Member-only story
Lesson 15: Alpha Readers
Alpha Readers
Alpha readers help save you time and effort by identifying plot and content problems paying customers are likely to notice. Some authors call these readers “beta readers,” but once you see how they use the feedback, it’s clear that their “beta readers” are what I’d call “alpha readers.” Different names, same process!
What are Alpha Readers?
Alpha readers are people who read the entirety of an early draft of your work. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the very first draft (and, honestly, that might be a bit too much to ask of people you aren’t paying), but maybe the second or third draft. These volunteers understand that the manuscript is going to be in rough shape and that they are being asked to provide feedback on “big picture” issues with the piece such as content order, character arcs, and worldbuilding. Alpha readers would not be spending time on nitpicks about things like word choice, spelling, or punctuation. This would generally be a waste of their time at this point. That’s because they could provide feedback that would warrant the removal or overhaul of entire scenes. So it makes no sense (in my mind) to spend time pointing out a misplaced comma in a scene that may not make it into the next draft at all. Also, it splits their efforts between macro issues and micro issues, possibly decreasing their efficacy on both. I’ve found…
