Building a Beta Reader Community [8-Step Playbook]

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Beta Readers give you the best odds of writing a book people want to read.

Building a beta reader community is one of the few ways an author can create their own luck. They help you answer your most important questions up front:

1. What’s the most painful problem your readers need solved?

2. Are you solving that problem?

3. Are you grabbing your readers’ interest and attention enough for them to care?

Most books go 0 for 3 on these critical questions. Working with beta readers won’t guarantee your success, but they certainly give you a better shot.

When we launched Jeff Bussgang’s beta reader cohort a few weeks ago, we immediately learned 3 invaluable things:

1. Readers cared most about how to AI in their startups

2. We weren’t talking about AI enough

3. Readers liked learning through case studies of other successful (and unsuccessful startups)

We learned all that after sharing just a single chapter! Now we can ensure we address our readers’ most pressing problems and do it in a way that interests them.

And because we use the Agile Editorial method of writing, we get feedback after each chapter, so we can see if we are tracking towards a better book and course-correct along the way.

The other huge benefit of beta readers is creating a small group of early fans. They will become valuable launch team members when it’s time to release your book.

That’s why I recommend setting up beta readers in a Slack channel and forming a community. But if that sounds like too much work, just focus on getting feedback from your target readers as often as possible.

The number one mistake authors make with beta readers? Inviting them into the process too late.

Not because their feedback is less valuable at later stages of the book, but because the author is less receptive to feedback later on. After spending months and months writing and honing your manuscript, the last thing an author wants to hear Anonymous Platypus say, “This chapter isn’t really working for me.” You’ll be more receptive to feedback early on.

Playbook: How to Build a Beta Reader Community

Wherever you are in your book writing journey, it’s time to build a beta reader community (again, the earlier the better!)

I’ve broken down Damn Gravity’s 8-Step process of how to build a beta reader community, including email templates, application surveys, tools suggestions and more.

Why am I sharing this? Because I want to see more great books written, and I think this can help.

Get the Beta Reader Playbook for free at the link below (Duplicate it to your Notion workspace):

The Downsides of Beta Reader Communities

Writing a book with beta readers is definitely more work. You basically have to nurture a community while also writing 50,000 words. It can be distracting if you let it, but it can also be motivating because you know people are expecting your work.

The other downside of beta reader communities is listening to the wrong kind of feedback. This is why it’s so important to build your target reader persona (That’s step 1 in the Beta Reader Playbook).

Finally, beta reader communities are less effective for fiction or purely creative projects. Rick Rubin famously said “the reader comes last.” Which is true if you’re just writing a book for yourself.

But for most non-fiction and business books, you want to start with your reader in mind.

If you find the Beta Reader Playbook helpful, please share

I spent about 6 hours over the weekend building this beta reader playbook.

If you found it valuable, could you do me a favor? Please send this newsletter to an aspiring author in your life. That would mean a ton 🙏

If you found it unhelpful, confusing, or just wrong, please let me know that too. I am obviously a fan of feedback.

So go out there and make your own luck. It’s yours for the taking if you’re willing to listen.

Cheers,

Ben