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Beta Readers vs. Developmental Editors: What’s the Difference?
June 4, 2024
Differences Between Beta Reading and Developmental Editing
by Meg McIntyre
Whether you’re a self-published author or a writer seeking representation from an agent, there’s one crucial ingredient that should always be part of your writing process: getting feedback.
When you’ve read and reread and reread your book again (plus a few more reads for good measure), the words can start to blur together and it’s not always clear what changes would bring it to the next level. Authors turn to writing groups, critique partners, beta readers, and professional editors to get an outside perspective on what’s working and what could be improved. But with so many aspects of the publishing process to keep track of, it can be difficult to know what type of feedback you need—and from who.
As a trained fiction developmental editor who also offers beta reading services, this is a question I often receive from potential clients. Read on to learn more about the key differences between beta reading and developmental editing!
What is a beta reader?
Beta readers are often some of the earliest readers of a manuscript-in-progress. They may be fellow writers, friends, or paid readers who provide feedback as a service, but the most important criteria is that beta readers should be members of your book’s target audience. That’s because the goal of a beta read is to get a sense of potential readers’ reactions and how well your book is meeting their genre expectations. So while a friend’s offer to read your romance novel may be kind, it may not provide the type of feedback you’re looking for if they’re more of a fan of psychological thrillers.
A good beta reader might be able to note where the pacing of a novel starts to feel slow, whether the romance is truly swoon-worthy, and aspects of the plot that don’t quite make sense. This feedback can arrive in the form of comments left throughout the manuscript, a short note or reader report summarizing the beta reader’s thoughts, or even a face-to-face call or chat. No matter how it’s delivered, this is all valuable information that can inform your self-edits and help you fine-tune the story with each draft.
Because many beta readers are volunteers, the quality of feedback can vary widely, and some volunteer beta readers may fail to meet deadlines or get back to you at all. For this reason, many authors recruit more beta readers than they think they’ll need under the assumption that some might not deliver. This is also where paid beta readers can be a good option, because you can count on your reader having at least some degree of experience or training. But that old adage about “too many cooks in the kitchen” can also apply to beta reading—since taste is always subjective, using too many beta readers may leave you with contradictory feedback that’s difficult to untangle.
To get the most out of a beta read, it’s a good idea to provide a list of questions or specific topics you’d like your beta readers to pay close attention to, such as a particular character or plotline you’re unsure about. You’ll also want to vet anyone you tap for beta reading to ensure they read in your target genre and won’t share your draft with anyone else.
What is a developmental editor?
While many beta readers are avid hobby readers or writers, a developmental editor is an editorial professional who is trained in key aspects of creative writing craft, from story structure to character development to interiority and narrative drive. Developmental editing usually takes place after a manuscript has gone through several rounds of self-revision and, often, after the writer has already received feedback from at least one beta reader.
One of the biggest differences between beta reading and developmental editing is that a developmental editor is trained not just to identify potential issues in your manuscript, but also to propose solutions that may help resolve them. So while a beta reader may be able to point out a plot hole or give feedback that a particular character is difficult to connect with, a developmental editor can help you pinpoint why readers may be having that experience and help you come up with ideas to address the problem.
This can be especially helpful for novice writers who are revising a book for the first time and may need more hands-on support with tackling the revision process. What’s more, many developmental editors include tailored resources for each author. Therein lies another key difference between beta reading and developmental editing: A developmental edit is far more in-depth, often including an extensive editorial letter (mine is typically 15 or more pages!), in-line comments, and sometimes even additional materials like a Book Map or reverse outline.
Just like with beta readers, you’ll want to spend time vetting a developmental editor to ensure that the editor you choose is someone you feel comfortable receiving feedback from. I personally offer free sample edits to help potential clients get a sense of my approach and comment style, but many developmental editors don’t offer samples simply because this type of editing is so focused on overarching elements that are difficult to assess in a short excerpt. Either way, it’s a good idea to meet or chat with your editor to learn about their philosophy, ask about their training, and seek out client testimonials to learn about other writers’ experience working with them.
Do I really need both?
Well, it depends. In an ideal world, every manuscript would go through multiple rounds of feedback, including at least a couple of beta reads and a developmental edit. But in reality, whether due to cost, time, or professionals’ availability, not all authors are able to access every phase of the process.
So how do you decide what’s worth pursuing? First, let’s talk about money. As I noted above, many beta readers are volunteers, though you’re more likely to receive quality feedback if you’re willing to pay a bit for the services. Paid beta reads are typically more affordable than a full-scale developmental edit, and that’s precisely because the level of feedback you’ll receive is much less in-depth, so each option has its drawbacks. If you can find a way to finance it, a developmental edit is always going to give you more bang for your buck because you’ll likely receive more actionable feedback from one developmental edit than you might from five or ten beta readers.
That being said, if you’re a particularly seasoned writer and have written a few books already, you may be able to forgo the full developmental edit and rely on your own craft knowledge alongside beta reads from a few trusted readers. The newer you are to writing or to a specific genre, the more professional feedback you’ll likely benefit from.
Differences between beta reading and developmental editing
And there you have it! Now that you know the differences between beta reading and developmental editing, you can go forth and request feedback with confidence. Your book will certainly be better for it!
Meg McIntyre is a developmental editor and sentence-level editor specializing in dark fiction. Meg’s other interests include “Murder, She Wrote,” her cat, Penny, and things that go bump in the night. You can find her on social media at @bymegmcintyre or online at mcintyreeditorial.com.
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