Beta reading is the initial reaction to your manuscript from a reader. Beta readers read through the whole of your manuscript and either answer a specific set of questions you have or give more general feedback. If you ask your beta readers to answer specific questions, they are normally aspects of the manuscript you would find the most useful to have feedback on, such as ‘did you sympathise with the main character?’ or ‘did you guess the plot twist?’

On the other hand, you can allow the beta reader to write more generally about the plot, themes and characters and any aspects they liked or found confusing. As the author, it’s entirely up to you which method of feedback you would find most helpful.