April 2014:Beta Readers - Unsung Heroes

Many partners get involved in taking a document from a writer's imagination to an electronic or a printed page. Among the unnoticed participants are the beta readers. Wikipedia defines a beta reader as t hose who read a written work, generally fiction, with the intent of looking over the material to find and improve elements such as grammar and spelling, as well as suggestions to improve the story, its characters, or its setting... Beta readers are not explicitly proofreaders or editors, but can serve in that context. Elements highlighted by beta readers encompass things such as plot holes, problems with continuity, characterization or believability; in fiction and non-fiction, the beta might also assist the author with fact checking. These individuals are critical to the writing process. They help a writer get his or her head out of the story. The information provided to the writer is plentiful and nurturing to the book as well as the author. To insure a successful be