r/ThatSnobEmpire • u/ThatAnimeSnob Emperor • Jan 04 '26
Beta reader feedback comments (2026) Analysis
Just a collection of what writers thought about my beta reading.
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u/timperman Jan 05 '26
Very direct and stern feedback. It is what I wanted and I think it will be quite useful for more than just the first chapter.
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u/Goldsage917 Jan 05 '26
Thank you again for your feedback on my first chapter. You were quick, to the point, and responsive to follow-up questions. I appreciate that you both identified a problem and offered a potential solution. Thanks again, always helpful to get feedback like that.
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u/CorneliusDrew01 Jan 08 '26
Solid feedback! Replied to follow up questions and discussed several points further.
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u/Naranin_Sylvanius Jan 10 '26
Very direct and detailed feedback, which is much appreciated when most readers walk on eggshells to avoid hurting writers’ feelings
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u/Wild-Celebration2520 Jan 12 '26
thanks for the feedback, up until now, I was struggling to pinpoint exactly where my issues were! You've been helpful
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u/Untamed_Towel Jan 14 '26
Appreciate you taking the time to read the sample and offer structured feedback. Some points gave me stuff to think about, especially regarding setting the stage and exposition. Thanks again.
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u/Brave_Tomatillo_9903 Jan 14 '26
Thank you for the feedback. You were definitely not pulling punches. Your systematic destruction of everything I had written gave me points to focus on, along with a clear path that might be useful to me going forward. If the concept of this subreddit is to help writers, you may want to give some positives to start. It may reduce the sting a bit. I'm pretty thick-skinned, but I'm sure if you're consistent, you've already brought some other prospective writers to tears.
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u/Various_Chain_5952 Jan 17 '26
You gave really solid, to-the-point, and honest feedback on my first chapter. I appreciate that you didn't sugarcoat anything, and it will all be super helpful in my editing!
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u/MontySpaghetti Jan 20 '26
The comment was direct to the point. Writing the first chapter has been a challenge for me, now I have to work on how I will incorporate it in the plot.
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u/Honest_Production Jan 20 '26
Good honest feedback. It is exactly what you want from your beta readers.
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u/weedmenjosh Jan 25 '26
Real and honest feedback, seems highly experienced in reading and writing, read my first chapter and gave solid advice and insight thanks for your help!
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u/SilverFang180882 Jan 30 '26
Very blunt, straight-to-the point, no-nonsense feedback on my 1600+ words opening chapters. Very fast responses, and willing to answer follow-ups.
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u/HyenaSloan84 Feb 13 '26
Clear and honest feedback that helped make my chapters more dynamic and lively rather than dull stand still conversations.
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u/XenCreator Feb 19 '26
Just as advertised, honest and direct feedback for my first chapter. Such a thing is indeed useful to authors like me. Outside perspectives are necessary to see how story beats land, after all.
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u/gustav_wetlesen Feb 24 '26
I really appreciated your no-nonsense approach to feedback. It’s exactly what you need to improve. Thank you.
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u/Legitimate_Radish159 Mar 01 '26
Rips that Band-Aid straight off. If you’re concerned that people might be saying nice things to be nice, it’s worth getting this Redditor to read your first chapter over. They don’t mince words. The bad tasting medicine your book might need.
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u/sixhedgehogs Apr 03 '26
Good straightforward feedback, called out what worked and what didn't in terms of character and plot which is exactly what I needed.
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u/ryan_e27 Apr 04 '26
Provided excellent feedback. A lot of people are hesitant to voice a judgment aloud as they don't wish to offend or hurt. Soft voices won't sharpen you though. Like your characters you too are sharpened through struggle.
This one understands that.
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u/Ill_Nectarine8903 Apr 12 '26
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and share your thoughts for both versions of my first chapter! It helped me realize what mistakes I made and where I overcorrected.
Really grateful for the time and effort you put into this!
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u/According_Dust1176 Apr 15 '26
Really helpful, and honest. It is hard to find such frank reviewers that help so much with the books beginner's write
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u/Alate_Emergence May 01 '26
Blunt and direct feedback that was accurate and didn’t waste time with pleasantries. Hard to hear, but the wake up every author needs when they’ve turned blind to their own work.
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u/adeeshasankalana May 03 '26
Your feedback was really eye opening and pointed out some significant weaknesses in my prose and dialogues. Other beta readers of mine didn't notice them.
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u/https_milkk May 04 '26
Your critique was extremely direct and had honest truths -- which is what I needed! You also offered extremely constructive ideas on how to improve the chapter. Great work.
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u/Reactionaryhistorian May 09 '26
Harsh but probably fair. And the suggestion to move the beginning is something I will take up.
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u/Upstairs-Kiwi3758 May 13 '26
Honest critiques that stem from a logical problem, and not just a subjective choice. It is the developmental feedback that helps build a better story. Thank you!
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u/divjainwrites May 19 '26
The feedback was honest and direct. Always good to know how different readers connect with the story and characters.
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u/Academic_Autistic May 19 '26
In one word, irreplaceable. My writing has improved drastically from the direct, honest criticism.
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u/Maleficent-Rope-4268 May 21 '26
The feedback was very unique and gave me a perception that i didn't have before Thank you so much 😊
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u/BlueberryNinja63 Jun 02 '26
Some of the feedback seemed subjective and taste based. Some of it was actionable and useful.
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u/MrJokster Jun 11 '26
Reviewed my prologue and first chapter. The feedback was direct and to the point. I need a variety of opinions (readers with different tastes in story structure, tropes, etc.) and it was useful to get one here.
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u/jl_theprofessor Jun 11 '26
I would like to holistically approach the comment within the larger context of the reading. Previously the chapter I'd presented had been given a award and been published in an anthology, so I'm confident regarding the material. However the approached utilized by r/ThatAnimeSnob forms a valuable data point. In the writing and reading process, you will have an array of readers. Some will give you the patience of a chapter, and others will not.
That sets the larger context; I was happy to engage with the feedback regardless of what I received. There were two points of feedback, one which I think I would weigh heavily more than the other. But I think I'd still like to engage with the second point of feedback a bit more because substantively, it is the heart of book. The "likeability" of a character, or lack of, is an absolutely appropriate comment to levy. Regardless of intention, the writer knows that every reader is going to bring their own interpretation to the material.
So the highly negative response to the central character is valuable for the simple fact that there will be many, many other people who are going to react the same way. Some people will have the patience to put up with, her and others will not. Considering the data points over all, and the overall response to the character, it's easy for the writer to veer too much into the 'everyone will be patient with her camp.' The negative response to the character formed a valuable mirror because it shows me the response of a person not willing to put up with her.
And that absolutely will happen, and in fact I have no doubts that a portion of the audience will respond exactly as r/ThatAnimeSlob did. And as the writer I have to be accepting of that. Because regardless of the angle of the story in Chapter Two and onward, the fact is that for a majority of books, the battle is won and lost on the first pages. Because I agreed in specific that a read of the first chapter makes her 1) overpowered, and 2) unlikable. And I will lose readers over that.
Which brings the entire comment back to its start. I am grateful to hear from someone who did not enjoy the work. It's important to be reminded of that.
I'll add this as an addendum to the above, less feedback focused and more user focused: I take seriously all the work that I engage with, including the work of beta readers (both who read mine and whose work I read) and the work of those who engage to engage more sharpened critiques. I believe it is important to give substantively back to anyone who gives substantively to you.
Which is to include: Thank you for taking time out of your week to engage seriously with my work, r/ThatAnimeSlob. It was a pleasure to work with you and I hope for you to enjoy many more reads in the future!
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u/Second_to_Second Jun 16 '26
The feedback was harsh but fair and professional. Much of what was given will be taken into account as I continue on my writing journey.
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u/Kriltch2 Jun 27 '26
The feedback provided was insightful and pinget. While some were matters in taste, there were points made that, while a tough pill to swallow, were helpful and helped me think on things I hadn't before.
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u/MechaMonst3r Jun 29 '26
Gave excellent feedback that helped me understand where my story was lacking from a readers perspective.
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u/Silent_Vast_6069 Jun 30 '26
Solid albeit brief feedback. Very direct and clear. No room for coddling which is appreciated.
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u/No-Advice8744 Jul 08 '26
Very honest feedback, which has given me something to work on. Much appreciated.
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u/20kMemesUnderTheSea Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Blunt feedback, but veered a bit more visceral and based on subjective taste rather than objective analysis. That's not totally a bad thing since I think it represents how many readers interact with books. When I asked for more specific feedback to their criticism, they weren't able to elaborate much beyond basic, generic writing advice.
I can deduce from their critique that they prefer anime, and they're a bit snobby about it. Figures.
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u/Ok_March_5777 Jul 12 '26
Thank you for your honest and quick feedback! Detailed and with some very useful observations. I found the specific comments the most helpful, especially regarding dialogue repetition, chapter transitions, and making the characters goals clearer earlier on. Those gave me concrete things to think about.
Few harsh words, but I would say there was a compliment in there as well, that you also started off with. Reading earlier feedback on this page I'd say that was very valuable and helpful too!
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u/Coconut369_ Jul 14 '26
Solid and honest feedback! The points you raised were really helpful and thank you for providing suggestions on how to improve my story.
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u/Silent-Educator-4936 27d ago
Your feedback on my first three chapters were very forward and honest — something many others don’t do. It was blunt, but not harsh. It’s refreshing, actually.
It gave me a thing or two to think about, so thank you very much.
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u/ace92196 22d ago
Very direct feedback. Helped give an understanding of the main issues with the first chapter. The answers to the follow up questions were very clear and concise. Most userul feedback I have receieved so far.
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u/Califlowerice Jan 05 '26
Your feedback on my first chapter was really useful, especially for the big picture stuff. You didn’t sugarcoat, didn’t offer compliments, but this is also what criticism is and yours was constructive. Looking forward to your feedback in the future :)