When people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong. - Neil Gaiman
Friends and Family
The people you love are no doubt very proud you completed a novel, but they rarely make good beta readers. Asking them to read your work at its early stage will likely result in some awkwardness and not a lot of helpful feedback. Even if they are readers of your genre, or they tell you they're just dying to read it, be wary of sending you manuscript to people you're close to. You need to move the story forward to the next stage, and for that you'll want honest, professional and useful criticism. When your story is published, that's when you shove the book into the hands of everyone you know.
A tip: Talking about your novels' plot with people you know and trust can be very helpful. Try pitching your story to them, or find out what troupes they like and see how your novel might be marketed to them.
Writers
Writers make good beta readers. This is largely because they understand the process. They are also likely to have a novel they want you to read (i.e. a beta swap) which is great for you and great for them. Reading other people's works-in-progress can be so much fun. You see their raw creativity on the pages. While reading published books is all well and good (and a very necessary part of writing) it's also a bit like scrolling through social media - you're seeing a filtered picture. Writing is messy and it's good to go through other people's messes. It will teach you how to pick up on the good and bad of a story that's still finding its legs.
A warning: Writer's will apply their craft knowledge to your book, as well as their taste. Their knowledge and taste may not align with yours, and no matter how authoritative they might sound, feedback is always subjective. You shouldn't completely ignore negative criticism, just as you shouldn't accept all positive comments as being meaningful. Look at the larger picture of what others say about your work.
You can find writers online in writing forums or social media sites using the hashtag #betareader or #betaswap. It's also worthwhile looking for in-person writing groups local to your area.
The Good Beta Reader will...
Read the genre you write in. Ask them what their favourite books/genres are as this will impact the kind of feedback you can expect to receive i.e. a passionate romance reader might be less enthused about a deeply political sci-fi, no matter how brilliant your plotting.
Agree a timeframe for feedback. Be flexible but set some kind of deadline.
Communicate! Life can get in the way but they should be able to message you a heads up if they aren't going to be able to read in the agreed timeframe.
Give feedback the way you ask for it. If you want comments throughout the text, they should be commenting at least something in every chapter. If you want them to answer a feedback form, they should be as detailed as possible, and always open to further questions if any comments are unclear to you.
Be able to identify both strengths and weaknesses. It's not useful for them to simply cheerlead your manuscript, nor is it productive for them to rip it apart. Every book has strengths and weaknesses, a good beta should be able to communicate their opinion for both.
Encourage you and be invested in your success! They don't have to love your story (though it is nice if they do) but they should care to help you improve it and want to find out what you do with it further down the line. Keep them posted if you go on to query the book or self-publish it.
The Bad Beta Reader will...
Nit-pick the text. Unless you want a line editor, a beta reader should really be looking at the story and character development, not ripping apart sentences. Finding typos or pointing out awkward prose can be a good thing, but it's not the main thing you need at this stage.
Only say bad things or be generally negative. I once had a beta reader trash the sample section I sent them and say, as the one single positive note, that I had a good opening chapter so I should be able to rewrite the rest of it to match! Yay me!
Ask for money. Yes, there are paid services out there and I'm not saying to never use them, but beta reading is not something you have to pay for. It'll improve your writing to read other people's early drafts and the same goes for them so it's a win-win situation that shouldn't require a charge.
Ghost you. Your book is your baby. You worked hard writing it and you know it has its flaws so it's a vulnerable thing to send it out to strangers for judgement. If they don't even bother to get back to you, that can feel crushing. To avoid the chances of this, it helps to send a sample chapter or section to a potential beta reader. That way you can gauge interest as well as reliability.
Only be interested in feedback for their story. If you're doing a beta swap, be careful that who you're swapping with is a genuine match for you as well as them. It's best to be honest when you receive sample chapters. If you don't like their story, don't agree to beta read it simply because you want them to give you feedback on yours. If you're not the right reader for them, then your feedback won't be right for them either.
Steal your story. No, not really. In the whole history of the world this may have happened to some poor writers out there, but I don't think it's something to be worried about when sharing manuscripts with someone. Especially a fellow writer. They will be far more likely to see the flaws in your writing than want to steal your story. And in the beta reading stage you still have a lot of work to do that will require changes only you - the author - can make. It's a work-in-progress, not a fine jewel ready to be snatched.
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