Edit-Beta-Review

First, let’s go over some terminology…

A Beta Reader is a person who provides a Beta Read on a book that has not been published. A Beta Read generates feedback that is intended for the author only (not for public viewing) and its purpose is for the author to improve their book.

A review that is to appear on Amazon, (or any public facing medium), is either called an Advanced Reviewer/Reader Copy (ARC) Review or simply a Book Review. These are conducted by people called ARC Reviewers or Book Reviewers, and are for books that the author has finished writing and is just about to publish, or the book has already been published. These reviews are a marketing tool and are to drum up book sales. (Sure, the author gets to see the reviews too, but the review has pretty much zero impact on the way the book is written).

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The type of feedback that is generated from a Beta Read is not intended for public viewing, it’s done at a different time in the editing cycle, it contains different feedback, and is for different audiences and purposes.

A Beta Reader might give the author the following feedback: “I really like the overall story, but I felt that chapter 6 fell flat and wasn’t necessary to the story. I suggest you remove chapter 6. [and then possible a few extra pages of other suggested changes]” The author would then consider this feedback and update their book accordingly.

While an ARC Reviewer might post the following review on Amazon: “This book is fabulous! I felt it was a tad slow in some spots, but overall I loved it! Everyone should read it and give a copy to their best friend!” The author might read the review on Amazon, but they wouldn’t make any changes to their book based on it.

Including Beta Reading feedback in a public post is inappropriate, and even if this feedback can be condense down to a simple love/hate review for the public, ideally the author has made changes to the book after the Beta Read, so the review posted publicly may actually not reflect the finished book.

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Another way to look at it is this: asking feedback intended for a Beta Read to be published to the public, is kinda like using the feedback your manager gives you during your performance review as a reference letter when applying for a new job. The feedback provided in a performance review is intended for your eyes only, and its purpose is to help you become better in your role – you wouldn’t want to use this when applying for a job! However, your manager can also provide you with a glowing reference letter when you apply for a new job, this letter is public facing and intended to make you shine!

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This is why it’s super important to ensure when asking for Beta Readers and ARC Reviewers, that you are certain on the type of feedback you want. Wanting public reviews? Ask for an ARC/Book Reviewer. Want feedback to help you improve your book? Ask for a Beta Reader. And while yes, some people will provide both services, it’s best to get your terminology correct to ensure you get the right type of feedback you’re after (and don’t waste anyone’s time).

And lastly, can an ARC Review be used by an author to improve their book? Yes, but ideally the accepted suggestions are minor (so to not drastically change the book) and the corrections may not occur from sometime. The author would make the updates (and possibly go through the whole editing process again) and publish an updated version of the book, often including an “Author’s Note” stating that this is an updated version.

Happy editing!