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Beta Reader Questionnaire

Thank you for taking the time to read our story! Please read the questions before starting the story so they’ll be in the back of your mind as you’re reading.

Keep in mind there is no judgment here about your opinions. Feel free to be as critical as you need.This is fiction and fantasy and does not reflect reality for you or other readers.

Opening:

Were the first paragraphs and first page compelling? Did they make you want to keep reading? If not, what was the problem?

Did you get oriented fairly quickly at the beginning as to whose story it is, what’s going on, and where and when it’s taking place? If not, what were you confused about at the beginning?

Did the story continue to hold your interest through the first few chapters? Or is there a point where your interest started to lag?

Characters:

Were there characters that needed development or focus?

Could you relate to the main characters? Did you feel her/his pain, joy, fear, worry, or excitement?

Which characters did you connect to and like? (Or love to hate?)

Are there any characters you think could be made more interesting or more likable?

Could the bad guy(s) be nastier or more interesting? How?

Did you get confused about who’s who in the characters? Are there too many characters to keep track of?

Are any of the names or characters too similar?

Did the main characters have chemistry, and did their relationship make sense?

Which side characters are you curious to know more about after reading this installment?

Otherkin:

Were the types or powers believable within the story’s context? If not, for whom and how?

Which did you enjoy the most or least?

Were there other types you would like to see?

LGBTQ+ and other authenticity issues:

Were the portrayals of Bi-, lesbian, non-binary, poly, monogamish, monogamous, or other characters seem authentic?

What worked or didn’t for you?

Were there any offending instances?

Race, ethnicity, or gender roles?

Erotic Content:

Did you have to reread any part of the erotic scenes or interactions to figure out what was going on?

Did any of the erotic dialogue or interactions make you cringe?

Did anything make you feel uncomfortable? What and how?

How well did you think the relationships developed between the characters, and how did it serve the story?

Was there anything missing or that you would like to see more of?

Dark Content:

The darker scenes are meant to provoke thought and drive the plot/story. Were the darker elements too dark or made you uncomfortable? Which ones or how?

General thoughts?

Dialogue:

Did the dialogue sound natural to you? If not, whose dialogue did you think sounded artificial?

Setting:

Were you able to visualize where and when the story is taking place?

Did the setting pull you in, and did the descriptions seem vivid and real to you?

Plot, Pacing, Scenes:

Was the story interesting to you? Did it drag in parts? Where?

Which scenes/paragraphs/lines did you really like?

Which parts were exciting and should be elaborated on, with more details?

Which parts bored you and should be compressed or even deleted? What parts did you dislike or not like as much?

Was there anything that confused, frustrated, or annoyed you?

What parts resonated with you and/or moved you emotionally?

Did you understand every phrase / term I used? If not, which ones?

Did you notice any discrepancies or inconsistencies in time sequences, places, character details, plot, etc.?

Visual:

Can you SEE every action clearly?

If you went there in real life, would you recognize the places? If not, elaborate.

Did you have to reread any part of the ACTION SEQUENCES to understand who was doing what? List any issues lines/paragraphs that didn’t make sense and required a re-read.

Could you SEE what the characters looked like clearly? If not, who?

Writing Style/Tone/Voice: (Third person limited, past tense)

Do you think the writing style fits the story and genre? If not, why not?

Ending:

Was the ending satisfying?

Was the ending believable?

Grammar, spelling, punctuation:

While you were reading, did you notice any obvious, repeating grammatical, spelling, word choice, punctuation, or capitalization errors?

Notes:

In your opinion, what are the main strengths of the story? The main weaknesses of the story?
Anything additional you want to add?

Trigger Warnings:

List anything that may have triggered you or might in others: