For this stage, you will need a completed manuscript. If you have finished your story but are only beginning to edit it and have questions, or need someone to read it through and tell you where to begin revising, a beta read is for you. Like beta testers for games, a beta reader is asked to provide specific feedback on a work to help guide the writer toward improving their product.

Unlike an alpha reader, who follows along as you write, a beta reader is expected to read the entire story through and point out inconsistensies, plot holes, or places where the narrative isn’t interesting or feels “off” somehow. Beta readers can also check your story for issues with cultural inaccuracy, bias, or problematic language, if those should present reason for concern.

In my role as your beta reader, I would focus on larger issues within the work at hand. For fiction, we would go over plot, pacing, and characterization with an eye toward a consistent and cohesive narrative. In longer works, special attention would be paid towards the introductory and ending chapters, as well as sections such as the midpoint and “dark moment,” pivotal areas in a three-act structure to help anchor your plot along lines that will be familiar to readers.

For nonfiction, we would study the case you wish to lay out, references you plan to use as evidence, and the structure of the narrative. For both, I will offer a list of suggested revisions, and a chapter-by-chapter guide to indicate how best to insert those revisions to strengthen your work. In this stage, I would not check for spelling or grammatical issues, or sentence structure, as the main text of your work might undergo significant changes prior to publication.