Alpha, Beta and ARC Readers

Who are all these readers, and where do they belong in the self-publishing process?

We all have a romantic image of the solitary writer labouring over their manuscript, ideally in a gothic garret somewhere. But a book is not just the author’s words on paper – it is the relationship between the writer, the reader and the text. To get your manuscript into good shape before publication, you need some readers to help you. For best results, you should send your text to the right readers, at the right stage in the process.

Alpha readers

Your alpha reader is probably the first person to see the text after you. They see it very early, perhaps even in the first draft. They must be prepared to wade through an unpolished manuscript and they preferably have some expertise in analysing writing. They may be writers themselves.

Your alpha reader will evaluate the premise of your story – is it enough to hold a reader’s attention? They will consider your story’s structure, characters, and writing style. They will not be fussing over spelling mistakes, showers of commas or grammatical howlers, although they will point out if your writing style has any glaring weaknesses. They will be looking at the big picture.

Not all writers use alpha readers, but they can be a good idea if you have doubts about your work. If this is your first novel or your first in a new genre calling on a reader with some expertise at this early stage can prevent you from getting discouraged or trapped in a writing corner later.

Most writers rely on only one or two alpha readers for their text. It is important to be clear that your text is at a very early stage, and that it is not polished. Your alpha reader is there to give you the confidence to push on with your second draft (and third, and fourth…)

Beta readers

Beta readers act as test readers, and they should be reading a complete, polished version of your book.

That’s because they should be concentrating on the story and their response to it. Hopefully, anything that acts as a barrier to a reader’s enjoyment will be gone by this stage, though it’s part of a beta reader’s function to draw your attention to any problems. They may point out characters and situations they enjoyed, scenes that didn’t work so well for them, and even a yawning plot hole that you have been missing.

Their feedback will be invaluable as you make the final tweaks to your manuscript and send it off to be edited. And hopefully, they’ve given you a boost in confidence by cheering about all the things they loved in your book.

ARC readers

ARC readers (also known as advanced readers) enter the picture just before you publish your book, so it should be in its final, complete and polished form when they see it.

ARC readers receive a copy of your book so they can post unbiased reviews on suitable venues, such as Goodreads, StoryGraph, or their blog – anywhere that it might get you exposure as your book is published. You can then use their reviews for marketing and publicity. Their praise can go on your website, Tiktok, Twitter (or X, if you insist) and in your sales blurb. Anywhere you are publicising your book.

Ideally, they should have that book a few weeks before its release, so their reviews are all ready to go on launch day!

Conclusion

This is all leading toward your most important reader – you’re appreciative intended audience.

Alpha and beta readers help to get your book into prime shape. Then ARC readers become part of your marketing push to get your book in front of as many readers as possible.