Find Your Dream Revision Team to Polish Your Plot, Perfect Your Characters, and Hook Your Readers
So you want to write a novel. Word of warning.
That first draft will be a hulking pile of dog excrement. I speak from shameful experience.
Why does it have to be ‘hulking?’ I don’t know — you wrote the words; the pages and pages of words. And they stink. Not all of them, but enough.
Still, you can’t fear drafting poo. It’s a prerequisite to a novel, and it’s fine. Call it your zero draft so there’s no pressure and start writing.
Once you have words on the page, you can polish that turd into something beautiful. That’s where critique partners and beta readers can help. They’re both your cheerleaders and your corn noticers — ok, too far. Poop jokes are done…. Probably.
But which is the best for new authors? And what’s the difference?
What’s a Beta Reader?
Think of beta readers as your enthusiastic first audience for your complete book. I give my beta readers my novel as soon as I’ve taken that initial revision pass. They’re not there to dissect misplaced commas (although some may). Instead, they tell you if they enjoyed the story, rooted for the characters, and if the plot kept them glued to the page.
Pros of Beta Readers
Overall Feedback: Beta readers have the complete story. They can tell you where things fell off the rails for them.
Reader’s Perspective: They offer a fresh perspective on your story, similar to what potential readers might experience.
Enthusiasm Boost: Their positive feedback can be a major motivator, especially when the revision slog feels daunting. (If a beta reader is a complete negative nelly, add them to your ‘do not use again’ pile. Ain’t no one got time for that.)
Cons of Beta Readers
Limited Technical Expertise: Beta readers might not be as comfortable giving in-depth critiques of the finer points of writing, like sentence structure or dialogue.
Genre Specificity: Ideally, beta readers should be familiar with your genre to offer targeted feedback. Not all your friends and family are interested in reading your vampire erotica.
Over Complimentary: You’ve finished a book. Some beta-readers, especially friends and family, can be afraid to provide you helpful feedback. Let them know that’s exactly what you want.
Timing: I finish my complete first (somewhat smelly) draft before I hand it to them. If I screwed up something in the first chapter, the ripples throughout later chapters result in a lot of work.
What’s a Critique Partner?
A critique partner should help you with a deeper dive into your writing. Think of them as word nerds. They’ll analyze your character development, plot structure, and the way you wield words, offering suggestions to elevate your writing game. They’ll also catch typos and filter words. (Oh, don’t get me started on filter words … or do)
Pros of Critique Partners
In-Depth Analysis: They provide detailed feedback on your writing mechanics, sentence flow, and character development.
Targeted Feedback: Ideally, they write in a similar genre or have experience editing/beta reading themselves, offering specific advice relevant to your style.
Improved Writing Skills: Engaging with critique partners can not only strengthen your manuscript but also hone your own analytical skills through offering feedback on their work.
Timing: I send chapters to my critique partners when I am finished with the first act. It helps me stay on track with my writing and catch tons of mistakes before they impact the developing story.
Cons of Critique Partners
Time Commitment: Providing and receiving detailed feedback can be time-consuming. It’s one more writing task you need to get accomplished multiple times a week. For this reason, I would limit my critique partners to two or three.
Finding the Right Match: Finding a critique partner who meshes well with your writing style and genre can take some effort. And the effort is necessary. I love my critique partners, but you must find writers on your same level. If they are far below you, you will spend an inordinate amount of time trying to edit their work, with little benefit to your own manuscript. And if they are far above you, well, who wants to be the tick?
How Do You Find Betas?
Writing Communities: Online writing communities or forums often have beta reader threads where you can connect with potential readers in your genre.
Social Media: Facebook groups or Twitter communities dedicated to your genre can be a good place to find beta readers.
Friends and Family: Consider friends or family members who are avid readers in your genre (although be prepared for potentially biased feedback).
Fiverr. They’re there. Just look. I can recommend some. Just ask. I should figure out affiliate links, but haven’t. So that isn’t one. I’m too busy writing to actually make $. :)
How Do You Find Critique Partners?
Writing Classes or Workshops: Critique partners are often found within writing classes or workshops where you can connect with fellow writers.
Online Critique Groups: Several online critique groups cater to specific genres, allowing you to find critique partners who understand your style. This is how I have found most of mine. Lauren Kay is an author and Tic-Toc/YouTube influencer (is that the word?) and has a resource for matching critique partners. I don’t know Lauren, but enjoy her videos and used her critique partner resource, so I linked her here. And below are her ideas on finding Betas and Critique Partners.
Conferences and Events: Writing conferences and events can be a great place to meet other writers and find critique partners.
The Takeaway: Use both
Beta readers and critique partners offer complementary strengths throughout your writing journey. Beta readers provide that crucial “big picture” reaction, while critique partners offer the in-depth analysis to refine your writing.
By building these relationships early on, you’ll have a supportive team ready to help you through every stage of the revision process.
Now, get out there and start writing that next great novel. If you worry it isn’t good enough, just remember this article, me, and the corn poop joke. Your writing is fine.
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