Plan beta reading rounds for practical nonfiction and turn reader comments, abandonment, confusion, skepticism, and negative feedback into manuscript revisions.
SkillScore91Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/15/2026
What it changes
Passed 20 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 17 of 22 without it.
Without skill77%
With skill91%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
Recommends using a cloud-hosted live commenting platform for reader visibility.
Rejects sending static PDF attachments via email as the primary feedback medium.
Advises against focusing on general praise, stylistic opinions, or star ratings.
and 3 more in the full report
4 fixed16 passed either way1 still failing1 broke
Pass-rate lift
+14 pp
Tokens
+28%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-7%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/15/2026v120 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 4 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 4
Prompt
I am getting ready to distribute my finished draft of a personal finance guide to 15 early readers. I plan to export the document as a PDF and email it out as an attachment with a feedback form attached. Outline the distribution workflow and setup recommendations for this reader round.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
Rejects sending static PDF attachments via email as the primary feedback medium.
Missed
Passed
Recommends using a cloud-hosted live commenting platform for reader visibility.
Missed
Passed
case-01 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/15/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md87 linessingle file
Beta Reader Feedback
Core Lens
Beta reading is product testing for a useful nonfiction manuscript. The goal is not praise, proofreading, or opinion collection. The goal is to discover whether readers want the promise, receive the value, stay engaged, and know what to do next.
Use this skill to:
Plan beta reader rounds.
Recruit the right readers.
Write reader instructions.
Classify and synthesize comments.
Detect hidden boredom from abandonment.
Decide what to revise next.
Decide when the manuscript is ready for polishing.
Reference Routing
Need
Read
Core beta-reading model and terminology
references/core/knowledge.md
Operating rules and decision criteria
references/core/rules.md
Example instructions, feedback classes, and synthesis patterns
references/core/examples.md
Quick checklist for setup and review
references/core/checklist.md
Run a beta iteration
workflows/run-beta-iteration.md
Synthesize comments into revision decisions
workflows/synthesize-feedback.md
Workflow
1. Confirm Beta-Readiness
Start beta reading after the draft is coherent enough for motivated readers, but before it has been polished so heavily that major changes feel costly.
If the draft is still a vague TOC, use book-toc-lab. If it needs structural pacing work first, use reader-experience-edit.