16 Beta Reader Feedback Templates

Beta brief: Manuscript [title/version]. Genre [x]. Approx. length [x]. Feedback focus [x]. Deadline [x]. Please do/not comment on [scope].

Reaction questions: Where did attention increase? Where did it drop? What confused you? What felt inevitable in a good way? What felt convenient?

Character questions: What did [character] want? When did that become clear? Which choice felt least believable, and why?

Synthesis table: Observation [reader quote/paraphrase] | frequency [n] | location [chapter] | underlying problem [hypothesis] | revision decision [action].

Source-record and update audit for Beta Reader Feedback: statement / example → [ ]; external fact, project fact, interpretation, recommendation, convention, or original example → [ ]; controlling first-party / primary source → [ ]; secondary source if used → [ ]; source record / locator → [ ]; date or version checked → [ ]; update trigger → [ ]; publish / qualify / revise / hold → [ ].

Source-ledger and revision-history audit for Beta Reader Feedback: claim / recommendation / example → [ ]; source or project record ID → [ ]; source status active / superseded / corrected / retracted / retired → [ ]; claim-level last verified date/version → [ ]; event that triggered recheck → [ ]; correction / withdrawal action → [ ]; reader-facing disclosure needed? → [ ]; what changed and why → [ ]; prior wording/version retained at → [ ].

Claim/source status audit: Item [claim/source/example] | Status [active / review due / stale / corrected / retracted / superseded] | Controlling source/version [x] | Last verified [date/version] | Stale trigger [x] | Correction severity [0–3] | Reader disclosure [none / note / correction / withdrawal] | Changelog entry [what changed + why].

Dependency and propagation audit: Claim / example / recommendation [x] | Controlling source / project record [x] | Dependency strength [direct / shared / advisory / independent] | Review trigger / reason code [x] | Needs-review scope [local / direct dependents / cluster] | Replacement source requirements [x] | Carry-forward decision [x] | Propagation targets [x] | Reader disclosure / changelog action [x].

Persistent editorial registry audit: Topic slug → [ ]; claim UID/key → [ ]; source UID/key → [ ]; dependency UID + strength → [ ]; source status/version → [ ]; open review UID/reason/priority → [ ]; replacement source if any → [ ]; reviewer + resolution → [ ].

Response capture: reader [id/fit] | location [x] | exact observation [x] | emotion/interpretation [x] | suggested fix [separate field].

Pattern table: issue/location [x] | readers mentioning [n] | independent? [yes/no] | target-reader fit [x] | severity [low/med/high] | confidence [x].

Observation → diagnosis: readers experienced [observable reaction] at [location]; likely manuscript cause [hypothesis]; evidence for/against [x]; do not implement yet.

Disagreement matrix: reader A [reaction] | reader B [reaction] | shared text evidence [x] | likely segment/taste/ambiguity cause [x] | decision test [x].

Strength protection: repeated positive function [x] | locations [x] | why it works [hypothesis] | revisions that must preserve it [x].

Escalation test: Can I identify a root cause and safe experiment? [yes/no] | if no, does the problem span plot/argument/structure/pacing? [yes → consider developmental editing].

Handoff row: diagnosed problem [x] | impact [x] | confidence [x] | dependencies [x] | candidate experiment [x] | send to Revision Plan [yes/no].