: Re: Are "non-readers" useful beta readers? In my opinion, the best beta readers are fellow writers, partly because they may have insight others don't, but partly also because you can agree to trade

@Sent2472441

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Assuming that by "non-readers" you mean "people who are not fans of the genre you write", they can be useful beta-readers. Here are some points for you to consider, in no particular order.

Being used to certain genre conventions, you might no longer notice when those conventions have some inherent logical failure. For example, being used to D&D, you might think of a fireball as dealing fire damage and then dissipating, where for somebody else it would seem logical for the fire to spread, if there's anything to burn.
The Beta might be an expert in a field you're not sufficiently familiar with. For example, if an economist had read Harry Potter prior to publication, he might have explained to J.K. Rowling that money doesn't just lie in a bank, doing nothing until the owner comes to pick it up.
Similar to the above point, but more deliberate: you might want a beta reader from a certain demographic, and struggle to find someone who's also a fan of your genre. Race, religion, sexual preference, etc. - you might be very familiar with the subject, but if you're not, it's preferable to run what you've written by someone who is.
The person might surprise you and themselves by actually liking your book, despite not usually enjoying the genre. They would be able to provide you with feedback regarding what sets your story apart.

However, when offering your work to be beta-read by a person who doesn't usually enjoy this type of literature, be aware that they might not enjoy your work either, and provide you no useful feedback at all. Don't get discouraged by this. And don't force your beta to go on with something they don't enjoy. The last point is important: if a beta reader isn't enjoying your story from the outset, all their feedback is going to be coloured by this. @Amadeus is right about people who'd rather be doing something else.

A particular beta reader's feedback might prove useful, or not useful. Hear out what they have to say, consider it, but use also your own common sense - if a piece of advice strikes you as not useful, ignore it. But then, that's true of all beta readers.

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