Frequently Asked Questions

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Why is beta reading important?

Beta reading isn't just important: it's an essential step that will take you from an unpolished manuscript to publication. A beta reader will read your imperfect, in some cases unfinished manuscript (your short story, poem collection, full-length novel, you name it). Their job is to give you feedback in the form of constructive criticism. With this feedback, you'll be able to polish your manuscript and make it publication-ready. Even if you're not interested in publishing your work, beta readers will provide extremely valuable feedback which will more than likely make your story better. It's more than likely to make you a better writer as well. Beta readers are sometimes also called "fresh eyes" because they haven't spent hours absorbed in your work, which is why they can give you fresh insight. It's easier for them to find plot holes, give a first-time reader's impression of the characters, and provide you with new ideas.

What makes a good beta reader?

As a beta reader, it's first and foremost your job to be able to provide the right kind of feedback. Your feedback should be honest and constructive, even if it's challenging for the author to hear. It should be specific, with close attention to detail, explaining why something works or doesn't instead of short comments like "It's good" or "It's bad." Finally, and most importantly, your feedback needs to be kind. If you disliked the story, say why, but remember to stay positive, without using strong language such as "I hated your story." Also, don't comment about the writer at any point, even to praise them: your job is to give feedback on their work, not who they are as a person! Try to separate these two concepts.

You should have some familiarity with the genre which you're beta reading. If you're reviewing a rom-com but have never in your life read anything like it, it's harder to approach the work as more experienced readers would. Try to get familiar with as many genres as you can. That means reading as many books as you can. Reading a lot equals being a great beta reader.

Lastly, to be a great beta reader, you should also have some writing experience. You may have the best ideas for how to make a story better, but you need to be able to communicate those ideas clearly for the author to understand them. If you're stuck, try reading through a few comments on our website: see what kind of feedback is clear and what isn't, and apply this to your own feedback.

What makes a good writer?

We created an entire page with Writing Advice just to answer that question! Check it out.

What is a beta reader vs. a beta writer?

Beta readers approach your work as a potential reader: someone who picked it up at a bookstore, was told to read it by a friend, or is re-reading for the millionth time. Beta writers are usually published, professional, or experienced writers who critique your work, but as an editor. We made this website for beta readers, not beta writers, but you can definitely have writing experience or be a published author (congrats!) to give feedback. Ultimately, our users are looking for solid feedback from the same people who'd be interested in reading their work (not editing it, just giving suggestions on it). Make sure you are approaching the story as a reader would, and not as an editor.

What's the purpose of this website?

Our mission is to create a safe, engaging community for child writers to share their work with their target audiences. We want to connect all child writers with child readers who will review and provide feedback on their work. You can read more about this on our home page!

Who can use this website?

This website was created for kids who are 18 years old or under. It's primarily aimed at kids from middle school through high school writing in young adult/middle grade categories, although we welcome younger writers as well. You can also post your (appropriate) nonfiction/adult work. We put these restrictions not to discourage others from writing, but because they help align the content and users on this website with our mission.

Do I need an account to read stories?

No, you absolutely do not need an account to use this website. No signup is required to read every story we have: no ads, no fees, no restrictions. But you do need an account to access the features on this website. With an account, you'll be able to like stories, leave comments on them, and submit your own work. If you want access to these features, you can sign up. If you just want to read for personal pleasure, make sure you've taken a quick look at our guidelines first.

How simple is signup?

First and foremost, you need your parent/guardian's permission. Click the sign up link. Pick a username, enter your email (kids under 13: use your parent/guardian's email), and choose a password. Confirm that you're 18 or under and have permission to use this website. Read our guidelines (we promise they're short) and click the signup button. That's it! Happy writing!

What are the badges?

Each member has a badge. There are four types of badges: BRONZE, SILVER, GOLD, and PLATINUM.

When you sign up, your badge will be BRONZE. By contributing to our website, you can earn higher-ranking badges over time.

You need to submit a certain number of stories and comments to get your badge upgraded. For example, to earn SILVER, you need to submit five stories and give ten comments to other people.

How do you moderate content on this website?

We take the following steps to make sure this website remains safe for children to use:

• We do not allow any content to be posted on this website without an account. If you want to submit your own work, you must have an account. If you don't have an account, you can still read stories, but you won't be able to submit your own work. This helps protect against spam.
• When you sign up, you will not to post content which is rude or offensive. We might delete users who post such content.
• We have a system which checks all content posted on our website at the exact moment which it is posted. If it determines the content to be bad, it will flag the content. We (who created this website) will review the flagged content. If the moderation system didn't flag it correctly, we will put the content back on our website. If the moderation system was correct, we might delete the content.

Unfortunately, with all these measures in place, it is still possible that you will come across bad content on this website. If you do, email us immediately. We will take it down right away.

Who created this website?

Banksy.

The only other information we will give you is that it was created by a single person who enjoys art and writing. (We use the royal "we" anyway. It sounds better.)