Beta reading is when an author gives someone their manuscript to look over.  Most beta readers don’t get paid and they only critique things like characters, pacing, plot holes, etc.  Some beta readers are authors doing it for other authors so they can return the favour.  Sometimes fans of authors volunteer to be beta readers so they get a first-hand look at the story before everyone else and have a say in helping it along.

Personally, beta reading for free has never really appealed to me.  I’m not so interested in any author that I would volunteer to read their rough manuscript for free.  I certainly do read ARCs but those are at least somewhat polished before they get into my hands and I can actually do a review for them so my time is worthwhile.  Unless JK Rowling herself asked me to beta read, I don’t see myself doing it for free in the future.  If I were paid to do it, that would be another story.

What I want to know now is: would you ever beta read?  Why or why not? If you have been a beta reader, why did you do it?  Who was it for?  Did you like it?