Top 3 Issues I find in Books as a Beta Reader

I’ve beta-read more unpublished novels than I have been reading published ones as of late. I enjoy helping other writers polish their books, just as I adore getting feedback for my own stories.

Getting an outside view of your work can be incredibly valuable — it can help you notice something that would have gone unnoticed until after the story is published. It can lead to a more polished story and a more satisfactory writing process.

Writing a book is difficult work, with self-publishing many writers choose to revise and edit their books themselves. This is why Beta Readers are more valuable now than ever. So today I wanted to go over the few mistakes and issues that are most common in the first few drafts of a story.

Photo by Celine Ylmz on Unsplash

Present Tense vs Past Tense

This mistake I make the most often as well! I often see stories that fall in and out from present to past tense within the same paragraph. It is important to be sure that when telling an active and present story stay in the present tense unless referencing the past.

Though I don’t think that there is anything wrong with telling a story from the past tense! The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is an excellent example of this! Just remember to try to remain consistent with the past or present depending on what is happening in your story. See the difference in these two lines…

He went to the university almost daily, yet he was seen as a foolish man. As I looked at him, I was not too shocked by this perception. He didn’t appear the intellectual type, yet looks can be deceiving.

He goes to the university almost daily, yet he is seen as a foolish man. As I look at him, I am not too shocked by this perception. He doesn’t appear the intellectual type, yet looks can be deceiving.

One is more active and immersive while the other feels like being told a story long since passed — which works when the story is set to happen a long time before the narrator tells it in the book, but if your book is actively happening as the narrator or character experiences it, present tense is the better choice.

Photo by Vika Strawberrika on Unsplash

Jumping Point of View

This is the mistake that killed me in my latest book, The Spellbound Abbey, as I wrote the whole book in the third person and changed it to the first person point of view and left in a few third-person sentences by accident. This can ruin immersion for some readers and it is important to double or triple-check your story for this mistake. Here is an example of a jumping point of view.

I open the letter from the stranger once I could no longer see him through the crowds on the street. As she opens the letter, multiple notes fall out of the main card along with some money. She quickly drops to her knees to collect the money and as I do I am shocked to see the amount he left me.

I open the letter from the stranger once I could no longer see him through the crowds on the street. As I open the letter, multiple notes fall out of the main card along with some money. I quickly drop to my knees to collect the money and as I do I am shocked to see the amount he left me.

Simple, but makes a huge difference.

Overly Shows or Overly Tells

You’ve all heard the age-old phrase of “Show don’t tell” but I’ve seen a lot of people either completely ignore this or take it and run too far with it. When writing a story, it’s important to balance the two.

Show what is going on, but don’t be afraid to explain a little when necessary.

Mostly I find this in fantasy. When building a different world, not everything can be shown without explanation. Some things need to be told to make sense since this world will be foreign to the reader.

Photo by Valentina Ivanova on Unsplash

Overall, the most important thing is to take your time with revision and get a second set of eyes on your work to spot any oddities you might have missed. Feedback from beta readers is extremely valuable in the long run.

If you’re looking for places to find Beta Readers consider posting a request with the right hashtags on socials and working with someone there, or hire a beta reader via Fiverr or Upwork.