What should a beta reader look for in a story?
• Grammar and spelling errors. While a few errors are bound to make it through, too many such errors will result in a rejection. • Plot continuity and technical errors. Your betas should let you know if there are any plot threads left unintentionally unresolved, and note places where there are internal continuity problems (eg, you had a character leave the room on page four, and she speaks again on page five without re-entering or using a comm-link). • Character issues. Fan fiction allows much more freedom than professional fiction in terms of character interpretations, but your betas should point it out if your characters suddenly begin to behave very oddly for no appreciable reason. • Intangible things. Ask your betas to tell you what they got out of your story before you tell him or her what you meant. “I like this!” is a nice thing to hear, but what you need from a beta reader is to hear, “I really liked the way you showed Qui-Gon’s early dissent from the Jedi Council, because it r
