I’m looking for paid beta readers who can give high-quality, detailed feedback on novels. I’ve seen some options online, but I’m not sure where to find reliable people who actually know how to critique plot, pacing, and character development, rather than just spotting typos.
Has anyone here hired beta readers through Fiverr or similar platforms? What were your experiences : did you get helpful, actionable feedback, or was it mostly surface-level stuff?
Also curious about what other platforms or communities have worked well for you in finding serious beta readers. Any tips on setting expectations or structuring the feedback process so it’s actually useful?
Totally get wanting more than typo-hunting. One small thing that helped me on Fiverr: pay for a short sample (first chapter) first, plus a questionnaire about plot/pacing. Keep only readers whose notes genuinely sting a bit.
For my last manuscript, I used Fiverr to hire three beta readers. I sent them a guide: “Focus on pacing, character arcs, and dialogue realism.” I got three very different perspectives, all detailed and helpful. Worth it if you want multiple viewpoints without paying for a full editor.
I just started with Fiverr. First beta reader sent back AI slop. Fiverr explicitly tells you to tell the seller if you don’t want them to use AI, and I didn’t do that for this seller.
Second beta reader hit a couple delays, offered me a discount for the second delay, and ultimately returned a decent analysis with a recommendation. That one was a good experience.
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Was it expensive?
Depending on the reader and the size of the book but from my research it seems like it is still cheaper than hiring an editor
I thought ideally you want beta readers AND an editor
Thank you!
critique partner connection and goodreads are the best places I have found. highly recommend doing an exchange, and exchange chapters before moving forward + edit suggestions, just to get a taste. and remember it's okay to say it won't work
I've used Fiverr for 3x beta reads now. Two provided detailed, useful feedback, one couldn't even be bothered to write the correct novel title on their report.
Despite the third, I think its worth it. I believe in paying people for their work, and reading an unpolished manuscript and writing a constructive report is work. It's much faster and reliable then trying to get people to volunteer to read it for free, and I don't have any friends or family that I would trust to give honest feedback (or who read enough in my genre to be a good eye).
I'd filter for beta readers who specifically say they are interested in your genre, and then pay careful attention of reviews. Check for one-star reviews even if the person has good overall ratings and see what they say.
I don't give too much instruction as I don't want to bias their feedback, but I tell them not to hold back on criticism. I want to know where things aren't landing or are confusing so I can grow as a writer.
I usually look for someone who offers in-line comments on top of a report as well. I find it super helpful to have little highlights and notes throughout the manuscript of what lines stood out to them, reactions, etc.
It does cost money, but much less than hiring an editor, and imo its worth it.
You can try Kboards. It's where authors usually find me for editing or beta reading.
Hmmm. Yeah, I hired 5 beta readers through Fiverr this year. They will give you feedback, though I can't say it's high level. In all these cases I was involved in, they missed some of the themes, some of the narrative methods went over their heads, etc. I did get some helpful suggestions, but if you are expecting your reader to figure things out without explicit explanation, aka trusting the reader, it's a mixed bag.
If you can't trust the reader without explicitly telling them what you meant, you wrote poorly in the first place.
Yeah, MAYBE; it could be poor writing, indeed. But it's just as likely to be poor reading. Just slip in a duplicate paragraph and see if they catch it.
I mean, if five different individuals can't pick up on theme or narrative method without you holding their hand, it's more likely an authorial issue. If you're communicating clearly, then the typical layman ought to be able to pick up on these things, yes?
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Can't tell if satire
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At your school.
Or just Google search to find out.