Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

After a bit of prodding, New Zealand author Russell Kirkpatrick has provided some answers to my questions. As we are friends, I can tease a little bit.

An award winning author, Russell wrote the Fire of Heaven series and The Husk Trilogy. As I have beta read his current (to-be-published) novel, I know there are some exciting things in store for readers. Russell has also published atlases and recently published an excellent (and beautiful) book called Walks to Waterfalls-100 New Zealand Waterfalls.

Russell keeps a website here.

I’d like to thank Russell for answering the beta reading interview questions and thus providing another perspective in this series. Thanks Russell!

1.         How many beta readers do you have and how long have you used beta readers in your writing process?

I have used beta readers ever since I began writing novels in the 1980s, but I haven’t used them very well. At first I just wanted my friends to see how cool my writing was – and, knowing my friends, chose those who could be relied on to say nice things. Interestingly, I gave my first novel to my wife to read. Her comment was ‘They went here, they went there. When are they ever going to get where they’re going?’ Best beta reader comment I’ve ever had. I wish I’d taken more notice of it.

As for the number of beta readers I have, it has varied. In my first novel, for the reasons outlined above, I acknowledge a score or more. Since then I have used far fewer, maybe one or two per book. This is by no means ideal, but publishing deadlines mean you can’t wait very long for readers to turn the book around.

2.       In what ways do beta readers assist you in developing your novel for publication?

It varies according to the interest and ability of the particular reader. I recently received a detailed 30-page document full of the most wonderful and perceptive comments, offering me everything from an assessment of the overall story arc and the readability of the document right down to an examination of the motivations of, and interactions between, the main characters. Yet the example from my wife I quoted above is burned into my brain because it was equally useful, or would have been had I not ignored it.

3.       Do all your beta readers pick up the same points?

Not at all. There is a wide variation in how people assess a manuscript. An example from my academic career might make the point. My Ph.D. oral exam consisted of questions from an internal and an external examiner. The internal examiner thought the first eight chapters boring but considered the ninth chapter brilliant. The external examiner loved the first eight chapters enough to offer to publish it as a monograph, but thought the ninth a waste of time.

That said, here is my Rule #1 of Beta Readers. If one of them makes a point, it is yours to accept or reject. If two readers make the same point, you must address it.

4.       Do you sometimes target your beta readers to particular areas based on the experience you had with them in the past? For example, one reader is good at plot holes, another reader is good at grammatical issues and another might be good at style. Or do you take what comes?

I very much take what comes. It is up to each reader to comment on what takes their fancy. Of course, a mix of readers with different strengths is ideal!

5.       Do you always want the same thing from the beta reader for each novel? For example, when you have deadlines and only have time for high-level feedback?

Deadlines are the enemy of the beta-reading process. I write complicated multi-POV fantasy and I’m learning that I can’t write a whole book in a year, despite what publishers want. I’m always under deadline pressure. So I often get a half-page of comments from beta readers when I would benefit from more detailed feedback. The way it works is the closer to the deadline, the less I can change, so I need to ensure feedback on story basics comes early.

6.        How hard is it to find a good beta reader?

Anyone who volunteers to read your story and risk antagonising you by offering comments is a hero. Good beta readers are treasures. They are hard to find and must be held on to.

7.       Do you have any advice for readers who want to be beta readers or even editors in the long run? For example, what type of commentary to you prefer?

My advice would be: if something in my story bothers you, tell me. If you can, say why it bothers you. If you can’t, tell me anyway. Conversely, if something delights you, tell me, If you can, say why it delights you. I need positive reinforcement as much as constructive criticism.