The Importance of Alpha Readers

This Monday morning, my mind is on Drudge, the third novella in my Hartmouth Horrors series, and I’m pleased to report that the opening draft is finished. Which means it’s now with alpha readers and is no doubt getting its ass beat. And that’s what I want to talk about today, the invaluable service that these lovely people provide.

First, let me define my terms, as writers tend to have varying ideas on what these readers are. For me, an alpha reader is someone who gets a first draft then goes to town on it, not focusing on interior decor but on architecture. They tell you what they love and hate, what they feel is missing, what they’d like to see changed, and so on.

Which leads me to the next point, and that’s the importance of sharing that early draft. Some writers hate the idea, and fair enough. It’s still raw and rough, not ready to be seen by the outside world. But it’s also supremely malleable, and any decent feedback is surely easier to put into effect before the thing has grown cold and brittle; before you get too attached to the thing, invest too much time and effort, and are unwilling to make changes that you tell yourself aren’t necessary but in all likelihood are.

This is where my alpha readers excel. They’re not afraid to tell me what’s up, and they have a good nose for what works in a story and what doesn’t. Sometimes they end up confirming what my secret heart has been telling me (that this scene just doesn’t feel right, for instance, or that this one truly does bang) and sometimes I have to turn a deaf ear to their advice, although this doesn’t happen often. But either way, without them, it would be far harder for me to see the wood for the trees.

And that’s pretty much all I wanted to say. A little explainer of what these readers do, and a big warm thank you to them for being so generous with their time. If you’re reading this, I appreciate you more than an acknowledgment in the back of a book can ever say.

Until next week, happy writing to you all.