In a previous post called, "Why we need readers," I touched on the importance of honest feedback from readers in the early stages of our stories, more or less to see what's working and what isn't, what needs more poking or prodding, and what needs less. Maybe our character motivations aren't resonating with the reader, or some hackneyed tropes have hung around for the second draft, hoping to become beaten even more than a dead horse. Beta readers can bring your attention to a lot of these issues without spending money on a full edit. It's important to remember that something isn't working for a reader, it's the writer's job to make it work. They are the end consumer.
When you've considered the feedback and made your changes, perhaps you hire a professional editor who suggests deeper changes. Maybe you've cut some sections, added a few scenes or chapters, rearranged parts, which then required you to add more scenes while making others redundant. Let's say you're satisfied to the point you hire a copyeditor to put the polish on your story. But that story by now has changed significantly. It's closer to a final draft than it has ever been. You're excited.
But in the space between your months of hard work and sending your manuscript to an agent or a proofreader, there is another opportunity for readers to catch any new issues that may have crept into your story since your betas put their eyes on it. I guarantee that if you wait just a little longer and send it out to a few trusted readers, preferably not all men or all women, you will avoid a missed opportunity to make your story even better. Nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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