Getting another set of eyes on that manuscript is vital. Sometimes, we think we wrote something in a certain way, but for whatever reason, what we thought we put on the page isn't what we actually put on the page. Sometimes, we get too close to our stories that we can't see the forest for the trees. Without having that external input, vital issues easily slip through the system.
It can be a costly venture to employ a developmental editor, something that can be beyond the budgets of many writers. But a developmental editor is NOT the only way you can get that vital feedback.
Every writer I know, myself included, uses critique partners and beta readers as part of their editorial process. However, there seems to be some confusion about what these two types of readers do.
It's time to delve into the nitty-gritty as to what makes a critique partner different from a beta reader.
A manuscript in development.
A critique partner is one who helps you improve your narrative and story. They are looking at developmental issues, be they craft related or story related. They will often see the manuscript while it is being written or edited and still a long way off from being publishable. Because critique partners are often looking at manuscripts that have a long way to go through the developmental editing process, they are also known as alpha readers.
The best critique partners are other writers—more specifically, writers you trust. If something is lacking within a given passage, experienced writers (and developmental editors) should be able to tell you what is not working, why it's not working, and how you could potentially improve on the situation. But exactly how to fix identified issues is entirely up to you. While a critique might have identified a problem within the story or narrative, the diagnosis of the problem may be faulty. Only you as the writer can make that judgment.
A beta reader, on the other hand, often comes in at a point when the manuscript is written and edited to the best of your ability. You need another set of eyes to help you see where certain elements of your story didn't translate to the page the way you thought it would. As such, a beta reader is often one who is reading the manuscript as a whole, providing reader feedback. If something doesn't make sense, or doesn't work for them, they should be highlighting it, but they may not be able to articulate why it didn't work.
Because you are after reader feedback, beta readers can be anyone, from family and friends to other writers you associate with.
A software developer's analogy.
Within the software development process, alpha testers expect to see significant bugs, but it's their job to find those bugs and help the developer to smooth them out. The more information that the alpha tester can provide the developer as to the nature of the bug, the easier it is to identify properly and fix. However, the job of a beta tester is to put a program through its paces, using the program like a regular user would. When the system breaks, they report the bugs accordingly.
Using this analogy, alpha readers / critique partners expect to see issues within the narrative of the story. However, it's their job to find those issues and give you as much information as possible, so you can fix those issue in your next editing rounds. However, the beta reader is reading that manuscript like a standard reader would. If they find something that you need to know about, they should bring it to your attention. If you did your job of writing and editing correctly, it should be only minor things that they find.
Finding critique partners and beta readers.
Finding a suitable match for critique partners is not easy. I speak from experience. There is a significant amount of trial and error involved, which is why I call it critique partner dating. It is important that you find someone who gets you and your writing. The wrong critique partner can ruin your story before it's even written.
I have written about where to find these elusive creatures before, with links to various Facebook groups and online forums where you might look.
It can be a daunting prospect seeking feedback on your writing. Check out some of my previous posts on how to handle feedback (even the mean kind) and how to provide feedback yourself.
Finding beta readers can be a little easier, mainly because you don't need to pull from just writers. But I do strongly recommend that you have at least one fellow writer (or editor) read through your manuscript. Personally, I try to aim for at least three. But be leery of too many readers during the editorial process.
Too many cooks in the kitchen can distract the chef.
Sensitivity readers are beta readers of a different kind.
There is a special type of beta reader that provides reader reactions to the story with the intent focus on how you treated a particular subject matter. Sensitivity readers provide reader reactions and feedback based on their personal knowledge and experience of the subject matter associated in your story. If there are any potential hot potato issues that you need to be advised of, then they should be able to tell you.
There could be any number of reasons why you might want to seek the opinions of a sensitivity reader. Those reasons could be racially or culturally driven. They might be associated with medical or mental health issues. Maybe religion plays a factor. For that matter, you seek the opinions of someone who lives in the region where your story is set. It could even be someone who is involved with the ethical debates associated with a given area of research.
You can sometimes find sensitivity readers in the same locations where you might find a beta reader. However, for certain subjects, it might be best to reach out to other avenues to find someone who can help you—such as through academic institutions and community groups.
When approaching sensitivity readers, be prepared to provide some sort of compensation, even if that compensation comes in the form of money. Be honest as to what information and feedback it is that you're seeking. And be prepared to have to go back to the drawing board regarding certain scenes.
This is all part of the game.
Technical experts are readers too.
Sometimes, you are after a technical expert to get the little details correct. However, unlike sensitivity readers, your technical experts are the ones you turn to when you're still writing and editing. You might share with them only the scenes of relevance, just to ensure that you got the technical aspects right.
And where you find technical experts will depend entirely on what sort of feedback and information you need.
I have used technical experts myself for fighter pilot scenes. I wasn't sure if the maneuvers I had described were even possible. From a scientific perspective, I was fairly certain they were, but I needed to make sure.
Not only were the maneuvers possible, but according to my technical expert, my main character needed to get some action of the sexual kind—"real bad!"
The ARC reader is NOT a beta reader.
There is another type of reader that can be found among the editorial/publication cycle of a book, and that's the ARC reader. However, the ARC reader's job is not to provide detailed reader reactions. Their job is to potentially leave a review and possibly help you spread the word about your upcoming release.
ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. These are ideally the to-be-published version that you send out to people to review prior to release. The reason why I say "ideally to-be-published version" is there are always typos or formatting errors that slip through the editorial process that are not found until the proofreading phase.
Because the ARC reader sees the book in the near-published state, don't ever treat your ARC readers like beta readers. By the time the ARC copies are sent out, it's too late to change anything other than the odd typo or grammatical error.
Throughout the editorial process, you will probably have many eyes on your manuscripts. As long as you're clear as to exactly the type of feedback you're after, you'll be able to find the right person for the job.