If you’re revising a manuscript and wondering who should read it—and when—you’re not alone. Many writers get confused about the roles of alpha readers and beta readers, when to use them, and what kind of feedback they actually provide.

This post will break it all down so you can confidently decide what’s best for your book and how to get the most out of every stage of feedback.

I am offering lower rates for NaNoWriMo and Novel November through late October and November. All nine of my services, including my Alpha Reader ($0.002/word) and Beta Reader ($0.004/word) services, have lowered rates during this special.

✅ What Is an Alpha Reader?

An alpha reader is someone who reads your story early in the process—typically after a second draft. While some authors use alpha readers on a rough first draft, I personally recommend waiting until after you’ve completed at least one solid round of self-editing. (You don’t want their feedback to be stuff you’re planning to fix anyway, right?)

At this point, you’ve already identified some of your own issues and tightened your story. Now, an alpha reader can help you answer important questions like:

• Does the story make sense overall?
• Are the character arcs believable?
• Is the pacing working?
• Does anything feel confusing, rushed, or flat?

Alpha readers are great for big-picture feedback, not grammar or nitpicks. Think of them as your first audience—helping you figure out if your story is on the right track.

🧠 What Is a Beta Reader?

A beta reader comes in once the manuscript is further along. This is often after multiple revisions—and ideally after a manuscript evaluation, which helps ensure your book is structurally sound. Some authors wait until after a developmental edit to bring in beta readers, but I actually recommend placing beta readers before a developmental edit. (You can see the order I use for writing my books on this page.)

Why? Because if your beta readers spot recurring issues—like a character they didn’t connect with or a plot twist that felt off—you can bring those concerns to your editor before the dev edit begins. That way, the issues are baked into your edit strategy and not a surprise that leads to an extra revision round. (Editing is already expensive enough!)

Beta readers help you assess:

• Emotional resonance and reader experience
• Engagement and flow
• Plot consistency and satisfaction
• Moments of confusion or boredom

They give you a reader’s-eye view of how your story lands—and that’s essential before you invest in deeper edits.

💬 Paid vs. Unpaid Alpha/Beta Readers

Here’s the truth: not all readers are equal. Some unpaid readers (friends, writing buddies, etc.) can offer helpful feedback—but many won’t. They may:

• Be unsure how to articulate issues
• Hesitate to give honest criticism
• Give you general, vague responses (“It was good!”)

That’s why paid alpha and beta readers can be such a game-changer. You’re paying for:

• Structured, timely, and targeted feedback
• Honest insights that match your specific questions or concerns
• A professional who respects your time and creative goals

📌 I personally hire professional alpha and beta readers for my own novels because I need useful, actionable feedback that moves my story forward.

🛠️ When Should You Use Each?

Here’s a simple breakdown based on my 11-Step Writing Process (which can be used for any genre):

Stage	Type of Reader	Purpose
After Second Draft	Alpha Reader	Big-picture guidance before deeper revisions
After Manuscript Evaluation / Before Developmental Edit	Beta Reader	Reader reaction to revised manuscript

This order helps you catch story-level issues before you spend time or money on in-depth edits—and ensures you’re always moving in the right direction.

🚫 Don’t Use Beta Readers After Line Editing, Copyediting, or Proofreading

Beta readers should always come before you invest in line editing, copyediting, or proofreading.

Why?

Because beta readers often uncover issues that could lead to significant rewrites—such as:

• A subplot that doesn’t land
• A character arc that feels flat
• A confusing or unsatisfying ending

If you’ve already paid someone to polish your prose or correct grammar, and then realize you need to make big changes… you’ll have to pay for those services again. That’s a waste of time and money.

Beta reading belongs squarely in the early-to-mid revision phase—before anything gets finalized at the sentence or word level.

🧾 Setting Expectations: Key to a Great Experience

Whether you choose unpaid volunteers or professional services, always:

• Communicate what stage your manuscript is in
• Tell readers what kind of feedback you want
• Ask specific questions if you have concerns (“Was this scene confusing?” “Did you find the ending satisfying?”)
• Respect your readers’ time and boundaries

📌 And if you’re working with a professional? You’ll get clear deliverables, structured insights, and a smoother process from start to finish. Some professionals may add in additional fees for feedback outside of their typical report, so be sure that you know what they are offering and if it fits your needs. If not, don’t be afraid to ask for a custom service, if needed. The right feedback is so important.

❗ Important: Alpha and Beta Readers Are Not Editors

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that an alpha or beta read can replace editorial work. While these readers offer valuable insights, they are not doing an edit of your manuscript.

Alpha and beta readers are giving you feedback from a reader’s perspective—not an editor’s. On top of that, it is from their personal perspective, not from an editor’s perspective of the book in relation to the genre and audience for which you’re writing.

That means:

• They’re not fixing sentence structure, grammar, or inconsistencies
• They’re not analyzing narrative techniques or craft
• They’re not trained to identify deeper story issues with developmental solutions (unless they are an editor—and even then, that’s not the lens they’re being asked to use)

Even when your alpha or beta reader is an editor by trade, the goal of an alpha/beta read is not to edit—it’s to give reader-focused reactions: what worked, what didn’t, and how the story made them feel.

If you want true editorial insight—deep structural guidance, line-level finesse, or final polishing—that’s where professional editing services come in. Alpha and beta reads are helpful in addition to editorial work, but not a replacement.

👋 Want Professional Feedback You Can Count On?

I get it. Choosing an alpha reader or beta reader can be hard. Choosing an editor can be hard, too. I’m a published romance author and a professional editor.

If you’re ready to take your story to the next level, I offer professional alpha and beta reader reports tailored to your book’s needs:

• 📖 Alpha Reader Report – Perfect for second-draft manuscripts needing big-picture insights.
• 📚 Beta Reader Report – Ideal for revised stories that need honest reader feedback before final edits.

On your first draft? I have a First Draft, First Reader service where I read (as a reader) as you write! I even have a First Draft Deep Dive which is a lighter edit that helps you know where to focus for your second draft.

I also provide Manuscript Evaluations and Developmental Editing for authors who want deeper feedback on structure, pacing, character arcs, and more. Ready for line-level edits? I provide Line Editing, Copyediting, and Proofreading.

Not sure where to go next? I’ve got an 11-step process (just an outline I use, not a service) that helps you go from first draft to polished final.

➡️ Explore all my editorial services here »

Final Thoughts

Alpha readers and beta readers are both essential—but only if you use them at the right time, with the right expectations. Whether you’re revising your second draft or prepping your manuscript for self-publishing, feedback is your most powerful tool.

If you’re not sure where to start, I’m always happy to talk through where you are in your process—and what kind of feedback might serve you best.

Reach out today. We can figure out what step is best for you and your manuscript.