Black and White and Read All Over…

An effective reader can be instrumental in turning your manuscript pages into printed pages. A reader is a person you trust to read your manuscript in its later stages, when you think it's almost perfect, to help you smooth away the flaws before you send it out to meet its public.

How do you know if you need a reader?

If you sell every word you write, you don't need a reader. However, if your sales are sporadic or if you have a tendency to revise and rewrite and then revise some more, a reader could offer new insight to help hone your talent and build your writing career.

Next, look at your limitations. Let's say you have the tendency to skim over simple errors and typos because your brain fixes them for you, or maybe you overuse one word or phrase without realizing it, or you're just not completely confident when it comes to grammar. A reader's fresh eyes can help you clean up those little problems that trouble an otherwise solid manuscript.


Heavy research can lead to "writing short" for the sake of the assigned word count. You learn far more in your research than you'll ever fit in the final piece so you may leave out important information inadvertently. You know the backstory, but your audience can't read your mind. A reader can point out areas where your 1000 words don't add up to a picture for those outside your brain, and he can work with you to get your point across without busting the word count.


What should go into the selection of a reader?

Your reader could be a spouse, a friend or acquaintance you may buy dinner or babysit for in exchange, or it may be a stranger you hire for cash. That's up to you. There are a number of qualities you should look for in a reader to insure a productive relationship.

1) Look for someone with literary experience.

That doesn't mean you need to shell out the bucks for a professional editor. A fellow writer is a good choice if that writer can keep himself off your page and not try to remake your manuscript in his image. If you know a college English professor or are still friends with your sixth grade English teacher, they would be good choices. Finding other people's mistakes is a big part of their jobs.

Another good bet is an avid recreational reader. This person knows what's on the store shelves and what the current trends are. The higher the book count, the better because he won't differentiate between your manuscript and the book he just bought. A story's a story to him. If this person reads in multiple genres and mediums, he will bring even more experience and objectivity to the process. He will be especially helpful with content questions and marketing.

2) Look for someone detail-oriented.

If you have trouble with misspellings, using synonyms or typos, you need someone who will go through your manuscript with the proverbial fine-toothed comb. Nothing turns an editor off quicker than careless mistakes. Mistakes immediately stamp your manuscript "AMATUER." Even if your story has Pulitzer written all over it, the editor's eye will land on that typo or that misused word and it will see nothing else. A person with an eye for details will help eliminate such petty mistakes.

3) Look for someone who can give detailed opinions and reasons behind those opinions.

Hearing someone say, "Oh I like it" or "It didn't work for me" doesn't help very much if you want to know if your plot gives the promised payoff or if your story just stops. If your reader can tell you why he thinks this is not working or that character needs cutting, then you have something to think about and play with.

4) Insist on honesty.

The risk of hurting your feelings may keep the people closest to you from giving you an honest critique. Your reader has to trust that you're not going to throw a tantrum at the first negative word, and you need to know he's not sprinkling sugar all over your manuscript. You two should be able to question each other openly and play "what if…" to help fix the problem areas.

Do you need more than one reader?

Sometimes that is helpful. Not all fiction readers can evaluate nonfiction and vice versa. If you also write scripts, your novel reader may find the format too distracting to give you a objective opinion about the plot. You may have one reader who is great at grammar and another who really understands characters and plot. And of course, what if your reader's sick when you get a dream assignment with a super short deadline. It's always a good idea to have a Plan B.

Communication and trust are the keys to a successful writer-reader relationship. So evaluate your career, recognize recurring problems, then look for someone with the traits, skills and personality to help you make you manuscript shine and give your career the boost it needs.