Getting feedback
What to Ask Beta Readers to Look For
It’s smart to be intentional about what you ask your beta readers. When you’re stuck or unsure, targeted feedback can really help you move forward with your story.
Direct answer
Start by focusing on the big picture: ask beta readers what parts of the story grabbed their attention and where they felt confused or bored. This helps you identify pacing issues and clarity problems. Avoid vague questions like 'Did you like it?' and instead ask, 'Which scenes felt strongest or weakest, and why?'.
Next, zero in on character and emotional impact. Ask which characters felt real, likable, or relatable, and which didn’t. Questions like 'Did you understand the protagonist’s motivations?' or 'Were the stakes clear and compelling?' help you check if your characters and conflict resonate.
Finally, get feedback on the dialogue, setting, and overall voice. Ask if the dialogue felt natural or forced, whether the setting was vivid, and if the tone matched the story’s mood. These details can pull readers in or push them away, so knowing what works and what doesn’t is crucial before revision or querying.
What this looks like in practice
Early draft stage
You’ve finished a rough draft and want initial impressions.
You ask beta readers general questions and get mixed, unfocused feedback.
You provide specific questions that guide readers to give actionable insights on story clarity and engagement.
Revision stage
You’re revising and want to know if character motivations and stakes land.
You guess which parts might confuse readers or fall flat without outside input.
You ask pointed questions about character believability and emotional impact, leading to clearer revisions.
Before querying or publishing
You want to polish dialogue, setting, and voice for final feedback.
You rely on your own sense of tone and pacing, unsure if it connects with readers.
You gather detailed beta reader notes on dialogue naturalness, vividness of setting, and consistency of voice to refine your manuscript.
How Story Salon helps
At Story Salon, we help writers craft targeted feedback requests and interpret beta reader responses to make revisions that truly strengthen their novels.