I was surprised when a copywriting client pointed out “weird phrasing and spelling mistakes” in my work, then I worried their concerns were true. Writing tired had become the norm for a while, and the stress of late nights was beginning to show. This pushed me to hire a single, permanent beta-reader—someone who could brainstorm some ideas and check drafts with me. Here’s how writers can improve their flow by working with one particular back-up reader.

Writer’s Block (Or Desk Fright)

Writer’s block is the inability to write what feels good enough for submission. I sometimes call it desk fright—and like stage fright, it takes the pressure off to imagine that you’re only performing for one person instead of a whole audience. What if I only imagined a single reader while writing? Could my style return to its former quality?

About Beta-Readers and First Eyes

I asked DJ and producer Flash Wrldwide if she would be my primary reader and brainstorming partner in 2025.

We’re from different worlds, but a disc jockey has particularly sharp eyes and coordination skills. Mixing music means you have to be fast with your eyes, keys, and mind. Flash fit in with my thought processes, my pace, plus, she’s excellent at turning a phrase. If my phrasing got weird, she’s the first to point it out before a client sees it.

A beta-reader doesn’t have to be a professional editor. Instead, I chose Flash because she’s knowledgeable, a fast reader and a blunt critic. We can discuss sentences, ideas, and full pieces without restriction or embarrassment—she often sees where I’m headed without explanation, because we like much of the same authors and art.

Beta-readers are your first eyes, and your intended first reader. They’re someone you can trust, and someone you trust enough to show first writing—but simultaneously, they should always be someone who doesn’t lie to you for brownie points.

When my writing or ideas aren’t as good as I thought, I know Flash will point it out. Reading through things with Flash catches mistakes I would’ve missed on my own.

Writing With Someone Trusted

Since writing with Flash’s oversight, my phrasing is better, and publication is more frequent. It helps having a trusted someone whose thoughts help me direct where specific pieces could go.

I organize submission guidelines and do the writing, but Flash has become my gauge for which ideas are good—and which paragraphs or ideas won’t fit. Before an editor sees a complicated piece, Flash and I have read through it once if not twice, and she’s voiced her thoughts.

Flash has a little more control than beta-readers. If she says something is unpublishable or has to change, I listen—her practical business and media experience outmatches mine. She holds s professional edge I admire.

I don’t show Flash every single writing job, however, but when I’m tired or unsure, I’ll get in touch. I’ve asked Flash to read pieces like Number One Cities and Everywhere Else—a 2025 story about Cape Town, a city she has visited and I haven’t!

The Impact of First Reading

Incorporating another person impacts the business side of things, too. My website has a permalink to Flash’s Linktree, and I’ve made full disclosure to clients that I use another writer or beta-reader to confer. Because Flash sees things before clients or editors might, putting privacy concerns at rest means I automatically tell clients that we work together on some projects. If a client takes issue, I consider whether or not we need to part ways or I don’t use Flash.

A few days ago, I sent Flash a short story—and after this, I heard from the compilers that it was accepted for an upcoming 2025 collection. Great news, and I wouldn’t have rewritten it for publication the same without thinking of Flash as its primary reader.

A trusted beta-reader could mean writing with more confidence and having a better intuitive gauge of what works when published.

About the Author: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, author, and proofreader. He has written for a variety of publications and websites, with a radar calibrated for gothic, gonzo, and the weird. Sometimes, he co-writes with others.