Writers have at their disposal a wide array of tools to help them craft their work, honing it to a polished product. Rather than leaving some resources untapped, a writer who is striving for the best outcome will employ all of these tools simultaneously. Admittedly, this task of balancing the use of a wide array of tools at once sounds easier than it is in practice.
One essential tool for writers is that of the beta reader, as I call them. Beta readers are people you know and trust, who will read your work before you finally put it out in front of thousands or strangers to have it critiqued and dissected. In my experience with writing, finding good beta readers is not an entirely easy task. You may get lucky and find good ones the first time you try. Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series, was burned by a beta reader of hers who published her manuscript online, prompting Meyer to halt the project indefinitely from what I understand. I have no idea who the beta reader of her's was, but that one person caused a lot of trouble.
A writer must consider many factors when choosing beta readers. First, and perhaps most importantly, the writer must choose beta readers who most closely fit the audience for the book. If you are writing a book for teenage boys, picking a bunch of beta readers who are empty nest women will not give you reliable feedback. This does not mean every last beta reader should fit the exact target audience, but at least the majority should. Other factors should guide a writer's decision about beta readers. Beta readers must be reliable and actually read the manuscript in a timely fashion. Writers work under deadlines, even if they are self-imposed, and so a beta reader who drags his or her feet can throw a monkey wrench in the writing process. Beta readers also must be honest with the writer. If a beta reader hands back a 360 page manuscript and says it was completely flawless and wonderful, the beta reader either did not read it or is afraid to give real criticism. You do not want beta readers who are extra nice for fear or offending you. On the other hand, you do not want beta readers who are just negative people and love to find fault in everything.
Sabotage is a very real concern when you use beta readers. Not only can they leak your story prematurely, but they can engage in other activities to trip up your writing process. Sometimes family and friends get jealous that you have had any measure of success in publishing and selling your writing, and so they give bad advice in an attempt to cause you to fail. If you get the slightest hint this is the case with a beta reader, beware any advice from this person.
You need to have at least a couple of beta readers who are grammar snobs. Even with a professional editor or two going over the manuscript, other people will help catch errors before your book is printed.
Remember that a beta reader may make suggestions, but ultimately you make the final decision about what changes in your book. Don't just roll over because someone else thinks you need to cut or add certain things to your book. J.K. Rowling had to fight to keep the scene where Hermione, Ron and Harry fight the troll in the first Harry Potter, since her publisher thought it did nothing for the story and should be cut out. Rowling stood her ground and insisted the scene showed the three kids working together for the first time, and she won. The scene worked well in the book; the publisher was wrong.
