Asking the right questions can transform the way you write, edit, and review books. Whether you’re preparing questions for your beta readers, reviewing a book on your blog, or trying to understand why a story works, the right prompts help you move from ‘I liked it’ to ‘Here’s why it resonated.’
Below, you’ll find a clear, structured list of questions drawn from my own beta reading process, shaped into a resource that I hope you can use again and again. Writers — you can select or adapt some of these to help gather targeted feedback from beta readers. Reviewers — you can use them to sharpen their analysis or just get some inspiration if you aren’t sure where to start with a review.
Would you add anything to the list?
About the Subheadings
You’ll notice the questions are grouped under subheadings. I use these subheadings to frame my own feedback reports (if you look closely at some of my Instagram posts taken at my desk, you will see these questions pinned to my wall!). These prompts help beta readers focus on one element of craft at a time, rather than trying to think about everything at once, and also help make it easy to expand on certain in-line comments, if those are being used. They can also work as a reassuring checklist for when you have that nagging feeling you might have missed something important.
Reviewers might approach things differently, especially since reviews usually include a short overview of what the book is about, but the core ideas still apply. Feel free to adapt the sections to suit your own style, your genre, and the type of feedback or analysis you’re hoping to create. Not every book will require every element. And your own experience and voice as a reader is gold! So have fun with it.
If you’d like to learn more about being a professional beta reader, then I have a full beginner-friendly course that walks you through everything step by step. You can find it here!
The Beta Reader Course Has Landed
I created these for the book lovers who want to do more — give better feedback, support writers, and maybe even start a little side hustle doing what you love.
Start with the beginner’s course for all the information or if you are already confident, just grab the editable templates to make your feedback shine.
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