If you’ve spent any time researching the publishing world, whether traditional or self-publishing, chances are you’ve heard about beta readers. But what exactly are they and, even more importantly, do you really need them? The answer to that last question is: probably.

A beta reader is not an editor, so don’t think you can go skipping getting a good editor for your manuscript. Writers traditionally approach beta readers before they either send their manuscript to a traditional publisher or, in the case of self-publishing, send it to a developmental editor. Their task is essentially to read your “I think it’s ready to go to editing” version of your manuscript and give you feedback. That’s it.

But as deceptively simple as that sounds, you’d be surprised at how much useful information that one little assignment can generate. That being said, there are a few important things to keep in mind about beta readers.

They aren’t professionals
This is why I mentioned right at the outset that they cannot and should not replace the step of hiring a professional editor. The whole point of beta readers is that they are coming to your novel simply as fans of reading, not with a trained eye. Therefore the major edits, as well as the corrections to punctuation and grammar, are still best looked at by those who have been trained in that area.

But while you can and likely should certainly recruit fellow authors or others with experience in the editing and publishing world to represent part of your beta reading group, you may be surprised to find that sometimes the most helpful feedback comes from those who simply like reading books in the same genre as your manuscript. That’s really all it takes!

They will most definitely catch things that you won’t
Beta readers are often invaluable because, as casual readers, they tend to come across inconsistencies or simply odd details that take away from the overall reading experience. As authors, we often develop a blind spot within our own work in the sense that our eyes skim right over a sentence or paragraph that we’ve written, rewritten, read, and reread a million times.

But a beta reader has no such attachment to the story or characters, and can therefore spot the hidden discordant note. Whether it’s a contradiction within the in-world magic system or geography, a character’s physical features, or even an awkward time jump that wasn’t properly explained—if it’s there, a beta reader will find it.

They offer more than just feedback
Professional feedback is vital, but beta readers’ comments are equally valuable in their own way as a first step toward sending it to a professional editor who, no doubt, will mark it up even further.

Beta readers provide so much more than just a critical eye—they often represent the first community with whom you (finally!) get to talk about your work in progress. This can be a huge emotional outlet for an author, and sometimes opens up a conversation that can really peel back the layers of your own manuscript.

They can offer encouragement
While critical feedback is the backbone of why beta readers are often used, they can also offer some much-needed inspiration at a time when you may be feeling exhausted by the writing process itself. Collecting little nuggets of positive feedback can be just the “keep going, you’re almost there!” push that is needed.

Beta readers are also usually—but not always!—a bit gentler in their negative feedback than professional editors tend to be, so the whole beta reading process is a great way to dip your toes in the water of constructive criticism before sending it to the big leagues.

A word of warning
As you’ve probably gathered, having beta readers can be immensely helpful for the middle to end stages of manuscript writing. That being said, I want to warn against getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of comments and suggestions that you’re likely to get.

Not all advice is going to be useful, and there is no need to try and incorporate everything everyone says into your writing. Instead, take each comment with a grain of salt and trust your gut—if you don’t feel comfortable or agree with a suggested change, then don’t change it. At the end of the day, it’s still your book. Outside voices are nice for perspective, but they can never replace the voice inside you.

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.