Beta reader thread

[Spacecadet]

Originally Posted by Melaszka

I'm happy to beta stuff when I have time. I'd rather confine myself mostly to spelling, grammar, register and Brit-picking (where appropriate), though, rather than literary stuff like plot or literary style, as that can be so much a matter of individual taste. I'm happy to offer an opinion if asked, though.

Thanks for the offer I might take you up on that at some point, bellatrix has graciously offered to help so im going to take her up on the offer, but if im looking for more help in the future i will contact you

[Melaszka]

Originally Posted by Spacecadet

Thanks for the offer I might take you up on that at some point, bellatrix has graciously offered to help so im going to take her up on the offer, but if im looking for more help in the future i will contact you

No worries It was actually a general offer, so if anyone else wants anythign looked at...

[merinxd]

Howdy,

I'm currently in the market for a new beta for my Dramione ship fics.

If anyone knows of anyone good give me a bell.



Cheers,

MerinxD

[GermDave]

I wrote a novel that I believe will really fill the void left behind by the completion of the Harry Potter and Twilight novels. I'm currently amidst my search for an agent and I am looking for some feedback from my target audience.

The story is about a boy who stumbles into a world full of magic and is defined by the different races of people that inhabit the world and the special powers that each race of people possess. The boy befriends the person that he inadvertently followed through a portal into the magical world to begin with. They embark a fast paced adventure that doesn't stop all the while trying to uncover the true origins of the main characters family.

If you are interested in helping me out by reading and giving me some feedback, please send me a message on this website.

Thank you!

[MsBinns]

I wouldn't mind having a Beta for a story I've begun. As I usually only write or reread my work at the end of a long day of teaching, planning, and grading, I'm sure it could definitely use another pair of eyes.

It is an immediate post DH fic centered around Ron and Hermione. Nothing obscene - pure angst and fluff, but with a probable PG-13 rating. Owl me if you're interested! (and thanks in advance)

[Spacecadet]

I'm searching for a critique partner or group to help develop some of my writing and help with other people's writing and generally learn more about the writing process and how to improve. I've done many searches on google but it seems to have failed me I was wondering the following:

*Have you ever used a critique group/partner, if so what were your experiences (i have heard many positive things about them.)
*How did you find your group/partner?
*Can anyone recommend any places to go to find a critique group/partner
*Any other advice on the topic is also appreciated.

[DancingMaenid]

*Have you ever used a critique group/partner, if so what were your experiences?

I've been part of a few formal critique groups, and I've also had some beta readers. Overall, I've had good experiences, but it can be hard to find a perfect fit. I think it can be somewhat easier to find an individual to be a critique partner who's a good match for you as opposed to an entire group.

The first group I tried was pretty good, but was inactive and died not long after I joined. The second was good, but the group dynamic became awkward after a while and I realized it wasn't a good fit for me. The third was good, but again, not a perfect fit, and the group was structured in a way that just didn't work for me and my life.

Recently, I've been starting a critique group with some friends, and it's going really well so far, but we're not the most active bunch, so hopefully we'll gain momentum.

My experiences with critique partners/beta readers have been a bit better, but I've also worked mainly with people whom I already knew somewhat and whose advice I already believed I could trust.

*How did you find your group/partner?

Except for my most recent group, I've found all my critique groups through forums for writers.

Most of my partners have beta read my fan fiction, more than my original stuff, so I mainly found them through fan communities and talking about fan fic with them.

*Can anyone recommend any places to go to find a critique group/partner

A lot of forums and websites for writers have critique groups or forums where people can submit stuff for critique/solicit critique partners. I believe some websites like Fiction Press, where you can publish your writing, also have areas where you can find critique partners.

If you want an in-person group, check your local library. Sometimes groups will meet there. You can also check any community newspapers or lists of upcoming events that list things like that.

You can also try to take a class or workshop. You can find them sometimes at local colleges or art schools. However, this costs money, and there's no guarantee of making connections that will last once the class ends.

Sometimes you can ask people directly, too. You want to be a little careful with that, because you don't want to impose, but if you already know the person does critiques or you have a good feeling it'll be taken well, sometimes it's worth asking.

For example, one of my fan fic betas was a writer I was sort of acquainted with online whose writing I really liked. I just asked her if she ever beta read for people, but said there were no hard feelings if she wasn't interested. Another time, a friend of mine and I happened to be talking about something that was relevant to what I was writing, and I broached the subject.


*Any other advice on the topic is also appreciated.

It can take some time and trial and error to find a good match, so don't get too discouraged if you don't succeed at first.

I think groups in particular can be challenging sometimes because they've each got their own dynamic, and their own structure/rules.

One thing I've learned is that I'm not all that fond of genre-specific groups. I belonged to one for a while, and it was great while I was actively working on a story in that genre. But I write in multiple genres, so it wasn't great long-term. That's made me more aware of how good a fit a group is to my writing.

[Spacecadet]

wow thanks for that advice! I'll check out that site you mentioned. I really appreciate your comments

[LoopyForLupin]

Hi, I know there hasn't been any posts in this thread for awhile, but I was kindly directed here by Melaszka (thanks!) as I am looking for a beta for my new fic.

I have been writing fanfiction for about 7 years (yes I'm that old) but I have never before written a HP one and so would very much appreciate some help.

If anyone would like to know more about my fic, please do owl me :-)

Loopy

[FollowtheOwls]

I've been writing for several years now, having to learn everything the hard way because nobody I know is a writer. I've found one of the most useful, but hard-to-find resources out there is a good beta-reader, who can not only sniff out problems in your story, but offer helpful advice to fix it. The problem is finding such a person. I mostly write fanfiction, so while I've found plenty of talented people in writing classes, most people are snobs about fanfiction. The next thing I'm trying is starting up a forum so people can talk about the stuff I write, but then usually the quality of the comments goes down (though not as much as it does when you post a story on Fanfiction.net and just allow general comments). I don't want "Great job!" or "I don't like this." Those kinds of comments aren't useful.

So, for you writers out there, what, in your opinion, is the best way to find a good beta-reader? Do you let beta-readers come to you? Do you search for someone specific and hope they'll read it? Do you create a forum and hope someone with talent takes an interest in your story?

[FollowtheOwls]

I'm looking for beta readers for my fanfiction, Scorpius Malfoy and the Goblin's Galleon. (Click)

Rated: G-PG
Looking for: Canon police and advanced-level beta readers who can offer helpful advice on pacing, diction, etc. Prefer people with a background in beta-ing Harry Potter fanfiction.

I also have a new forum that's in beta, in case you find it helpful:
http://z13.invisionfree.com/Follow_the_Owls/index.php

[Horcruxesque]

I've only, unfortunately, been involved with FF.net, so this isn't going to be a helpful reply -- more a summary of my beta ~experiences~.

It's often difficult and awkward asking somebody to beta your work, I usually only asked my RL friends to overlook for grammar/plot inconsistencies(granted, I was fourteen and a ghastly writer). FF.net did have a helpful feature, where users could enable a beta profile, which you're probably aware of. The problem with Fanfiction.net is that the vast majority of the writers (at least, the writers that I came across) were either a) young and inexperienced (lawl, me), or b) were big-time writers and not interested in beta'ing newbies.

I was lucky enough to be ~found~ by a relatively popular writer, who took me under her wing and subsequently introduced me to several of my friends, one of which looked over my work. So I guess the easiest way of finding a beta is befriending several people in the fanfiction community, and simply asking them to beta for you. :P

I know a lot of people ask in their author-notes for betas, but that seems kind of dodgy. xD

I sound like a pretentious d, sorry.

[bellatrix93]

I see you already posted in the beta-reader thread, but maybe you'd find a beta faster on here, if you posted the first chapter or something of your story in the Florish and Blotts area, and then asked someone to beta-read the following chapters for you before posting them. That way they'll have a general idea about the sort of story you're writing and you'll get someone who is especially interested in HP fan-fiction.Goood luck with your writing, .

[Desraelda]

There are websites like critique.com that might be helpful, but I doubt if they will beta read fanfic. I'm just throwing it out there for those who write fiction.

[FollowtheOwls]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

I see you already posted in the beta-reader thread, but maybe you'd find a beta faster on here, if you posted the first chapter or something of your story in the Florish and Blotts area, and then asked someone to beta-read the following chapters for you before posting them. That way they'll have a general idea about the sort of story you're writing and you'll get someone who is especially interested in HP fan-fiction.Goood luck with your writing, .

Seems difficult to get peoples' attention for that sort of thing at first. I tried to post a link but it doesn't seem to have been approved. I may break down and dismantle my pdf to post it here, but I don't relish the idea of reformatting 16 pages of story. =/ Anyway, thanks everyone.

[Desraelda]

Originally Posted by FollowtheOwls

Seems difficult to get peoples' attention for that sort of thing at first. I tried to post a link but it doesn't seem to have been approved. I may break down and dismantle my pdf to post it here, but I don't relish the idea of reformatting 16 pages of story. =/ Anyway, thanks everyone.

If you're looking at writing as a career whether part time or full time, get used to reformatting. I had to reformat a 400 page book to get it published at Smashwords which places books on all of the other ebook sites.

[FollowtheOwls]

Originally Posted by Desraelda

If you're looking at writing as a career whether part time or full time, get used to reformatting. I had to reformat a 400 page book to get it published at Smashwords which places books on all of the other ebook sites.

Ouch. I guess I assumed that publishers had a pretty much universal format that they were looking for, but I never really considered online publishers. Hm. Something to think about.

I'm gonna quit derailing the thread now though. XD Back to Beta-Reader stuff!

[CassWeasley]

I can definitely Beta read. I write mostly poetry but I sometimes try for fiction. I'm just too worried people won't like it so I never show anyone. I am a English Education major in college though so I am definitely someone to ask.

[FollowtheOwls]

If you're an English major why are you worried about your competence?

Anyway, I would appreciate it if you would give my fanfiction a look. The link is in my signature.

[mark_sheldon122]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for some Beta readers for my very first Fan Fic (yes, I've kinda done it backwards...wrote my own stuff first and then got into writing Fan Fic - hey, whatever works, right?) Anyway, it is a HP crossover fic, about five chapters long and it takes place in Harry's fifth year. I don't want to say what the crossover series is, because I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I can guarantee you that this is one crossover that you have never seen before. Think along the lines of Harry Potter and the Eagle of Truthiness, only possibly even weirder. :squid:

If anyone is interested in being a Beta for me, send me a PM!