37-ish Questions To Ask Beta Readers About Your WIP

A story passes through many hands before it reaches bookshelves, and among the first are those of beta readers.

Beta readers provide feedback on your draft from the perspective of a reader. This gives you a sense of what works within your story and which areas need a little more work before it's ready for publication.

A good beta reader's feedback extends beyond generic remarks like "good" or "I don't like this," getting into the specifics of why they feel that way, and they might even offer up suggestions for improvement. Some writers prefer to send out their WIP and see what their betas think without their input, but many include an accompanying questionnaire; this can help guide your betas, providing a list of things you'd like them to keep an eye out for and address in their notes.

If you're unsure what questions to ask beta readers or critique partners, this is the place to start!

As a quick note, many of these questions will be broad and framed as if the feedback is considering your WIP in its entirety, but they can be easily modified to work on a smaller, more specific scale as needed. I also ask my betas and CPs plenty of story-specific questions that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense out of context, and I'll be omitting those for the purposes of this post; that said, those kinds of questions are just as valuable, so don't be afraid to get specific with the feedback you're seeking.

1. Are my characters likeable, interesting, and engaging?

   
   

2. Who were your favorite and least favorite characters? Why?

   
   

3. Are my characters' motivations clear and compelling?

   • This can go for both protagonists and antagonists, and anyone in between!

     
     

4. Do you feel like there are too many characters to keep track of or too few to follow?

   
   

5. Were there any actions or decisions made by a character that seemed, for lack of a better term, out of character?

   
   

6. Are the romantic tension and chemistry between the love interests believable? Do you realistically see them getting together?

   
   

7. Is the dialogue realistic?

   
   

8. Were there any standout lines of dialogue that stuck with you?

   
   

9. Does the tone of my writing fit the story and its genre?

   
   

10. Were you able to clearly picture the setting?

    
    

11. Was any of the worldbuilding too sparse or bloated?

    
    

12. Do you understand the rules of the story's world?

    • For example, do aspects like historical context and magic systems make sense to the reader?

      
      

13. Where does the story start for you?

    • Where do readers feel the inciting incident is? Where do things get moving? If the story starts too late, consider trimming areas that delay the catalyst. On the other hand, if readers feel your story starts too soon, it might be a good idea to slow the beginning down and build up to that moment.

      
      

14. Does the inciting incident pack enough of a punch to hook you as a reader?

    
    

15. What parts of the story made it unputdownable for you?

    
    

16. Were there any parts of the story where you began to lose interest?

    
    

17. Did anything make you want to DNF? Why?

    
    

18. Overall, was the plot easy to follow? Was anything too confusing?

    
    

19. Did you notice any inconsistencies or plot holes?

    • Similarly, did any character successes feel more like a plot convenience than earned?

      
      

20. Where does the story END for you?

    • This helps with figuring out where readers feel like everything is wrapped up and if your story overstays its welcome or needs to be expanded upon.

      
      

21. Is the ending satisfying to you as a reader?

    
    

22. Do any plot twists come out of nowhere? Were any too predictable?

    
    

23. Does the pacing of the story work overall? Do any parts feel rushed or like they drag on?

    
    

24. What do you want to see more of in this story?

    • This helps when you're looking to hone your story's focus on what your readers loved or need to flesh things out.

      
      

25. Were there any parts that felt extraneous?

    • eg, are there any scenes or characters to cut from the story?

      
      

26. Were there any standout themes you noticed? Were they fulfilled?

    
    

27. What are my strengths as a writer?

    
    

28. What areas should I look to improve?

    
    

29. What already-published work(s) does my story or writing style remind you of?

    • Listen, finding comp titles can be hard. Collecting a list of books like your WIP can give you a list of titles to check out and potentially use in querying or marketing materials—your readers might know of a perfect fit you haven't heard of yet!

      
      

30. What is your overall impression of this story?

    
    

31. What questions are you left with at the end of the story?

    
    

32. What do you feel is the most memorable scene or element of this story?

    
    

33. What were your favorite parts of this story?

    
    

34. Was there anything about this story you didn't like? Why?

    
    

35. Would you recommend this book to anyone? Who, and why?

    • This can help identify your ideal reader and when you're marketing to that audience.

      
      

36. How would you describe this book to someone else?

    
    

37. Anything else you'd like me to know?

    • This gives your readers a place to leave additional insight and highlight things you may not have considered or noticed.

    • It's also one of my favorite questions to ask!

What To Do With Reader Feedback

Once you've gotten your readers' comments back, you may be equal parts excited and overwhelmed.

As soon as I get that sweet ding! from my email app, I'm opening that document. I get impatient, what can I say—except, "slow up, buttercup!"

There's nothing wrong with reading through feedback straight away, but just as I suggest putting each draft aside and allowing them to breathe before starting on the next, I recommend waiting a day or two after you've read through your readers' feedback before acting on it.

Coming back with fresh eyes and a clear mind can make it easier to assess feedback from an objective standpoint and (hopefully) not take anything personally.

Speaking of which, if a reader says something you don't agree with, don't storm into their inbox and hurl fire and brimstone at them. Having been on the receiving end of that kind of unkind commentary from someone I beta read for years ago, just don't do that. Beta readers and CPs are doing you a favor. Unless they've intentionally said something in bad faith, leave it be; and even then, address it with a level head because it could always be a misunderstanding.

You can totally ask for clarification and run ideas by them as you're revising your manuscript. Most of the time, CPs betas are more than willing to help brainstorm and even read things over again.

While assessing your readers' feedback, you might start to identify patterns. For instance, they might all say that your protagonist's love interest is a swoon-worthy hunk, or they might all say they wouldn't want to be left alone in a room with him. Group consensus can make sorting through feedback easier, but it's also common to see different takes. One of your readers might see the love interest as a dreamboat, but the other three might say he's a twat who gives them the ick. Both perspectives are valid.

When you're making changes, know that you don't have to implement every comment given. However, when you notice patterns such as three readers who aren't down bad for the love interest, it's probably worth paying closer attention to those bits.

Above all, remember that this is your story. Not theirs. I've made the mistake of bending over backwards trying to make my WIP perfect for everyone, and it cost me my sense of self in my writing. Take in your readers' feedback and use it wisely, but know that their suggestions don't have to be taken as commandments.

Feedback from beta readers and critique partners is as valuable as you make it, and including a list of questions alongside your draft can help you get the kind of feedback you need to polish your story until it becomes its best self.

These questions aren't must-asks, but they're a good starting point not only for you but for those you have entrusted with your WIP.

Which of these example questions were your favorites? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!