Need a Beta?
No, not me. Well, maybe. Probably. If I'm working with you already, however sporadically, or have said I probably will when February is over.
For the rest of the people that are looking for a beta, or that need one but don't know how to look for one, or that need one and refuse to acknowledge that fact, or that use their little sister or best friend as a beta, please go here, to Perfect Imagination and follow the instructions for writers. Everyone needs a beta, and some folks need more than one. Your beta should not be some kid down the street or someone who's afraid to offend you by pointing out errors and suggesting corrections.
Yes, this post is born of my frustration at reading fics that would be amazing if they were beta'd and I could read them without risking brain damage. I seriously thought my eyeballs were going to bleed when I was going through my links the other day. I discarded a lot of stories that had interesting summaries because, when I read the first page of the story, it was riddled with bad grammar, bad spelling, rampant misuse of vocabulary, and/or other technical errors.
The best idea in the world isn't worth the electronic space it takes up if you can't execute it with a degree of grace and technical skill.
If PI doesn't suit you, here's a short list of comms that can hook you up with beta service. These are not my reccomendations for beta groups; this is what I found when I did a search, using 'beta reader' in LJ's search box, and using interests as the search instruction. Anybody could locate comms the way I did, if they were serious about finding a beta.
I did try to choose comms that used good grammar and spelling in their profile information. I also tried to pick general beta comms, rather than ones for specific pairings or fandoms. I'd be here all day if I tried to list every single ship in the HP fandom, you know? Other than that, I cannot vouch for any of these comms. It's a place to start, though.
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beta_readers
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beta_search
beta_tank
betacommentary
hp_beta
It is useless to tell people to get a beta without giving them ideas for how to go about finding one. It's also useless to tell them their fic is rife with errors, then not point those errors out to 'em. Since I don't want to beta for the planet, I opted for the first idea and decided to post this list.
( In other news: )
For the rest of the people that are looking for a beta, or that need one but don't know how to look for one, or that need one and refuse to acknowledge that fact, or that use their little sister or best friend as a beta, please go here, to Perfect Imagination and follow the instructions for writers. Everyone needs a beta, and some folks need more than one. Your beta should not be some kid down the street or someone who's afraid to offend you by pointing out errors and suggesting corrections.
Yes, this post is born of my frustration at reading fics that would be amazing if they were beta'd and I could read them without risking brain damage. I seriously thought my eyeballs were going to bleed when I was going through my links the other day. I discarded a lot of stories that had interesting summaries because, when I read the first page of the story, it was riddled with bad grammar, bad spelling, rampant misuse of vocabulary, and/or other technical errors.
The best idea in the world isn't worth the electronic space it takes up if you can't execute it with a degree of grace and technical skill.
If PI doesn't suit you, here's a short list of comms that can hook you up with beta service. These are not my reccomendations for beta groups; this is what I found when I did a search, using 'beta reader' in LJ's search box, and using interests as the search instruction. Anybody could locate comms the way I did, if they were serious about finding a beta.
I did try to choose comms that used good grammar and spelling in their profile information. I also tried to pick general beta comms, rather than ones for specific pairings or fandoms. I'd be here all day if I tried to list every single ship in the HP fandom, you know? Other than that, I cannot vouch for any of these comms. It's a place to start, though.
beta_readersbeta_searchbeta_tankbetacommentaryhp_betaIt is useless to tell people to get a beta without giving them ideas for how to go about finding one. It's also useless to tell them their fic is rife with errors, then not point those errors out to 'em. Since I don't want to beta for the planet, I opted for the first idea and decided to post this list.
( In other news: )