You’ve written a book; you have a manuscript. Now what? Most first-time authors hover between excitement, anticipation and sheer anxiety.

First things first

Have you self-edited your book, or have you written and now the raw manuscript is burning a hole in your shelf (or on your computer) as you try to build up enough courage to put your book (or more likely yourself) out there?

Before you even rake up the courage to approach potential publishers or give the self-publishing process a bash, you need to STOP, BREATHE, and THINK.

You need to read through your own work and make sure it makes sense to you first.

Done that? Good!

But you still aren’t ready to jump into the publishing river yet, my friend, because the next step is also BREEZED OVER, COMPLETELY NEGLECTED, or IGNORED! And that is …

You need to find your ALPHA READER/S.

You need to reach out to a trustworthy friend/family member or two … or three and ask them to read your manuscript.

An alpha reader is one of the most valuable resources a writer can use before submitting a manuscript to publishers or literary agents. Unlike beta readers, who typically read a more polished draft, alpha readers review an early version of the manuscript and provide feedback on the manuscript’s foundations.

An alpha reader is not just a person who is going to tell you your book is ‘nice’ or not, they serve a far more meaningful role in the process of preparing your manuscript for the editing process. They can save you a lot of time and money in the editing process by helping you iron out any kinks in your storyline or content so that the editing process will be far smoother and more streamlined. If you leave this to your editor, it could cost you a whole lot more money than you anticipated or budgeted for.

An alpha reader is not the editor of your book. They are, however, someone whom you trust to give you honest feedback.

Do however keep in mind that your book may not be everybody’s cup of tea, so find someone who will be appreciative of your writing genre to read it for you.

• They should enjoy reading and understand storytelling fundamentals.
• They should have knowledge of your field of expertise or interest should you be writing a non-fiction piece.
• They should also read your manuscript with the audience in mind. For example, if you have written a book for a ten-year-old girl, then the writing style and language should suit that age category.

Consider asking someone over and above friends or family. And if you have published before asking someone who has read your previous book to read your new manuscript – someone who can offer thoughtful and unbiased feedback.

An good alpha reader should be honest and offer constructive criticism.

An alpha reader approaches the manuscript without prior knowledge and can highlight:

• Areas that need more explanation
• Information overload
• Unclear motivations
• Sections that lose reader interest
• Fresh eyes to see where there are loopholes, gaps, or an overload of information.

An alpha reader serves as the manuscript’s first real audience. Publishers receive thousands of submissions. A manuscript that has already benefited from thoughtful reader feedback is often:

• More polished
• Better structured
• More engaging
• Less likely to contain obvious flaws

While an alpha reader cannot guarantee publication, they can significantly improve a manuscript’s professionalism.