ARE BETA READERS NECESSARY?

How many times have you read a book where there are little glitches in the writing? Perhaps the characters were in one place, and suddenly they are at another location without reading they moved. I\’m sure we have all seen and done the same thing. It is easy because our minds run so fast when we are writing. Run is the right word to use. If you are a writer, your fingers are about two miles behind your thoughts.

How can we stop these mistakes?

1. You can hear your mistakes when you read your manuscript aloud. Unless you are blind, do not use the Text to Speech on your computer. You need to listen to your voice to read what you have written. Go to a private place with no children or spouse to disturb you. Tell your family you will be reading aloud, close the door (lock it if you have to), and read. Listen to what you read. Concentrate on your words.
2. Enlist the help of friends called beta readers. They can be friends or not. It\’s up to you. You can have both writers and readers. A good mix is essential. Readers see things differently than writers. 
3. Prepare your manuscript before you send it to a beta reader. Read your manuscript aloud before you send it out to anyone. Make sure your spelling and punctuation are correct. If you are not sure about spelling and punctuation, use a program like grammarly.com. If you get the pro version, you will see how to improve your sentence structure and passive sentences. 
4. Pray for the beta readers. Everyone can use prayers. The people you entrust with your baby need them more than anyone. 
5. Take a deep breath and hit \”send.\”