editing - Where is a good place to find beta readers?

Beta readers are important to perfecting a novel/novella/short story. They give you a fresh set of eyes, offer opinions, and can be a great moral boost. But where can you find good beta readers? Are there any sites that writers can use to find beta readers that have a reputation for having skilled beta readers? Anyone can read a book and offer their opinions, but a good beta reader knows the difference between two different styles and something that really is bad.

Answer

That's a hard one, because it really depends on the community you are working with in your writing. If you are already working with a writers group then you already have group of beta readers right there, just stand up and ask. If you're not part of an existing writers group it might get a bit tricky.

There are always the on-line writers groups, places like critters.org. They are built around the idea of doing beta work, but the good ones have rules and you usually can't just sign up and ask for a beta read. With Critters it takes a few weeks to be established and a few more weeks to get your story through the pipe, so it could be a couple of months before you get your feedback.

You can also look for a local writers group. Meetup.com is a good place to start for that, but once again you really need to become a part of the group before you can really ask them to beta.

Of course there is also the choice of asking family, but they might be over inclined to give you positive feedback and gloss over the problems.

On the other hand a good friend, preferably one who is also a writer, can be a good source of beta work, but if they are also a writer you should be willing to beta read in return. In fact, you should probably always be open to beta reading something in return. That way one story trade solves two problems.

There are also some oddball ways to find beta readers. I've been apart of a few fangroups that have open lists for beta readers. The downside is that but they are mostly looking for fanfiction, though some are open for original work. If you're doing a fan work that might be a worth while place to start.

And you never know, just asking this question here might get you a few offers to read.