Help! I've Been Asked to be an Alpha Reader and I Have No Idea What I'm Supposed to Do ...
Demystifying the hype friends and goodly vibe checkers of the writing process
Photo Credit: iStock.com/Mattes
Some of you may be familiar with the term “alpha readers”. Some might be asking “What in the Greek alphabet (possible werewolf terminology?) are those?” Friends, if you’re in the latter camp, let me explain:
Alpha readers are the folks who put eyeballs on an author’s story before anyone else—when it’s the messiest, soupiest version of that tale. They are the brave souls who venture into the quagmire of an author’s first draft and go: aha! there be gold in this here river.
If you’ve been asked to be an alpha reader for a friend, congratulations! You should feel honored that your friend considers you safe and kind enough to hand you their still bleeding heart, fresh from their ribcage. If you’re wondering how best to provide feedback, read on!
Do I need to be writer to be an alpha reader?
Nope! Truth be told, my preference is for my alphas to be distinctly non-writers. I hit up my writing community for later drafts, but I want a reader’s reaction to my story before I want anyone coming in with craft ideas. That said, some authors prefer the reverse. The general rule of thumb here is that you were likely asked for a reason. Trust in your author friend’s judgment, even if you are unsure of how much value you can provide (the answer is almost always: more than you think).
Where are alpha readers in the writing process? 🧐
There are typically two times alpha readers are called in like the calvary and it depends on whether the author wants feedback all at once or episodically. Some writers prefer to have a completed first draft before they seek out any feedback, while others prefer to provide serial updates of fresh pages to their alphas and get feedback in real time.
The one overarching note to keep in mind here is that you will be reading a zero draft or a first draft. These are not edited manuscripts—they’re gestational drafts. To belabor the metaphor (pun intended): alpha readers don’t act like midwives, guiding the story into the world; instead, they’re the first doctor you visit when you get the positive CVS pregnancy test back. The main thing authors are looking for from their alpha readers is confirmation—confirmation that they’re on the right path, that the story works, that the pacing isn’t so off as to guarantee a DNF (a did not finish), that the characters and their actions make sense, etc.
So, now that you have the big picture, let’s get granular.
First, here’s what alpha readers don’t (or shouldn’t) do:
Make any line level edits: Typos? Never heard of her. Fragmented phrases and clauses marooned in space? Leave the orphans alone, they’re marinating. If you have a stroke trying to read their work, babes, you knew what you signed up for. Jokes aside: as a threshold caveat, I will say that the draft you get should be largely readable. If you truly can’t make heads or tails of it, feel free to let the author know (kindly, please, we’re all very fragile creatures and particularly vulnerable at this stage of drafting).
Try to “fix” the story: Your job is to observe, not diagnose. Unless you are specifically and expressly asked for thoughts on how to fix something, do not do this. It is a cardinal sin. I understand it’s meant in a good way—to be helpful—but well intentioned does not mean it’s not harmful. Nine times out of ten, alphas don’t actually know what’s wrong, they just know something isn’t working. Let the writer be the writer. Remember, it’s their story—not yours. Point it out and keep it moving.
Bullshit the writer: If you are tempted to say some version of “this is Pulitzer Prize winning writing; this is only a first draft?!”—stop. Do not pass go. Bail on that false platitude like you’re on the Titanic and saw the iceberg first. Listen, hyping someone up is NOT the same thing as ignoring red flags in a writer’s first draft—in fact, doing so obviates the entire point of you reading your friend’s manuscript. We’ll get to what you should be looking for in a second, but the key here is kind, thoughtful honesty. A false cheerleader for an author’s writing is about as helpful as validating parking for a public lot, which is to say, not at all. In some cases, it’s actually hurtful. Your friend is counting on you to point them in the right direction for their first serious editing pass. If you don’t speak up, they may not catch it and the more serious the issue, the more writers need to hear about it early. It is a colossal pain in the ass to backtrack later, trust me. Don’t be that person. You may think you’re doing them a favor, but you’re actually hamstringing your friend if you don’t speak up.
Now that that’s out of the way, what do alpha readers actually do? For me, it comes down to giving you an honest vibe check of your work and being the best hype friend.
What’s a good vibe check? Five questions to answer as an alpha:
Are you interested/invested in what happens next?
Why this matters: Your answer here gives an indicator to authors of whether the conflict/tension levels are where they need to be and can also be a secondary indicator of pacing.
Is there anything you’re confused about?
Why this matters: It flags to authors that they need to either weave in more explanation earlier, or provide well-timed reminders for a moment to land. It can also indicate a framing issue with a scene.
Tell the author where your jaw dropped/you kicked your feet/gasped. Basically, any time you had a strong reaction while reading let them know!
Why this matters: If the author was hoping for a strong reaction to a moment and they don’t get one, they now have an idea of what to edit around to pack a stronger punch; conversely, if a moment hits harder than expected, it’s a sign for them to lean into that moment more.
Hit them with your best guess as to where you think the story is going!
Why this matters: This is an especially important point for authors piloting plot twists or big reveals. Your guesses will help them suss out if they’re setting up the information (and the misdirects) well enough that readers are picking up what they’re putting down.
Are there parts where you’re slogging to get through it? Chapters you want to gloss over? Alternatively, what scenes pulled you in? Where did you say to yourself “just one more chapter”?
Why this matters: This is a standard pacing check. Pacing is often an indicator of structural integrity in a story, so this is crucial to tell your authors. Sometimes pacing is a quick fix (varying sentence structure for example), sometimes it means an overhaul of a major section of the book.
Now that we know what to look for, we’re ready for the second key component to being an alpha reader: your ability to be a good hype friend.
What makes a good hype friend?
Simply put, a good hype friend is one whose comments make the author want to keep writing. These cheerleader-type comments are going to be peppered in with the more constructive feedback about what’s not working (and, remember, since this is a first draft there’s bound to be a bunch of what’s not working—which means there also needs to be a bunch of cheerleader-type comments).
Every alpha is going to have their own version of how they lift up their author friends. Since alphas are typically sourced from friend groups, you probably already know what kind of cheerleading your friend needs to feel validated and supported, but there is ALWAYS room to ask if you’re not sure. In fact, asking is encouraged.
As a personal example, my critique partner once asked me if I could only provide only hype comments for the first round of feedback. My response? No problem, friend, thanks for letting me know! We’re playing compliment dodgeball today. You’re going to feel good about your writing even if I have to get borderline violent with this praise.
So, what makes a good hype friend? Being your friend’s emotional support plushie. Ask them what they need from you and then do it. It really is that simple.
How do I provide alpha comments?
The first answer is, and always will be, however your author asks for them.
But, if your author is vague and you need a little help, here are a few of my favorite ways to receive alpa feedback:
Emoji reacts to certain lines (my personal faves to get are: 👀, 😂, 🥹, 😈, 😭);
Unhinged running commentary (this does more for my day than caffeine does, and that is saying a lot since I am in thrall to a good cup of tea);
Calling out a beautiful line of prose;
Sending voice notes or hopping on the phone with your author friend for bigger ticket items; and
Once you’re finished reading the entire draft, providing a few bullet points about initial impressions, memorable scenes, and thoughtful (read specific) praise for things you think the author did right.
When should I say no to being an alpha reader?
There are times when saying no is the right thing to do. What that looks like will look different to everyone, but here are two very good reasons as to why you should respectfully decline to alpha read:
You don’t have the time: I promise you, your author friend wants to know this upfront. We’re often working on deadlines and not receiving timely feedback can make things awkward and painful for us, not to mention cause delays. At it’s core, alpha reading is often a friend leaning on another friend for support. If you’re going to leave them hanging, they should be aware ahead of time. Always, always ask when your author needs your comments by and then stick to that schedule. If something comes up and you really can’t make that deadline, let them know and give them an alternate timeframe that does work for you and see if it works for them. Caveat here: if your author friend says “no rush!”, believe them.
You aren’t able to be kind: Even if you get a draft that is the very definition of the worst thing you have read in your entire life, there are still things about that draft you can say kind things about. If the line level makes you want to die, you can offer thoughtful, honest feedback on a broader level. Zoom out. Remember, this is an early draft and it’s supposed to be messy messy. But, if you cannot or do not have the ability to offer kind, constructive feedback, you should relinquish your spot as an alpha reader to someone else. It’s OK—there could be a million and one reasons why you could be unable to do so in this season of life—no one would judge you for stepping aside. People will judge you if you shred someone’s draft without remorse. Outside of it being a not nice thing to do, it could knock your author friend entirely off the path of writing. I’ve had this happen to me and it can take years to get yourself back on the horse, especially if you are a newer writer. So if you, an alpha reader, are declining for this reason, cite timing or family circumstances. TLDR: don’t be a dick.
Putting it all together
My friends, bring it in. Yeah, no, get closer, let’s huddle up here.
Here’s the honest truth: an author’s work is a physical manifestation of their dreams, thoughts, hopes, prayers, goals, loves, hates and trauma. A first draft of a work might look like ink on paper, but it’s closer to blood drawn from an artery. From the author’s perspective, sharing a draft of a manuscript is always an exercise in trust and vulnerability. There is something inherently sacred about asking someone to take a peek at your soul—especially unvarnished by edits. You, the alpha reader, have a task bigger than you know: you’re supporting an author who, behind the scenes, is very nervy about bringing a new story to life.
Most drafts alphas will be asked to look at are muddled and soupy and full of plot holes and details waiting to be fleshed out. The good news is that all of those things are to be figured out by the author. Don’t offer suggestions on how to fix something unless expressly asked.
Imagine that you, an adult, are walking on a beach holding hands with a child. Your author friend is that child that will look to you for confirmation that they’re safe and for support as they explore the beach that is their manuscript. Your job is simply to walk next to them and point to things you see in the sand: look, there’s a sandcastle, I love how it has two towers, someone took a lot of care building that; over there is a piece of litter, does that belong on the beach?; do you see that crab?! I can’t stop watching it! Look at it scuttle!
Alphas are beloved by authors because of this support, and because alpha feedback a great way to know which direction they should go in for developmental edits (which is the first big editing pass that focuses on story structure). Alpha readers are uniquely positioned because they have an unbiased view of the story. They are able to see the forest, when the author has been studying the knots on individual trees for too long to see much else.
Alphas cheer their author friends on and hype them up so they get past the drafting stage and do, arguably, the most important thing a writer can do with their manuscript, which is to keep going. They’re early supporters. They are accountability buddies and friends. They’re community. Writing is, by its nature, a solitary pursuit, but it does not have to be lonely. Alphas help bridge that gap.
For all of these reasons and more, authors love their alphas. It really is hard to bungle an alpha read and if you’ve read (or listened to) this whole piece, chances are you’re too thoughtful to do so anyway.
Keep the lines of communications open, be loudly supportive and be kind. You’ll do just fine.
That’s all for now. Happy alpha reading!
💕 Thea