Where did the term "Beta" come from?

little_e · Jun 21, 2012

Strange story: I've been writing/critiquing stories off and on for over a decade, but I never heard this term "beta" until a few months ago.

So, was I just oblivious? Or is it a recent coinage? Where did the term come from? And does "alpha" mean anything?

Unimportant · Jun 21, 2012

Your alpha reader is your long-suffering spouse. They get to see all your crap. Your beta reader gets to see it after you've fixed all the bits your spouse hemorrhaged red ink on.

I think it's from software terminology: the alpha testers are the in-house developers/staff, and the beta testers are the people outside the company who get the not-yet-on-the-market software for free in exchange for letting the developers know every time they run into a bug.

Deleted member 42 · Jun 21, 2012

Yep; it's from the software development life cycle.

amschilling · Jun 21, 2012

Yup, it's a software thing. Unimportant has it right as far as what happens.

I was actually a beta tester for a lot of years. Buggy nightmare sometimes, but lots of free software! It's funny to see the term used for writing now.

JKRowley · Jun 21, 2012

You are not the only one. I have been pretty active in writing circles for many years, but only recently heard of beta readers. It does remind me of beta testers for software programs.

JSSchley · Jun 21, 2012

It was only in the last couple of years that I came across the term for writing, but having also beta-tested software many times, I thought it was an absolutely brilliant term, and it's exactly how I think of my job when I beta read or when I ask someone to.

"This is my thing that is basically ready for the public to spend money on. Will you help me find the parts that still aren't working despite my best efforts?"

Deleted member 42 · Jun 21, 2012

There's a huge overlap between geeks/software developers and fanfic writers, and the fanfic writers not only seized upon the terminology, they crafted sophisticated beta-reading systems.

little_e · Jun 21, 2012

Well, I feel a little less stupid, at least.

katebranden · Jun 21, 2012

There are sophisticated beta-reading systems?

jaksen · Jun 22, 2012

Doesn't 'alpha' in its simplest form mean, the first, or what comes first, or the top, the highest, the initial ...

And beta means second. So alpha refers to the first testers, the first readers, the first wolf, the first male, the first female. (And with animals it implies the dominant wolf, man, woman, etc.)

And beta means the second.

So alpha readers are those who read first, meaning the writer (and okay the spouse or partner or whoever is entrusted to be the first reader) and beta is the next or second reader or group of readers.

I shall now refer to my husband as Alpha.

Layla Nahar · Jun 22, 2012

So, it just makes me wonder - is the person who buys & reads the book - the gamma reader? (Or probably the Omega reader...)

jaksen said:
I shall now refer to my husband as Alpha.

(it might go to his head...)

Torgo · Jun 22, 2012

Layla Nahar said:
So, it just makes me wonder - is the person who buys & reads the book - the gamma reader? (Or probably the Omega reader...)

You're trying to stave off the omega reader as long as possible (and then he drops his glasses.)

quicklime · Jun 22, 2012

so it wasn't from the fish, and fighting with your critiquer? :tongue

TheWordsmith · Jun 22, 2012

Actually, the use of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc. as designations for "pecking order" if you will, pre-dates computers/modern technology by a long way. But, I guess you could say it was a logical and practical transition from Greeks to geeks. (Yeh. I know. I shouldn't have said that.)

jaksen said:
Doesn't 'alpha' in its simplest form mean, the first, or what comes first, or the top, the highest, the initial ...

And beta means second. So alpha refers to the first testers, the first readers, the first wolf, the first male, the first female. (And with animals it implies the dominant wolf, man, woman, etc.)

And beta means the second.

So alpha readers are those who read first, meaning the writer (and okay the spouse or partner or whoever is entrusted to be the first reader) and beta is the next or second reader or group of readers.

This is actually about as close to the origin as you can get without going completely, analytically college professor.
Alpha: "A", the first. Alpha readers would be the first readers, those who read as you write and offer either editorial or subject matter comments/criticisms.
Beta: The "Second wave" as it were. These are the first to read your "finished product". They read for the overall effect and impression of the work and not strictly for editorial comment (although that tends to come with the territory, too, at times).
So I guess that would mean that Agents/Editors would be the Gamma readers?

I shall now refer to my husband as Alpha.

Hmm. Your husband is the Alpha male?

jaksen · Jun 22, 2012

TheWordsmith said:
Hmm. Your husband is the Alpha male?

I let him think that.

TheWordsmith · Jun 22, 2012

jaksen said:
I let him think that.

AuthorJ · Jun 22, 2012

Ever heard of the phrase "God is Alpha and Omega" meaning beginning and the end? In the original context Alpha, Omega, Gamma Omega etc are letters of the Greek alphabet. I guess Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. The usage of such letters as symbols is not uncommon in many scientific fields. physicists talk of Alpha rays, Gamma rays, Beta rays etc. Seems that such usage has found its way into social, literary circles albeit with varying meaning etc.

Kalea · Jun 22, 2012

My husband is definitely my alpha reader, and we just had a conversation last night about how he embodies the term "long suffering."

He fell asleep last night to me yammering about time travel theory.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 22, 2012

I think "beta" should be another way of saying you should never let anyone see a first draft. You're the alpha reader. Get it written as well as you can, and then show it to the beta.

Solanova · Jun 22, 2012

Actually, Alpha refers to the writer, or author of the story. Beta refers to the first person to read it after the writer (before it goes public). So on so forth.

Like Alpha testing for video games is done in-house while its being made to make sure things go right, and Beta Testing is usually done after there is some substantial material to be tested, and is sent to select people, or people that sign up for it (such as an open beta)

So really your SPOUSE is your beta reader, the person that sees your story before it goes public

[edit] I have my BA in Interactive Media (A.K.A Video Game Design hahaha)

Unimportant · Jun 22, 2012

Solanova said:
Actually, Alpha refers to the writer, or author of the story. Beta refers to the first person to read it after the writer. So on so forth.

Like Alpha testing for video games is done in-house while its being made to make sure things go right, and Beta Testing is usually done after there is some substantial material to be tested, and is sent to select people, or people that sign up for it (such as an open beta)

So really your SPOUSE is your beta reader, the person that sees your story before it goes public

Well, my spouse is in-house

, so we alpha for each other.

But yeah, JAR is right. As with software, the beta is also the potential customer, so the beta should be seeing only your very best effort. And, IMO, for the vast majority of authors who are still at the stage of seeking an agent or contract, it's important to seek feedback from readers other than one's spouse before sending the story out into the world.

Manuel Royal · Jun 22, 2012

It's an unnecessary new term for something people have been doing for centuries.

Solanova · Jun 22, 2012

Manuel Royal said:
It's an unnecessary new term for something people have been doing for centuries.

Some of us prefer the term "Updated".

Al Stevens · Jun 22, 2012

In the phonetic alphabet, they are your Bravo readers, which might be a double entendre.

DancingMaenid · Jun 22, 2012

Maybe it's just me, but I've never used the term alpha reader, even though I've served in that function for people before and have had others do the same for me. I've always used "beta" to cover any sort of one-on-one feedback/critiquing.

So I see the terms as being a little flexible depending on how people use them.

Where did the term "Beta" come from?

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