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What the Heck is an Alpha Reader?

Oftentimes, an alpha reader is the person you automatically rush to after you’ve written a good piece of writing and can’t wait to get eyes on it.


As the name would suggest, alpha readers come before beta readers. While beta readers are people you hand your third or fourth draft to, alpha readers get to see that manuscript baby of yours in its infancy. They give your cramped writer fingers a break once you’ve placed that final period on your first draft and done a bit of self-editing.


The purpose of alpha readers is to give you early feedback on major issues, give you encouragement to keep on revising, and to give you the perspective of a more casual reader. Their job isn’t to nitpick grammar errors or break down sentence structure but rather to do things like point out gaping holes in plot, bring up inconsistencies in argument, or lay out contradictions in setting.


What Do I Ask Alpha Readers?


Some good questions to ask alpha readers after they’ve given your manuscript a look are ones like these . . .

alpha reader and author discussing manuscript

Fiction

  • What made you excited when you were reading?

  • Were there any parts that were confusing?

  • What did you not like?

  • What did you find not believable enough?

  • Do you feel like (specific character) was authentic?

  • What were your favorite characters and why?

  • Could you imagine the world the story takes place in?

  • Were there any moments that made you laugh out loud or shed a tear?

  • If this was a choose-your-own-adventure story, what would you like to see more of?


Nonfiction:

  • Was my introduction gripping enough? Would you keep reading if you picked it up in a bookstore?

  • What arguments did you find were weak or a bit of a stretch?

  • What new perspectives would you say I brought to the table?

  • If you could add a chapter, what topic would that chapter be about?

  • Were there any parts that you felt were too dry or boring?

  • What parts made you nod your head in agreement?

  • Did it remind you of any other book?

  • Are there any chapters or parts you felt you could’ve done without?


Where Do I Find Alpha Readers?

The most important part when choosing alpha readers is to choose people who will be honest with you. If your spouse or mama are too afraid to hurt your feelings to give you their honest opinion, you’re better off searching for alpha readers elsewhere. Although getting feedback on such an unpolished draft may seem daunting, it’ll make for a much easier revision process in the end because you’ve taken the time to get outside perspective early on.

man searching for alpha readers

One place you can find alpha readers are on marketplaces like Fiverr and Indeed. There are some serious readers there who take great pleasure in giving feedback to writers in the early stages. What’s great about them is they’ll be a lot more likely to be honest since they don’t have personal ties to you.


Another great place you can find alpha readers is in a writer’s critique group. I myself have found great fun and value in presenting my early work to critique groups. The benefit of this scenario is that these people are not just book lovers but fellow writers, so they’re likely to give you more succinct advice. In a group like this, writers swap work in an I scratch your back, you scratch mine fashion, so be prepared to give feedback in return.


The best critique groups are those that don’t just offer on the spot feedback but trade work before the group meeting so people can take their time digesting the work on their own and do a few markups. If you crave face to face feedback, this might be a great alpha reader option for you. Keep in mind though that this form of alpha reader feedback may take longer than others since it may take a few group sessions before they get through your entire piece.


How to Get Solid Feedback From Alpha Readers

One of my biggest pieces of advice here is to try to let your alpha readers go in with fresh eyes. It can be tempting to frontload them with information and questions like the ones above but it’s best to let them consume your manuscript with as little presuppositions as possible, so only start them off with a few major things you want their opinion on. Then, after they’ve gone through your manuscript on their own, you can ask them questions that will drive your revision efforts in a productive direction.


At the end of the day, you’re the writer, so you will have the final say on what changes you make during revisions but be sure to keep your mind open to the editing possibilities alpha readers point out.


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