Pre-Publish Readers For Indie Authors: A Primer
A book might be the primary work of one writer, but if you’re self-publishing you can’t get your best book out there without letting other people take a look at it before you hit that publish button. An outsider perspective is invaluable and they will always catch things you can’t.
But what exactly are the duties of the different kinds of readers?
The caveat to this is not everyone uses these terms the same way. Some readers will stick with you through all stages, or do a combination of duties. There are no hard and fast rules. This is meant as an example of various checkpoints you can set up as you polish up your manuscript to be the best it can be.
THE PROCESS
Your manuscript is finished. You’ve given it a polish and are now at the point where you need an outsider’s perspective. When you’re living and breathing your story, a fresh perspective is needed.
It’s important to note that the below mentioned types of readers are not editors, nor are they substitutes for editors. Someone who is trained to give substantive feedback and is excellent at SPAG (spelling and grammar) is very important if you’re striving to make your work the best it can be. There are different kinds of editors, from structural to substantive (which is a topic for another blog post!)
In general, though, readers fall into the following categories:
Alpha Reader
A trusted person or persons who read your very first draft or you consult with as you write. This is someone you can bounce ideas off for the world of your story itself, and do a temperature check for major plot points and the overall story arc. This is often a partner or a close friend who understands you and your writing goals. Sometimes an alpha will be reading the work as you write it, and sometimes when the first draft is completed.
Beta Reader
Usually a team of trusted readers who will give you feedback on a first or second draft on a completed manuscript that has gone through at least one editing pass. This is a round meant to determine what is or isn’t working with your manuscript and to check it for flow and pacing. They may also pick up errors in the text, though that is not their primary duty. Think of beta readers as just that: if you published your book as-is without additional editing, how would an engaged reader react?
Typo Hunter
This is an optional step some authors employ and can sometimes be tied in with beta editor duties. In general though, typo hunters are only concerned with finding the few last errors that the other passes may have missed before publication. They will be looking for things not easily picked up by a spellchecker, like misused or duplicate words. They might also keep an eye out for continuity errors. At this point, typo hunters should not be offering substantive feedback or comments on plot/character. Typo hunters are employed shortly before publication as a last check, at which point it’s too late to make major changes. This can also be called a proofreading pass and should be the last step when the manuscript is polished and nearly ready to go.
What About ARC Readers?
Some of the above duties can also be performed by an ARC (advance review copy) team member, either as a separate role or as part of their ARC team duties. However, the primary duty of an ARC team is to read your book before publication and prepare to leave an honest review on day 1. They will either have the manuscript at the same time as the typo hunters or after they have done that pass depending on your production schedule. You may however, want to supply a typo report form (which can be done through something like Google Forms) to allow your ARC team to point out any typos they happen to find.
CONCLUSION
Whether you employ all of these steps, or combine the duties, a reader’s perspective and a new set of eyes on your work is critical to delivering a polished book. This is a duty you can reciprocate with other writers as it is certainly a commitment. It’s an excellent way to build community and to support other writers as they continue on their publishing journey.
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If you are looking for more assistance, Space to Write Author Services offers publishing services, author branding and publicity services for non-fiction writers at all stages of their careers.