What is an Alpha Reader, and Why You Need One.

By Tierre-Lee Curtis

When you are writing a story, or any form of text for that matter, there are several readers you must face before the general population even catches a glimpse of your work. Over the next few weeks, we will meet and come to understand who these readers are and what they offer you, the writer. With no further ado, let me introduce our first contestant, the Alpha Reader.

Alpha Readers are the first set of eyes to read your work once the rough draft is complete. Whether it’s as rough as sandpaper or as smooth as a hairless cat’s hiney, it is their job to read your writing and provide feedback on a conceptual level.  An Alpha Reader’s responsibility is to understand how the average reader will respond to the story and evaluate the general direction of the text and its literary devices.

What’s the difference between an Alpha Reader and a Beta Reader?

-They’re both here to help improve your work, mull over ideas, and resolve problem areas within your text.
-While an Alpha will read the first draft, before any other editing work has been undertaken, the Beta will review the final draft before it hits the stands.
-Alpha Readers will look at the big picture and mull over ideas with you to help fix problem areas and enhance your writing. 

-The biggest benefit you will find from acquiring an Alpha Reader's help is that they highlight your text’s strengths, and either remove or restabilise its weaknesses. The advice they can provide is invaluable during the early developmental stages of your writing, and it’s the constructive criticism during this period that makes all the difference. 

Whether it’s your first time having someone read over your work or the twentieth, having an Alpha Reader is a vital step to any writer’s journey to sharing their work.