When to bring in a Beta

[popmuze]

Rather quickly and rather amazingly I've amassed approximately 25,000 words of my latest WIP. It's obviously moving right along and I'm totally enjoying the process. I have an outline, know where I'm going, and the end is even in sight, to be achieved, at this rate, in a couple of months.

But maybe I'm enjoying it too much. Maybe I'm just entertaining myself and no one else would get it.

My impulse is to just keep going, because, if I'm having a good time, who cares?

Would anyone else suggest a beta reader at this point, to tell me if everything or anything I think is working is actually working?

I have a question related to this, but it deserves a post of its own.

[reenkam]

Some people will probably say that you should wait until the end. But, honestly, I get better feedback from betas when they only get a part of the story. Usually they'll ask the good questions which let you know if you're in the right track and if things are working out. If they're getting focused on something that's not important, they'll mention it and you can fix it. If you wait until the book is done and they read, they may just look over things in the beginning because the ending is there and read for them.

The best feedback I ever recieved was giving a beta my book chapter by chapter as I wrote it. I got her feedback each day on the previous chapter, which helped me to alter my story and even gave me some ideas for the plot and characterizations.

So, really, I think getting someone to look at it right now would be great. It lets you know if you're viewing your work in the right way, it lets you know if others view your work in the right way, it lets you know things you should change befoe you even write them, and it lets you know what the interest level of the story is. I say, find one or two people that'll read for you and then go from there.

[DeleyanLee]

Depends on what I want, when I get someone to read it. If I get someone to read it.

I like to have a cheerleading squad that will just "Hurray! Give me more!" to keep my own enthusiasm up--these people I'd give every finished chapter to. When I have them, which I don't right now.

If I have a specific concern, I give what I have when the concern comes up to some trusted person who will help me untangle what's going on or if it's all in my head.

Other than those instances, I tend to wait until I have the entire book done and revised before I give it out for commentary. That's basically because I, personally, refuse to give it out to anyone before I've done everything I know to do on it. I know that I get a little irked when I've put in time and effort on a crit just to have the writer come back with "Oh, I know I've got to fix that"--if you knew that, why didn't you fix it before you gave it to me! Grrrrrr.

Anyway, it's basically whatever works for you. As always.

Good luck.

[Straka]

I generally don't have anyone read the work until I'm done and have gone over it again at least once for editing.

During the writing process I sometimes talk about the work with others to get feedback, but mostly I keep silent so I don't spoil it for it for them and get a raw opinion of it when the read it in full.

[Stijn Hommes]

There is something to say for reenkam's method, but if the muse suddenly abandons you, you're going to have a bad time keeping up with the beta. I've beta'd stories chaper by chapter when the author actually had the whole work finished; it keeps me from reading the end, but gives the author the possibility to fix an already finished draft.

It really depends on what you're comfortable with. It wouldn't be my cup of tea, but if you're more like reenkam, it could very well work for you.

[reenkam]

Stijn Hommes has a good point, actually...I got antsy halfway through the second book and stopped writing it to do something, so my beta has no idea how the story ends at this point...

My method could lead to some pretty upset betas, in the long run...

[Sage]

I prefer to wait for at least one plot/continuity read-through of my novel before I even send it to my one friend who loves everything I write (even when they need major work). And even then, I want to print it out and do a serious edit (see my sig) before sending to betas. I don't always write from beginning to end and sometimes forget to add in scenes that I have to go back and write at the end. And sometimes I'm inspired shortly after finishing and have to rewrite a scene. I'm also really insecure about my work until I've done a few edits.

Waiting paid off last year when we had the AW beta challenge. Several of my first chapter critters told me that my snippet was well-polished and volunteered to beta.

Hope we do that this year too (hopefully after I'm done editing DownLoad ;) )

Anyway, it's just a preference thing, I think.

[Julie Worth]

Would anyone else suggest a beta reader at this point, to tell me if everything or anything I think is working is actually working?

It entirely depends on the relationship. For me, I like to keep it under wraps until I've finished. To savor that happy period of self-delusion.

[Danthia]

Where do you feel you need feedback? What do you want from feedback? If you have a trusted reader who understands writing and what you want to accomplish from yours, then bring them in as soon as you want opinions. I like feedback from day one, even before I start writing. Others like to have their first drafts done before they show it to anyone. It's a matter of preference.

I have two crit groups. One is a workshop where we turn in chapters every two weeks as we write them. The other is a more private crit group that reads the finished drafts. The workshop is great for the macro-level stuff and shaping the story as I go. The second group is perfect for the micro-level stuff and polishing. I find both incredibly useful. I also have a best friend who writes (She's part of group two) and we discuss our work almost daily and hammer things out before we every set word to page. I find her the most valuable of all, since we can brainstorm and play what if. I find it a lot easier to change things if I haven't spent six months writing them first.

[David I]

Where do you feel you need feedback? What do you want from feedback?

Those are exactly the questions you need to resolve. If you want ongoing feedback, or if your basic storytelling skills need polishing, you may want a critique group, or a novel workshop.

I tend to reserve the term "betas" for people I use for full manuscripts. (Actually, I call them First Readers.) So obviously I don't need them until I have a polished draft.

But there's certainly no rules. Some people want feedback from the first moment. Some people write such sloppy first drafts that they'd never consider showing so much as a page until their second draft.

Danthia has furnished you with the right kinds of questions to ask. You won't get the kind of feedback you need if you aren't sure what you're looking for.

[popmuze]

I think the feedback I'm getting here is the feedback I'm looking for. I'm particularly reminded of that page in so many novels where the author goes on to thank about a million people who read the book in its various stages--Sadie who typed it, Meg who offered instructive plot points in her first nine readings, his agent, his editor, his lawyer, his wife, his teacher, his estranged son, who deconstructed every nuance.
Me? I have a long way to go before I can assemble such a posse.
In the meantime, I just put in another 1500 words and had a thoroughly fulfilling time.

[cethklein]

A beta at that point could be good so you can iron out any flaws in the book and prevent them from happening more later on, thus saving time.