I value accurate reports from readers who are (a) in the audience for my books and (b) approach the book as honest readers, not critics, nigglers, axe grinders, toadies, or flatterers. I just want accuracy. In How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, Orson Card calls these types of folks “wise readers.” When I find one, I cheer because not every reader has time, ability, or interest. And their reports are usually very helpful.
I know a lot of aspiring authors ask friends and family to read their work. And I know that many people can easily become wise readers with a little direction. So I thought I’d share with you what I ask of my wise readers. Maybe you’ll find it useful with yours. Here’s a revised version of a letter I just sent to one who has agreed to read draft 3 of CURSE. Every author’s a bit different in how they approach readers. Some just say, read it and tell me what you like and what you don’t. But I like to provide a bit more guidance. And I wanted to make sure this reader understood exactly what I was looking for. It might be a bit much for some, but I wanted to make sure it was clear since this was his first time reading a full book for me.
Thanks so much for agreeing to read this draft! What I want at this point is to see how I’m managing the reader experience in 3 areas: (a) the characters, (b) each chapter and scene, and (c) with the book as a whole. So I’m hoping you just read, and as you go along make quick marks or comments when you’re delighted or bumped. I’ve listed the types of delights and bumps I’m talking about below. Please know I’m not providing them for you to use as a checklist, i.e. it’s not my intent to have you actively search for these things like a Where’s Waldo. You may feel some of these things. You may not. I just want you to be aware of them in the back of your mind as you read and to note when you experience them. In the end, I simply want an accurate report of YOUR experience. Accuracy is key to me.
I find with my own reading that it’s often hard to respond to the story as a regular reader if I’m always stopping to write lots of detailed comments. It seems to knock me out of the reader’s trance. So don’t feel like you must stop at the end of each chapter to assess your experience or be exhaustive in detailing your every reaction. Just make your quick marks and comments as you go, then review and write up your report when you’re done. If you feel the book’s too big to do it all at the end and actually remember what your marks and comments meant, then break it up into chunks of 100 pages or every few chapters. Whatever works for you.
Sometimes, despite our best wishes, we are just not in the audience for a specific book. If the book just isn’t working for you, do not read past the point where you would normally put it down. Pushing yourself beyond that point will only drive you nuts, and it won’t provide me with anything useful. So just stop there, be happy, and write your report. Remember: the most useful thing to me is accuracy.
As for the report, give me a summary of your general and specific reactions. For comments on specific parts or lines, it’s critical for me to know page numbers so I can go back and see exactly which part you’re talking about. Write your explanations on the specific page of the manuscript. They don’t need to be long. For example, if a page introduces too many names and you couldn’t keep track of the people and started to get confused, you might underline all their names and write “huh? too many names, can’t keep track.” If a character does something that makes you cheer, you could circle the paragraph and write “yes! yes! yes! Go Talen.” Just so that it’s clear to me what your reaction is and what your reacting to.
Please know whatever your reactions are, they are just as valid as anyone else’s. It’s my job to review all the reports and decide what they mean and whether they indicate I need to make any changes. Whatever I decide, know that it means a lot to me that you took the time to read and report with accuracy.
So, any of the following types of things count as bumps and delights. You might have others you experience as you read. Feel free to mark and comment for them as well.
DELIGHTS
I want to know what IS working with the characters, scenes, chapters, and plot as a whole. So any parts–story, people, or things–that elicit a strong reaction of the type you see below.
Characters
- You really like or enjoy them
- Intrigued or fascinated by them, want to know more
- Great lines
- Envy them or think, oh man, that would be so cool to be able to do that or be there or have that skill/ability
- Sympathize with, root for
- Dislike, hate, root against
Story
- Suspense, anxiety, stress, dilemma
- Curiosity
- Mystery
- Surprise
- Cool!
- Wonder or awe
- Insight, poignancy
- Sadness
- Triumph, stand up and cheer moments
- Laffs or grins
- Dread, horror
- Great action, stunts, adventure
- Romance
- Compelling “Dude!” chapter or scene beginnings, ends, and story turns
Text
- Vivid descriptions
- Poetic beauty in the prose
Overall
- Did the story build well for you, bang bang in the climax, and then leave you wanting to linger and enjoy the rolling credits? Did it leave you feeling “wow” or “that was great?” If it didn’t quite make it, then give me an indication of how much on a scale of 1 – 10
- What were the most interesting parts of the story for you?
- Did you feel resolution and a strong tug to read more, come back to the world?
BUMPS
“Huh?”
- It’s not clear what’s going on, who’s doing it, or why.
- You really don’t understand something and you think you’re supposed to.
- Too many terms, names, etc. and you’re getting lost or feel like you need a diagram.
- The text itself doesn’t make sense, or it clunks badly.
- The book contradicts itself.
“Come on!”
- Something just doesn’t ring true.
- It’s just not how things work, e.g. John, there was no FBI in 1638 in China.
- The character’s actions don’t feel logical given the situation, e.g. um, why would she do that? I’d just X and, boom, it would be over. She was stupid.
- You just don’t buy some plot turn. It doesn’t make sense. Was too easy. Seems to ignore all sorts of things in the story.
- A character is irritating or annoying you.
“Yawn” or “What, that’s it?!”
- Things are starting to get boring.
- You start to skim the blah blah blah to get to the good stuff.
- You were built up to expect something and instead got a fizzle. This could be some mystery, a character, an insight, conflict, the ending, etc.
Please note that this list might change depending on the type of story I write. And the reader. For example, if I wanted a content or technical expert to report, then I’d be asking him or her:
- Anything not ring true
- Anything too cool or intriguing that I’ve left out.
If the book was focused more on a romance, then I’d probably provide a slightly different list of delights. Horror would require yet a different version. Not too different. But the emphasis would probably be elsewhere. The key is in me knowing the type of experience (entertainment & drama) I’m trying to provide, what I’m trying to test, and giving the wise reader enough examples that they know what I mean by “delights” and “bumps.”
EDIT: 11/27/12
And here are the Beta Reader Instructions I gave to the latest batch of noble souls who offered to beta read BAD PENNY.
Let me explain what I need you to do as a beta reader. This is basically a test screening. All I’m looking for is to have you give the novel a test ride, and then report back your experience. I’m not talking about giving feedback on small stuff like grammar and spelling. I’m talking about reporting your experience with the big story things like characters and plot.
For plot, you simply report chapter by chapter if you were still interested and wanted to keep reading or if the story started to become a bit long (yawn). Were there any parts that stood out to you as particularly interesting, funny, heart-pounding, or suspenseful? Any that stood out as a bit dull or didn’t ring true? Was the ending satisfying? Did the beginning grab your interest? Anything you were uncomfortable with? There’s no wrong answer. It’s just a report of your experience. And an ACCURATE report is what I’m after.
For characters, you report what you felt towards the main characters and any bit characters that stood out to you. Who was funny? Who was likeable? Who were you rooting for? Who did you hate or fear or mistrust? Were there any characters who are just so dumb or annoying you wanted to smack them? Where there any character moments that didn’t ring true or stood out to you as particularly entertaining?
Please remember: I want you to read only what you have time for AND interest in reading. If that’s one chapter, bully. Five, excellent. The whole thing, awesome. If you get a few chapters in and find it’s just not your type of story, that’s not a problem. Don’t read another word. Knowing that is helpful information as well. YOU determine the length of your test ride. I value whatever input you have to give.
I’m hoping to get all responses back by November 1. So send whatever you have by then. Also because I will be shopping this to publishers, I must ask that you not copy, share, or distribute the manuscript in any way without my written permission.
If I was looking for expert fact checking from one of the individuals, as opposed to a general story report, I’d add somethhing like this on the front.
Let me explain what I need you to do. This is basically a test screening. All I’m looking for is to have you give the novel a test ride, and then tell me where it doesn’t ring true with your experience with [enter expertise] or where I’ve missed a detail that might be cool. Chapters 9-10 and probably 22-24 are the ones where your expertise with [enter expertise] would come in.
If you think you’d like to provide input as a reader on the story as well, I would welcome that. I’m not talking about giving feedback on small stuff like grammar and spelling. I’m talking about reporting your experience with big story things like characters and plot . . .
I’m hugely grateful to my beta readers. Some are shy about giving their report. Some aren’t. Either way I usually ask some clarification questions and then save all the gold they just gave me to use in my final draft.
So I lived for almost two years in the Netherlands and Belgium and learned the Dutch language, which is full of delights. Today’s delight is billenkoek.
Scott Card recently wrote “
This topic reminds me of how so many fiction authors claim they aren’t writing for the money. They tout the rich rewards of educating young people or creating enduring tales that will transcend lifetimes. And while those are wonderful goals, and I share them without reservation, I would also like to get paid for my work.
Computer programers speak of the elegant solutions they devise in order to solve computing problems, and their work can be beautiful in its way, but they aren’t shy about demanding a paycheck. And I feel the same way.
You’re right, the business of writing is a business. We either deliver what our customers want or we sell no products.
— david j.
And even with those who truly don’t write for the money, they still want compensation. They want to see their story affect people. They’re asking people to trade their time. And so it’s still a basic economic act.
I feel your wrong here for the simple reason that it’s just how your looking at it. Look at it either way but just because someone else has a different take doesn’t mean their wrong.
“It’s all about the food. With out it you would die so the only reason your getting money is so you can have food and not die.”
The economy of it may come first in your reasoning, it may come second and it may even feel like implied background to the over all picture.
-rehcra
Rehcra,
Dawson is complaining that some customers don’t like what he has to offer. That they “should” like it. What would you say to a guy who makes wasabi ice cream and then complains that a lot of retailers or ice cream eaters he offers it to don’t want it?
When I say “economic act”, I’m not saying people should write thinking about dollars. I’m saying that writing for the purpose of being read starts with the assumption that you’re going to be asking folks to trade something of value for the opportunity to read your story. Are you saying that it doesn’t?
First I’ll have to point out that not only have I not read any of Dawson’s blogs but that I have no clue who Dawson is.
Second; What if the wasabi ice cream is the best ice cream flavor ever in Dawson the Ice Cream makers mind? Does he have a valid complaint now that people preconceptions about Ice Cream flavored like Wasabi seem to differ so greatly from what he sees as reality?
People lately often make economics god. As if all things start and revolve around it. But the truth is the economy revolves around us not the other way around. Only in our minds do we revolve around the economy. Chasing the revolution may be best for some but others may just see it as a less important given. The sun will rise you don’t have to worship it in any way. And yes their is very little we can do to change that revolution but its actually easier to go against the grain of the economy then to try and change human nature.
All ideas do not need to start with the economy. They can’t escape it but a good book is still a good book no matter how many of it are sold. And a bad book is a bad book despite the acclaim it may get for being a best seller.
-Rehcra
p.s. That was a lot more pointless and off topic then I had planned.I didn’t even answer your main question (It doesn’t have to START with that consideration.) but I decided to post it anyway 🙂
Rehcra,
I don’t know that we’re talking about the same thing. Dawson is the author of the article I linked to in this blog. Go read that, if you haven’t already, to see what I’m responding to.
As to your point about Dawson’s love of wasabi, his job then is to find those that are like-minded or try to convince those who aren’t to give him a try. But in no case is it reasonable for him to demand customers like and purchase his product.
It seems to me that Dawson is complaining that his intended audience does want swearing (and shagging and slaughter), but that there are “gatekeepers” that are trying to prevent Dawson from giving his audience what they want.
The question I have is, who is more correct, Dawson or the gatekeepers (about what the intended audience wants)? Sometimes people just do things because that is how they have been done for a long time. Is that why the gatekeepers are doing it? Or do they really understand the wishes of the intended audience?
JohnW,
First, why must the market be monolithic?
There are indeed YA customers who want swearing, shagging, and slaughter. And there are probably just as many who don’t.
It’s folly to think all readers are alike. It’s folly to think you’re selling a book to every YA reader or school librarian that exists because there is no book in the history of the world that will appeal to all readers. Tastes vary too much.
What anyone selling anything quickly learns is that they’re trying to sell into a specific demographic. On a basic level: sell water to the people who are thirsty. Not to those who aren’t.
Just because Dawson writes one kind of story and finds some customers like it that doesn’t mean that all readers will. Dawson’s job is not to convince every reader to buy his book, just those whose tastes run that way.
So both the the publisher AND Dawson could very well be right about what readers want. There is more than one segment to every market.
Second, Dawson’s making a mistake when he suggests that the reader is the ONLY customer in this supply chain. Publishers and parents and school librarians are customers in a supply chain. The customer is the person who makes the decision to trade. Or has a huge influence on the decision. When trying to make any sale, you MUST convince the decision maker the trade is going to bring them value. And in a supply chain, you have decision makers at every link in the chain.
Who are the decision makers?
Unless you’re going direct, that will include publishers, librarians, and parents. Their tastes matter. You can’t ignore them as customers. They, along with the readers, ARE your customers.
The first customer, unless you’re going direct, is the publisher. They have a target market in mind. They have huge incentives to deliver product that their intended market will like. But even if they’re way off, it doesn’t matter. They are your first customer.
If you think they’re wrong about what their customers down line want, then it’s your job to convince them of it or find another distributor who is a better fit for your stuff.
Which takes us back to the first point. It may be that there are people clamoring for your product, but that market might not be one that a specific publisher is interested in for a number of reasons, including the fact that many of the decision makers down line don’t want so much shagging, swearing, and slaughter.
There’s a reason why the rating system on movies has persisted all these years. Despite all the problems, many parents and children use them.
I can tell you that my wife and I have a huge decision making influence over what my young girls read. And, as a parent, I believe I’d be abdicating my responsibility not to. There are a LOT of parents who feel the same way.
I’ve talked to many school librarians who recognize the fact that parents have huge influence in decisions about what their kids read. These librarians want the kids to read. And so they select and search out books they know the parents are likely to feel comfortable with and avoid those they won’t.
Dawson’s an idiot if he thinks parents shouldn’t be involved in their kids’ lives. Or that a lot of parents don’t care about the levels of shagging, swearing, and slaughter their kids are exposed to. And since they are decision makers, those tastes ripple back up through the supply chain.
If Dawson wants to include certain things, bully for him. But he’s going to have to convince decision makers all the way down a distribution channel. That’s just how supply chains work.