Beta reader
A beta reader is someone who reads a complete draft of a book before publication and gives feedback as a reader — where they were bored, confused, delighted, or unconvinced. Beta readers are not editors; their value is reporting the experience of reading, which the author is too close to see.
The neighboring roles differ by timing and purpose. Alpha readers see early, rough material — sometimes chapter by chapter — while the draft is still forming. Beta readers see a finished draft, before or between edits. ARC readers receive an advance review copy of the essentially final book, in exchange for honest reviews at launch. Sensitivity readers are a paid specialty: they review the portrayal of an identity or experience they know firsthand.
Betas give better feedback when asked specific questions: where did you skim, where did you stop believing a character, what did you think was about to happen, would you keep reading past chapter one? Reaction beats prescription — what a beta felt is data; how they would rewrite it usually is not. Scribegrove supports this workflow with watermarked share links, where reviewer notes anchor to specific chapters.