They are also looking at structure, plot, pacing, character arch, theme, setting, and any crutches the writer may lean on.
The feedback is focused around how to highlight your unique story and voice, while also peeling back the layers so it’s clear and engaging for your readers. Feedback also follows industry standards, with DE’s providing a 10+ page editorial letter, inline comments or both. It may also include multiple passes on your manuscript to see if implemented changes have helped.
Working with a DE is meant to be a partnership. They will spend weeks digging into your manuscript to become an expert, then work with you so you feel confident with the changes to implement. They can help brainstorm ideas and give you a sanity check on ideas you have.
Tip: Developmental edits give you the biggest results in your manuscript. To get the most from it, both financially and in feedback, ask your DE for a free sample edit. Most offer this and it’s a great way to see if you are a good fit.
Line Editors
This is a professional editing service that digs into each scene, sentence by sentence, to see how it all hangs together. Line editors are noticing things like, repetition of certain words, when dialogue feels inconsistent, head hopping etc. They should only be employed once your manuscript is nearly polished and no other large changes are being made. You don’t want to pay to fix sentences that you might delete in the future.
Feedback follows standards, including a stylesheet, inline comments, and an editorial letter. Multiple passes on your manuscript may be offered. Often line edits are paired as a service with copy edits as well. As with DE’s, ask for a sample edit to make sure you and the editor are a good fit.
Copy Editors
Copy editing is all about the details. Punctuation, word choice, grammar, fact checking etc. They are going through your work with a fine tooth comb for accuracy. They confirm the way your paragraphs are structured is at its best. Every word should serve your story.
A copy edit is done at the end of your writing process, when you have no planned changes for your work. Feedback includes a style sheet and inline comments in your manuscript.
Proofreaders
This is the final check on a manuscript. It’s about mechanical accuracy. Proofreaders are looking for any remaining errors. Are there typos? Misspellings? Extra words? Missing punctuation? Formatting errors? They typically work with whatever existing style sheet you have, to ensure it adheres to your standards, then provide you with a copy of your manuscript with inline comments.
ARC Readers
ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copies, and it’s just like it sounds. These are readers that receive an advanced copy of your completed manuscript before publication. Their purpose is to start collecting reviews and early buzz about a book before the release date, in hopes it will help you sell more books.
Feedback from ARC readers does not impact your story at all, and are mostly personal opinions. No changes are made to your book as a result (unless someone points out a typo). By the time ARC readers have your book, you can consider it a completed work.
How do you know what feedback you need?
It’s a valid question. We don’t know what we don’t know. Moreover, the answer isn’t the same for everyone. Each writer has their own strengths, and writing elements that are important do them.
So it comes down to a simple question:
What do you want from your feedback?
Are you looking to fill in gaps in your skillset? For assurance you have an idea worth writing? Perhaps you want to give your book the best chance in front of an agent? Or want to leverage professionals so you can focus on actual writing? Are you looking to use multiple free resources and dedicate more time to sorting through them? Or do you want a single professional resource to keep it efficient and value focused?
They are all valid answers and will help you find the right kind of feedback for you. Most authors land with a process that leverages two to four of them, but which ones depend entirely on you, your process, and your publishing path.
What’s most important is that you get feedback. At a minimum I recommend:
Someone to ensure you have a well baked story and not just words on a page, following a character around. Poor story structure is impossible to fix once you have published. You don’t want people to find your work decide it’s not for them because of plot, pacing and character issues. You get one chance at a first impression.
Someone to ensure your work follows standards for formatting, is accurate, and typo free. This is how your story looks professional and ready for the world. It’s also the simplest way in which a reader will judge your work. If you didn’t take the time to make sure it’s a clean read, why should they take time to read it? The greatest book with get DNF’ed with too many typos.
And remember, it can take time to find the right people. If you start with someone and it’s not working, it is okay to make a change. Patience, openness, and flexibility will allow you to build a team you love.
Be brave, share your work in progress, and watch it evolve into something amazing.
