Alpha and Beta Readers

There are many aspects of fiction writing that can be incredibly exciting for the author–naming characters, describing scenery, even planning the steps of dramatic fight scenes–and do well to help keep the creative juices flowing. These are the fun parts of writing; dreaming up the world where the story takes place and all of the possibilities within it. However, even the most well-planned backstory can fall flat if the writing around it is unclear, unengaging, or just outright uninteresting. This is where one of a writer’s greatest tools comes in: secondary readers. Though it can be daunting to hand over your project for another person to critique, taking this step before even considering publishing can make all the difference.

One incredibly helpful aspect of secondary readers is giving the piece a chance to be seen by fresh eyes. When one set of eyes has read the same project over and over, it’s easy to overlook grammatical errors, typos, and stylistic inconsistencies. This often happens because the writer is intimately acquainted with their work–it’s easy to miss small mistakes if you know what you meant. A pair (or multiple pairs!) of fresh eyes can do a better job of looking over the piece and picking up on any overlooked issues. By having these issues pointed out, the writer is able to go back through the piece and smooth out any wrinkles.

Secondary readers can be incredibly helpful with bigger issues as well, in the way that the Writer’s Games judges critique each submitted piece. These readers, like our competition judges, can look at the elements of a story and see where they’re working well and where they aren’t. Elements such as cohesion, backstory, foreshadowing, and pacing are just a few foundational aspects of the fiction genre that can work together to create an amazing story. Secondary readers can closely read a work of fiction and make suggestions about how to strengthen your use of these elements. 

Like the Writer’s Games judges, secondary readers can provide valuable constructive feedback about a project. Though it can occasionally be uncomfortable to be told that a project isn’t coming across in the way you’d intended, helpful feedback can only strengthen your writing skills! Being directed to confusing, unclear passages can challenge you as a writer to be more intentional with word choice, and being shown where pacing is awkward can encourage you to think more deeply about how you envision a scene playing out. These readers can also help a writer see different interpretations of their work based on the readers’ personal experiences. 

Though some writers who plan to pursue self publishing will enlist the services of professional editors, there are lots of low-cost or even free options to locate secondary readers for a project! If you’re a college student, the easiest way to get readers would be to ask classmates, especially in creative writing courses. There are also likely creative writing clubs or English honor societies (like Sigma Tau Delta) on campus that would have plenty of students available to request some of their time!

 If you’re not in school, the internet can easily connect you with potential secondary readers, and maybe even people who know a thing or two about editing. Social media sites like Facebook and Reddit have various groups and “subreddits” where users can find writing prompts, writing advice, and plenty of other users willing to help aspiring authors strengthen their projects. There are also many free, online writing competitions like the Writer’s Games that you can pursue if there are particular skills you want to strengthen! I include these varied options to emphasize the importance of secondary readers for writing projects. Allowing your project the chance to be workshopped increases the chances of its later success after publication! Happy writing!

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About the author: Heather Miller is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English. With a deep love for storytelling and a special passion for fiction—especially high fantasy and historical fiction—she is thrilled to serve as a judge for this competition. She looks forward to discovering original voices and compelling stories that stay with the reader long after the final line.