A first reader does not need to solve your book. They can help you see where their experience differs from what you intended. Give them a manageable piece and a clear question, and agree on what they are being asked to do.
This guide is for an informal reading exchange. A professional editor may have a different process and should explain the scope of their service directly.
Choose the question before the excerpt
Decide what you want to learn. Is the opening clear enough to make someone continue? Does a character’s decision make sense? Does the ending feel prepared?
Send enough context to answer that question. If you want feedback on a scene in chapter twelve, include a short explanation of what the reader needs to know. Avoid a long defence of the scene: it can make it harder for the reader to describe an honest first impression.
Tell them the stage of the work. A rough structural draft needs a different response from a passage ready for sentence-level editing.
Agree on the kind of access
Before sharing a file or link, decide whether the person should read, comment or edit. Check the actual permissions in your chosen tool. A document link and a manuscript invitation may grant different access.
If you are co-writing, agree which parts you will each work on and how you will discuss larger changes. Decide who can accept a proposed structural change. Concurrent typing alone does not settle those editorial decisions.
Keep an identifiable copy of what you sent. This gives both people a common reference when a later draft has moved on.
Adapt this reader brief
What I’m sending: The opening chapter of a rough draft, about six pages.
What would help: Tell me when you understand what the main character wants, and mark any point where you feel lost.
What can wait: Spelling and sentence-level polishing. I expect to rewrite sections after this pass.
How to respond: Notes beside the relevant passage, followed by a short overall impression.
Timing: Let me know whether next Friday works. A later date is fine if we agree on it first.
Sharing: Please keep the excerpt within this reading exchange.
Replace the sample length and timing with the real request. Ask whether the person has time before sending a substantial manuscript.
Read the response in two stages
First collect what the reader experienced: confusion, surprise, boredom, curiosity. Then consider their proposed fixes. You may agree with the experience but find a different solution that fits the book.
If a comment is unclear, ask which passage produced that response. Avoid arguing the reader out of an impression. Your explanation may be useful in conversation, but it will not accompany every future reader.
For each change you decide to make, leave a short note about the problem it addresses. Keep suggestions you are not ready to use in a separate list.
Close the loop
Thank the reader and tell them which part of the feedback helped you understand the draft. If you want a second reading, ask again with a narrower question rather than assuming an ongoing commitment.
Use the scene revision exercise to work through the comments. If sharing has become difficult because copies and permissions are scattered, use the software checklist to test a more suitable workflow.