First off, what is beta reading? Not everybody thinks of it the same way, so always know your reader’s definition of the term before agreeing to anything. For me, beta reading means outlining my general impression of a story in a simple 3-4 page report. Characters (development and arcs), pacing, and the “big picture” are usually my three areas of focus. Sometimes called a “reader’s report” or “manuscript review,” a beta read is far less involved than what’s typically referred to as a “manuscript critique” or “manuscript evaluation.”
Lots of services and private editors offer paid beta reading: The Spun Yarn, Book a Beta Reader, The Wishing Shelf, and The Inkwell Group, to name a few.
I’ve wrestled with the question of paid beta reading from the writing and editing side.
As an author, I only need two or three people to read my story. But I want a lot from those people. I want them to be familiar with my genre. I want them to be attentive and precise. I want them to give feedback that’s big picture—addressing pacing and structure and character arcs. I want them to note positives too, because good constructive criticism tells you what is working, not just what’s not working.
As an editor, I love beta reading. But it’s a chunky time investment. When you’re a freelancer, “time is money” is painfully true, and a solid beta read takes me ~12 to 17 hours of active focus. Getting good at beta reading wasn’t easy either. It took a decade of reading books on writing, inhaling contemporary books in my main genres, writing my own books, watching hundreds of webinars, and practicing on friends’ manuscripts.
Nonetheless, whenever an editor puts a price tag on their beta reading, a few comments pop up again and again. I want to quickly knock those out:
“I have great beta readers who read for me for FREE.”
Stellar! You’ve got your arms full of oranges, it seems. An abundance. I’m therefore mystified as to why you’re standing in front of an orange cart hollering about . . . not needing oranges? Please leave the orange lady alone. Lots of people still need oranges.
“You should never pay for beta reading.”
In other words, “people should only beta read for FREE.”
*deep, calming breath . . . Please stop expecting labor for free. In my case, beta reading an 80,000-word manuscript takes ~15 hours. And I’m only counting the hours I’m parked in front of my laptop either reading or organizing notes. For the week or two I have your book, it’s top of mind on my dog walks, at the gym, while I’m doing laundry and dishes . . . I love beta reading, but I can’t be doing it just “for the exposure.”
Often, beta readers will accept compensation in the form of a swap—that is, you’ll be offering feedback on their manuscript too. Labor for labor.
If you’re lucky enough to find a great beta reader, somebody who knows your genre well, and that person is happy to beta read without swapping . . . holy cow. Bake them cookies. Pick them flowers. Do their dishes. Mop their floors. Something. Ideally, a lot of somethings, because that is big-special and super rare.
Why would I pay if there are free beta readers out there?
First, good beta readers are damn hard to find. There’s a big time investment involved. Second, finding good betas will often involve swapping work—you’ll need to offer feedback on their writing too. That means more time invested (not to mention creative energy). Third, if you’re not swapping, you’ve really got no right to hold a free beta reader to any kind of deadline: this person is very much doing you a favor.
When you choose to pay, you become a client. You can “shop” with a little more power and information about the beta reader(s), and you can set expectations with more confidence. You also regain the time and energy you might’ve spent on generating feedback for a partner.
“But I can’t afford to pay for beta reading.”
Uf, I feel that. That’s totally okay. You can still find what you need.
Check out my website’s Resources page: lots of those creators and websites, which are totally free to follow and check out, suggest places to connect with potential (free) beta readers. There are also beta reader groups on GoodReads and Facebook (e.g., “Sub It Club”).
Notably, Bianca Marais will be running The Great Beta Reader Match-Up until March 2, 2025! If you miss that deadline, check out The Shit No One Tells You About Writing anyway. Lauren Kay’s Critique Partner Connection also seems promising.
“Sold. Will YOU beta read for me?”
Whoa, so, I might be interested! You can reach out via my contact page or social media. But do your homework (yes, even on me!). Am I truly in your target audience?
You can see my technical editing experience at my EFA page. Writing-wise, I’ve landed an agent (Ginger Clark), and I’ve got a handful of publications in places you might recognize. Reading-wise, I clear around 80 books a year minimum, heavily in the genres of horror, science fiction, and romance. Give my newsletter a chance to see what kind of content I consume and produce.
A good editor (and even, I think, beta readers) will want to see you succeed. Part of that is definitely not taking your money (or time) if we feel that we’re not a good fit.