I don't know if "Beta Reader" is any kind of official term, but I picked it up from one one my writer's groups. It refers to those folks who read your stuff as you're writing or critique your first (and twentieth) draft. Some of them are more helpful than others. Would you like to be a more helpful beta reader? Or just more helpful in general?
1. If you suggest a change and it doesn't happen, don't take it personally. One of my Betas is easily confused, but if none of the others are, I usually leave things as they are. Sometimes I want you to figure out what's going on and sometimes the missing information is a given to most.
2. Don't make ridiculous demands. I once had a Beta refuse to read my story as long as I had a character named Aurora. She has the right to not read something she objects to. I don't Beta-read erotica for that very reason. But over a character's name?
3. Offer your ideas. What do you think will happen? What do you hope will happen? You might even inspire the writer. But, again, don't take it personally if you suggest Bill marry Janet and the story doesn't go there.
4. Grammar and spelling are important. I want you to tell me if my characters are shooting peasants instead of pheasants. One of my Betas caught a hilarious oops in a recent chapter, one I had to fix even though it was in dialogue (where the rules may not apply). My first draft of Seventh Son had a character telling his son "Don't eat with your mouth full".
5. You don't have to read to help. My nephew is waiting until I'm published to read me (This is where you ignore the fact that I'm terrified to submit my manuscripts), but he lets me bounce ideas off him. He was the one that made me realize that Juanita should keep her maiden name.
6. Be specific. Don't tell me you dislike a character and leave it at that. Why do you not like him? I might be failing to present the character correctly.
7. Help with research. I go to the people around me with all kinds of weird questions and they've learned to not even ask why. If your writer friend finds a plot point is based on faulty research, as I recently did, suggest a fix.
8. Put up with their weirdness. Even if it's just a hobby, it's a part of your friend.
Class dismissed.
