Your manuscript is ready for beta readers when it is complete or nearly complete, and you have revised it as far as you can on your own. It doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be the best version you can produce without outside help.
Finished a draft last month and wondering if it's time? Use this checklist.
1. The story is finished. Beta readers need a beginning, middle, and end to judge pacing, character arcs, and whether the ending works. Partial manuscripts make it hard to assess how the pieces fit together.
2. You have revised at least once. A first draft is for you. Read it through, fix the problems you already know about, and tighten what you can. Beta readers should spend their time finding what you missed, not what you already knew.
3. Obvious typos and errors are cleaned up. A few typos are forgivable, but a manuscript full of errors distracts readers from the story. You don't need professional copyediting yet, only a reasonable cleanup pass.
4. You know who the book is for. Knowing your genre and audience helps you choose the right readers and interpret their feedback.
5. You have questions in mind. Even a short list of specific concerns helps readers focus. See 25 Questions to Ask Your Beta Readers.
6. You are ready to hear criticism. Beta reading only works if you can listen. If you're not ready to hear that something isn't working, wait.
7. You have time to revise. Feedback is only useful if you can act on it. Plan for a few weeks of reading time plus time to revise afterward.
If several of these apply, you may need alpha readers, who help shape a story while it is still developing, or another solo revision.
Finishing a draft is a major accomplishment, especially if you wrote it quickly during a November challenge. But a fresh draft is rarely ready for beta readers. Set it aside for a week or two, then read it with fresh eyes and revise. Most authors are surprised by how much they notice after some distance.
A typical order looks like this:
Beta reading comes before editing on purpose. If a beta reader finds a plot hole that requires rewriting several chapters, any money you spent editing those chapters is wasted. See Beta Readers vs. Critique Partners vs. Editors for a full comparison.
DOC, DOCX, or PDF are all fine. You don't need to format the manuscript for publication. Use a readable font and clear chapter breaks, and tell readers the genre and word count.
Once your manuscript passes the checklist, decide how many readers you need and where to find them. For a look at the whole process, see What Is the Beta Reading Process?
Ready to Send Your Manuscript?
Submit your completed manuscript to Entrada Publishing and you'll receive a detailed written report from an experienced reader within two to three weeks. A single reader is $85 and a Triple Beta Reader Package is $150. Your manuscript doesn't need to be perfectly polished.
When it is complete or nearly complete and you have revised it as much as you can alone.
Some will, but they can't judge pacing, arcs, or the ending. An unfinished story is better suited to alpha readers.
Revise the story yourself first and clean up obvious errors, but hold off on paid line editing or copyediting until after beta feedback, since major changes may make earlier editing unnecessary.
No. It should be your best effort, but beta readers expect a draft, not a finished book.