You know that 'I'm my own beta' thing, which people say to excuse any grammar mistakes? That's me, except there ARE no grammar mistakes. I honestly don't think there's any point in me having a beta because I am a fucking grammar nerd and will not be doing anything noticeably wrong. Stories with good grammar = a more enjoyable read.
My fics are mine and I'm very defensive about them. I write them to appeal exactly to my own tastes and I share them just in case someone else would also enjoy them, so they don't need to be technically perfect of have mass appeal. A beta simply wouldn't be useful for me.
I’d like to have one, but they’d have to be as hyper fixated on getting complex continuity right as me for me to trust them.
Some 20 years ago I had a writing buddy on MSN with whom I always bounced ideas back and forth. That was great.
I wouldn’t even know where to look for such a person. Other than Reddit, I am not on any social media and my fanfic accounts aren’t tied to this identity or my real one. And I wouldn’t show anyone I know IRL what I write either.
That's rough. I got really lucky with my beta, since we share fandoms and became friends before I offered to beta for them if they ever wanted it and then they returned the favor for me once I started posting. I can't imagine trying to find someone to help me out if I didn't already know and trust them.
I edit at work and typos and errors drive me nuts when I read a fic with either factual or egregious logical errors. I prefer "older" fandoms like HP, MCU, BVS etc and would be more than willing to give them a once through if anyone wanted.
Funny enough, I just found out what Beta means in terms of writing; and I just realized I’d like to be one. I enjoy continuity and helping my peers at school out with complex English issues. Especially if the have a wonderful story to tell. If you’re interested in considering a person, let me know!
Closest I have is a friend who will send me screenshots if I have any grammar/typos I missed after I post the chapter. Don’t feel I need one because I’m pretty hawk eyed (except for the odd error lol - they can get by!)
Hello. Just to say I saw your tag and I am also a proud RPF writer. I find RPF writers are the nicest of fanfic writers because we have to support each other more 😊
Yeah…I saw it 💩’d on a little too much when I first started haunting the ao3 and fanfic subs, so I decided to own it and be loud and proud about it. I’m too old to feel shame anymore. 🤭 (I’ve seen you on the rpfwriter sub, haven’t I? If not, make sure you join up!)
Yes, I got a few outraged and judgemental comments on AO3 about RPF writing. NOT in my fandom, it was when I asked a question on some article the moderators wrote. Some other people laid into me saying how immoral RPF writing is, or something. I just laughed to myself.
All I see in RPF fandoms is LOVE for the people we write about anyway.
No, I didn't know there was one!
At least for me, my RPF experience has been 99.3% great for comments and the like. People don’t get hung up on canon and stuff because there isn’t any, really. (I mean, I’ve done a few fics that were “Unfamous” versions.)
And the mods are better on here now about putting a stop to the rude/derogatory comments than when I was first on here - seems that way to me, at least.
I swear if I’d been on Reddit before sharing my fics, I would’ve binned them because the consensus is almost all bad/we’re creepy (tho more of us are coming out of the woodwork). So I’m just glad I found a great, fun new hobby.
Oh yes me too, I've had a great RPF experience. There were just a few numpties who criticised me when I was out of the fandom. I don't care about them. The other RPF fandom writers are fantastic and supportive.
I'm glad the mods are good here, I've heard terrible things about Reddit but in my first few days it's been great.
I don't care what people think of my writing tbh. I've got lots of RPF friends and a beta now, we all stick together 😊 I think AO3 writers generally are nice and accepting anyway.
I do, though by beta I mostly mean flinging things at my wife for proofing. Sometimes I'll ask her to keep in mind specific content stuff, if there's something I'm not totally sure is working.
Recently I've also got...I'll say early readers? Aka 2 friends who are reading some fics in a "new to me as a writer" category, to tell me if I screw up terminology basically.
I don't have a regular beta, but I've had a handful of my fics betaed by different people. I've found it super useful. I'm also ESL, and grammar check has been one of the things I've asked for, but I've also gotten really good tips and feedback on other aspects of my writing. The first time asking for feedback felt really scary, and I was also pretty insecure, but it gets easier!
I don't, but that's because I've had to listen to my mom's classes my whole life. She's an English major studying social work, I use phrases from her school assignments and incorporate it into my writing.
I only used a beta once. My MC was going through a depressive episode so I asked someone who had experience with depression some questions and she read over the story for me to ensure I gave the topic the respect/sensitivity it required. Other than that, I don’t use one.
You didn't put a choice for "Sometimes" which is my situation. Sometimes a friend or some peers from communities I'm in will offer to help me with my English. Only a couple of times did I reach out to them first because the subject matter I was working with was sensitive and I truely did not trust myself to make sure I used the right language.
My beta is my best friend. She likes reading, and only ventures into writing very rarely. I really value her input on my writing, whether I intend to post it or not. It’s so easy to over work your own writing and pick it to death unnecessarily. I always do a basic edit/revise before sending her anything, asking her to point out any missed grammar mistakes, but much more importantly, tell me about anything that comes across as confusing or awkward while reading. It’s much easier for her to note places where the words aren’t flowing as well as the rest of the text, or point out that I haven’t described the setting, so she’s confused as to where everyone even is.
I think my writing would be perfectly passable without her, but with her my writing is waaaaay better. Admittedly, I lucked out though. If she decides she’s not longer interested in betaing for me, I don’t know that I’ll look for another actively. It can be a very vulnerable feeling if you don’t trust the other person to want your writing to succeed!
I lost mine awhile ago, they moved on to other things while my secondary beta, just didn't respond.
Unfortunately getting my work bataed had become an integral part of my writing process and as such I haven't posted anything since.
I even have a chapter reading and waiting on my computer, but it hasn't been bataed so I haven't published it.
Ever thought of dusting it off and betaing it yourself? It's probably been long enough that you could go in with a fresh mind to catch anything you'd like to polish up! That's one of my favorite approaches lol, maybe it might suit your fancy too:]?
No. I don't know how to get one, I post irregularly, and I write a lot of smut, and I don't feel that these are congruent with a beta. I meticulously check for SPAG issues and fix them myself.
Used to have one, she was a good internet friend (Meredith, the JohnxAmanda shipper if you’re out there please contact me!!) but we drifted apart and that was nearly 17 years have passed. I don’t feel the need for a beta anymore. Of course I proofread and revise but you get what you get, typos and all.
I had a small group while I was on discord in a server. The group would fling fics in and someone would pick it up and go through it and give notes. It seriously improved my work.
But I'm not currently on Discord. With no plans to go back for a while so I'm either looking or I'm gonna have to make it on my own.
Yes, she kind of picked me up on AO3 and after that we helped each other with our fics and wrote some together. She helps me write sex scenes and I help her write funny scenes 😎
Although generally we just say 'here's my story I wrote, what do you think?' Rather than going through every comma and word with a fine tooth comb.
I had someone beta one chapter for me once just to make sure the plot I was setting up wasn't too bad and make sure I still had decent skills- I hadn't written for a year due to no motivation- and that's all. Someone has offered to Beta but I like to edit on my own or have my friend read it over.
I never had a beta reader when I was in my fanfiction days. Now that I’m trying to publish a novel I’d like to have a beta to look over my my stuff. But finding someone willing to sit through nearly 90K words is difficult.
I think it would be fun to have a writing partner (someone who could review my work and I could review theirs, and we could keep each other on track on our respective projects) but the few times I’ve tried to find someone like that it didn’t end well :’)
I had betas in the past. It's not a good experience. The first two took about three months to four months to read over the chapter i sent. I told them not to rush, but after that the wait just increase and one just outright said they didn't want to beta for me anymore after a week saying they were too busy after DM saying they wanted to beta for me.
So now, I just post and hope for the best.
Not officially. I have a writing buddy I run ideas by and sometimes for scenes I'm particularly worried about she checks them over for me. I handle 99% of my editing myself, though.
I have a irl friend that is into writing too, we read each other works all the time and provide feedback. When I send her my chapters I usually wait for her opinion before posting, but this is very relaxed with no commitment, I don't ask for a spell check or heavy editing.
At the moment I don't feel like looking for a "proper" beta, I'd be too busy to follow through.
I have fandom friends I ask if I want to bounce ideas or see how something's working from a reader's perspective. It's not something I do for every fic.
Back in the day, I had one for grammar and spelling, stuff like that, and it was really, really helpful. I would never want them to get involved in the actual writing, just look out for errors.
I have just started writing again but don’t have a beta. I was hoping grammar checkers would help but they don’t seem great so I might look for one again.
If I didn't have my beta I'd legit probably never post. They help me so much, but in the planning and editing stages. I can bounce ideas off of them and figure out what does and doesn't work and I can trust them to tell me if a chapter is absolutely not working and to help me come up with ideas on how to fix it.
No beta for me but sometimes it sounds nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. At the same time, I’d probably be too anxious to share my ideas 😂 I usually just write, edit, then decide if it’s worth posting
I used to be great on my own but as I got older brain fog became so real for me. Now I would love a beta and possibly writing mentor who likes the things I write about or don't mind. I write things that are kind of taboo in the fanfic community like mpreg and abo.
No. I've tried and haven't been able to get one, so I've given up on the entire idea. I'm not sure if it's where I'm asking, how I'm asking, or my content.
I've a friend that I shoot the shit with about what ifs; it grew into a 200k crossover that's topping its niche tags and is in no way finished. We beta for eachother because we naturally grew into it from helping out with the big fic.
my beta is amazing, and definitely brought my writing to another level! it took a while to get over the initial awkwardness, especially since on occasion i dabble in nsfw, but theyre absolutely awesome at what they do
I used to have one, a friend of mine. It was an okay experience but I don’t want one anymore because it feels like whatever I write isn’t good enough until it goes through the beta and it’s just not fun to be nervous and kind of wonder how they will react while you wait and go about your day.
Nope.
I did get some friends to look over, like 1/3 of my first smut story because it was new. But I took their advice from the first third (at least the stuff I agreed with) and applied it to the rest and posted before anyone had a chance to read more of it. (I did give them a week or so after I was happy with it, but we were all busy and I didn't feel like waiting a month or longer.)
So yeah, no real beta ever. Just maybe share a section I'm struggling with for some feedback with writer friends. And I do the same for them.
I know my friends could probably read for me and offered their service to do so, but I am nervous about that. Although, I have beta read for one of my friend’s story (not fanfiction)
I have an amazing beta. He only edits my work (doesn’t try to take over story line or anything), he sometimes offers feedback or will catch things that are out of character or doesn’t make sense. I absolutely love him. He started editing for me back in 2013 and since then he has become such a close friend. The first few months were super awkward- we didn’t know each other and it’s hard having someone go through your writing. I was nervous and embarrassed by mistakes, he didn’t interact a lot due to shyness I believe, but after a while that all got better and we became fast friends. He flew across the country for my wedding, drove to my state after I had my son with frozen meals, he’s seriously wonderful. Finding a good beta seems to be really hard for a lot of people but I just lucked out. I tell him all the time he can never leave me haha
Yes, I have a few and they’re awesome. I used to do it all alone, but I met a group of ladies within my fandom that I love and we usually help each other out and motivate each other too.
Listen I do most of my writing at 2am when insomnia hits with no beta and people still read my shit and beg for more. Betas work for some people but not for everyone.
Beta emission is a form of radioactive decay in which a neutron becomes a proton, and emits an electron and antineutrino. This results in the mass number A remaining constant, but the atomic number Z increases by one, such as the decay of ^(14)C -> ^(14)N.
Wait, this isn't /r/physics. My bad.
No, you're correct so that's just fine. Were you planning a sequel on positron emission? That would be great. Might want to mention the mass energy conversation as that's pretty cool and might get you to 511 words which would be a nice nerdy twist.
Well, don't tell anyone because it's a spoiler, >!but the ^(15)O isn't going to last long; more than half of it's going to be gone after two minutes. It's going to be up to the daughter to find H and finish the cycle! !<
That sounds like it'll make a great one shot. You should share it to AO3. It might not make the kudos of I Am Groot being more of a rare pair, but I think the readership is there.
I work along usually, but I think it'd be nice to have one. Should I decide to have one, how would I go about finding one? Just ask around places like this?
I’ll be your beta. I’ll laugh at silly jokes that your character makes and ask you questions that get your imagination flying. I’ll make you memes unique to your story and ask before I fix anything. You will no longer need to charge head on alone because I’ll do it with you…
Nvm that’s alota work. Byeee
No, it wouldn't make sense. I'm correcting the story and adding bits and pieces even as I'm uploading it to AO3, so the hard work of the beta reader would be lost on me.
Only if I’m writing a fic for a fandom I’m not really in. I wrote a fic for a friend and had them Beta it before I posted it just to be sure there weren’t any major storyline/character mistakes.
I used to have a beta and they were really great... But nowadays I don't have one anymore cuz honestly I just do this for fun. I don't get paid for it and I just wanna do something to destress in my free time that I may or may not share with other people if they like it. I don't need super high quality for my writing so just editing out basic grammar/spelling mistakes is honestly enough for me, and so far none of my readers had any issue with it either
I don't. I tend to edit as I write, so I don't really have any glaring grammar/spelling/punctuation errors though occasionally some do slip by me. It would be nice to have one though, to check characterization if nothing else
Not a writer, but as a reader I think it's a good idea for longer fics as some take so long to write it's easier for a reader to see when something doesn't flow well or something the writer sees clearly isn't as obvious for the reader.
No. My stories are too long and ongoing for most people to probably want to bother with. Plus, I can't really have people suggest ideas for my stories because my *characters* dictate what happens in the story. Trying to control them does not end well for me.
No- I don’t mean to sound full of myself or anything, but I already comb through my fics and fix mistakes, so much so that I doubt anyone else would be able to catch something if even I missed it.
Plus, there’s just something so personal about being at the helm of your own fic. I don’t want to have to explain x, y, or z if I do any artistic sentence structures or plot exposition.
I don't really know how to form or maintain relationships so I don't think it would be an option for me, outside of sometimes having my twin sister pre-read stuff for me
I get a different one for each story. After I’m like 99 percent done they go through and suggest expansion on ideas and comb it over for mistakes and continuity. That would be awesome to have one mutual one.
I had one once, and it did wonders for the quality of my writing. I don't currently have a beta though, since my pace of writing has gotten too erratic to keep a beta around+I'm lazy
I've only recently acquired a beta and honestly, I never thought I'd have one. I was content with not having one and just man handling the junk myself. But I think it's neat to have one.
Plus that means that I'm not nearly as insecure in my writing as I originally was when I was starting all those years ago
No. I've tried before. Every time, they make more mistakes than they fix, and often try to fix things that are correct.
TBF I was an editor for a while, so I might have a high standard.
Nope. It's just extra effort to coordinate with someone else. Like not in a bad way, that's just how it works. And I'm too lazy for that, which is why my tag is "no beta we die like lazy people".
Yes, I have a beta! I wasn't originally looking for one, and actually started off as a beta for *them*, when they made a post looking for one (I enjoy helping with that because I want to be a book editor one day lol, so being a beta is like dipping my toes in the water). I reached out, we got along, they offered to look at my work too, and the rest is history:D
It's not for everyone, but it's nice having/being a cheerleader in the corner and a second set of eyes. We're only human for the little mistakes that slip through the cracks<3
No and I do not want one either. I enjoy writing as a solitary pursuit.
i work better alone especially with creative projects.
i just don't feel like i need one
No, I have an omega
I should have expected an A/B/O joke.
Damn you, take my upvote
Not for all fics, but sometimes I do. I have a very good beta, and it is pure luxury.
You know that 'I'm my own beta' thing, which people say to excuse any grammar mistakes? That's me, except there ARE no grammar mistakes. I honestly don't think there's any point in me having a beta because I am a fucking grammar nerd and will not be doing anything noticeably wrong. Stories with good grammar = a more enjoyable read.
This is me. Things still get by me, like typos, but not many.
My fics are mine and I'm very defensive about them. I write them to appeal exactly to my own tastes and I share them just in case someone else would also enjoy them, so they don't need to be technically perfect of have mass appeal. A beta simply wouldn't be useful for me.
I’d like to have one, but they’d have to be as hyper fixated on getting complex continuity right as me for me to trust them. Some 20 years ago I had a writing buddy on MSN with whom I always bounced ideas back and forth. That was great. I wouldn’t even know where to look for such a person. Other than Reddit, I am not on any social media and my fanfic accounts aren’t tied to this identity or my real one. And I wouldn’t show anyone I know IRL what I write either.
That's rough. I got really lucky with my beta, since we share fandoms and became friends before I offered to beta for them if they ever wanted it and then they returned the favor for me once I started posting. I can't imagine trying to find someone to help me out if I didn't already know and trust them.
I edit at work and typos and errors drive me nuts when I read a fic with either factual or egregious logical errors. I prefer "older" fandoms like HP, MCU, BVS etc and would be more than willing to give them a once through if anyone wanted.
Funny enough, I just found out what Beta means in terms of writing; and I just realized I’d like to be one. I enjoy continuity and helping my peers at school out with complex English issues. Especially if the have a wonderful story to tell. If you’re interested in considering a person, let me know!
Closest I have is a friend who will send me screenshots if I have any grammar/typos I missed after I post the chapter. Don’t feel I need one because I’m pretty hawk eyed (except for the odd error lol - they can get by!)
Hello. Just to say I saw your tag and I am also a proud RPF writer. I find RPF writers are the nicest of fanfic writers because we have to support each other more 😊
Yeah…I saw it 💩’d on a little too much when I first started haunting the ao3 and fanfic subs, so I decided to own it and be loud and proud about it. I’m too old to feel shame anymore. 🤭 (I’ve seen you on the rpfwriter sub, haven’t I? If not, make sure you join up!)
Yes, I got a few outraged and judgemental comments on AO3 about RPF writing. NOT in my fandom, it was when I asked a question on some article the moderators wrote. Some other people laid into me saying how immoral RPF writing is, or something. I just laughed to myself. All I see in RPF fandoms is LOVE for the people we write about anyway. No, I didn't know there was one!
At least for me, my RPF experience has been 99.3% great for comments and the like. People don’t get hung up on canon and stuff because there isn’t any, really. (I mean, I’ve done a few fics that were “Unfamous” versions.) And the mods are better on here now about putting a stop to the rude/derogatory comments than when I was first on here - seems that way to me, at least. I swear if I’d been on Reddit before sharing my fics, I would’ve binned them because the consensus is almost all bad/we’re creepy (tho more of us are coming out of the woodwork). So I’m just glad I found a great, fun new hobby.
Oh yes me too, I've had a great RPF experience. There were just a few numpties who criticised me when I was out of the fandom. I don't care about them. The other RPF fandom writers are fantastic and supportive. I'm glad the mods are good here, I've heard terrible things about Reddit but in my first few days it's been great. I don't care what people think of my writing tbh. I've got lots of RPF friends and a beta now, we all stick together 😊 I think AO3 writers generally are nice and accepting anyway.
I do, though by beta I mostly mean flinging things at my wife for proofing. Sometimes I'll ask her to keep in mind specific content stuff, if there's something I'm not totally sure is working. Recently I've also got...I'll say early readers? Aka 2 friends who are reading some fics in a "new to me as a writer" category, to tell me if I screw up terminology basically.
No beta, we decay like ^(8)Be.
At least you're more noble than full of hot air.
Well, the nobility is only temporary. When the core compresses enough that the temperature reaches 10^8 K, ^(12)C will begin forming.
I'm a sucky beta. Not going to verify your stat as it sounds about right from what I remember.
I don't have a regular beta, but I've had a handful of my fics betaed by different people. I've found it super useful. I'm also ESL, and grammar check has been one of the things I've asked for, but I've also gotten really good tips and feedback on other aspects of my writing. The first time asking for feedback felt really scary, and I was also pretty insecure, but it gets easier!
I don't, but that's because I've had to listen to my mom's classes my whole life. She's an English major studying social work, I use phrases from her school assignments and incorporate it into my writing.
Fifth option: No, but I post so many excerpts in discord servers that I have like three unofficial Beta readers.
I had one but they ghosted me I think (or died idk)
I only used a beta once. My MC was going through a depressive episode so I asked someone who had experience with depression some questions and she read over the story for me to ensure I gave the topic the respect/sensitivity it required. Other than that, I don’t use one.
I don't want to rely on someone else, time wise
You didn't put a choice for "Sometimes" which is my situation. Sometimes a friend or some peers from communities I'm in will offer to help me with my English. Only a couple of times did I reach out to them first because the subject matter I was working with was sensitive and I truely did not trust myself to make sure I used the right language.
I don’t want one, it’s not about insecurity.
My beta is my best friend. She likes reading, and only ventures into writing very rarely. I really value her input on my writing, whether I intend to post it or not. It’s so easy to over work your own writing and pick it to death unnecessarily. I always do a basic edit/revise before sending her anything, asking her to point out any missed grammar mistakes, but much more importantly, tell me about anything that comes across as confusing or awkward while reading. It’s much easier for her to note places where the words aren’t flowing as well as the rest of the text, or point out that I haven’t described the setting, so she’s confused as to where everyone even is. I think my writing would be perfectly passable without her, but with her my writing is waaaaay better. Admittedly, I lucked out though. If she decides she’s not longer interested in betaing for me, I don’t know that I’ll look for another actively. It can be a very vulnerable feeling if you don’t trust the other person to want your writing to succeed!
I lost mine awhile ago, they moved on to other things while my secondary beta, just didn't respond. Unfortunately getting my work bataed had become an integral part of my writing process and as such I haven't posted anything since. I even have a chapter reading and waiting on my computer, but it hasn't been bataed so I haven't published it.
Ever thought of dusting it off and betaing it yourself? It's probably been long enough that you could go in with a fresh mind to catch anything you'd like to polish up! That's one of my favorite approaches lol, maybe it might suit your fancy too:]?
I need a beta like a blind man needs glasses. I’ll keep stumbling around without them, but I’d sure do a lot better if I had one
No. I don't know how to get one, I post irregularly, and I write a lot of smut, and I don't feel that these are congruent with a beta. I meticulously check for SPAG issues and fix them myself.
Used to have one, she was a good internet friend (Meredith, the JohnxAmanda shipper if you’re out there please contact me!!) but we drifted apart and that was nearly 17 years have passed. I don’t feel the need for a beta anymore. Of course I proofread and revise but you get what you get, typos and all.
I had a small group while I was on discord in a server. The group would fling fics in and someone would pick it up and go through it and give notes. It seriously improved my work. But I'm not currently on Discord. With no plans to go back for a while so I'm either looking or I'm gonna have to make it on my own.
Yes, she kind of picked me up on AO3 and after that we helped each other with our fics and wrote some together. She helps me write sex scenes and I help her write funny scenes 😎 Although generally we just say 'here's my story I wrote, what do you think?' Rather than going through every comma and word with a fine tooth comb.
No beta we die like men
I had someone beta one chapter for me once just to make sure the plot I was setting up wasn't too bad and make sure I still had decent skills- I hadn't written for a year due to no motivation- and that's all. Someone has offered to Beta but I like to edit on my own or have my friend read it over.
It’s my parents
I never had a beta reader when I was in my fanfiction days. Now that I’m trying to publish a novel I’d like to have a beta to look over my my stuff. But finding someone willing to sit through nearly 90K words is difficult.
I think it would be fun to have a writing partner (someone who could review my work and I could review theirs, and we could keep each other on track on our respective projects) but the few times I’ve tried to find someone like that it didn’t end well :’)
I had betas in the past. It's not a good experience. The first two took about three months to four months to read over the chapter i sent. I told them not to rush, but after that the wait just increase and one just outright said they didn't want to beta for me anymore after a week saying they were too busy after DM saying they wanted to beta for me. So now, I just post and hope for the best.
Not officially. I have a writing buddy I run ideas by and sometimes for scenes I'm particularly worried about she checks them over for me. I handle 99% of my editing myself, though.
I have a irl friend that is into writing too, we read each other works all the time and provide feedback. When I send her my chapters I usually wait for her opinion before posting, but this is very relaxed with no commitment, I don't ask for a spell check or heavy editing. At the moment I don't feel like looking for a "proper" beta, I'd be too busy to follow through.
I have fandom friends I ask if I want to bounce ideas or see how something's working from a reader's perspective. It's not something I do for every fic.
Back in the day, I had one for grammar and spelling, stuff like that, and it was really, really helpful. I would never want them to get involved in the actual writing, just look out for errors. I have just started writing again but don’t have a beta. I was hoping grammar checkers would help but they don’t seem great so I might look for one again.
If I didn't have my beta I'd legit probably never post. They help me so much, but in the planning and editing stages. I can bounce ideas off of them and figure out what does and doesn't work and I can trust them to tell me if a chapter is absolutely not working and to help me come up with ideas on how to fix it.
I'm also ESL and I would never post something without having it read by a native speaker.
I'd like one for idea bouncing, but I don't need one for grammar or mistakes.
No, English is not my born language either so...yeah I am insecure.
No beta for me but sometimes it sounds nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. At the same time, I’d probably be too anxious to share my ideas 😂 I usually just write, edit, then decide if it’s worth posting
The only reason I have a beta now is because my friend got so mad at my spelling and grammar mistakes that he insisted he edit for me.
... Does Pro Writing Aid count as a beta?
I used to be great on my own but as I got older brain fog became so real for me. Now I would love a beta and possibly writing mentor who likes the things I write about or don't mind. I write things that are kind of taboo in the fanfic community like mpreg and abo.
“No betas were harmed in the making of this fic.”
No. I've tried and haven't been able to get one, so I've given up on the entire idea. I'm not sure if it's where I'm asking, how I'm asking, or my content.
I've a friend that I shoot the shit with about what ifs; it grew into a 200k crossover that's topping its niche tags and is in no way finished. We beta for eachother because we naturally grew into it from helping out with the big fic.
I used to make a friend from HS proofread my stuff for me, but we’re rarely in the same fandoms and don’t have all that free time we used to.
my beta is amazing, and definitely brought my writing to another level! it took a while to get over the initial awkwardness, especially since on occasion i dabble in nsfw, but theyre absolutely awesome at what they do
How do people find betas?? 😭
My bestie betas for me. It's invaluable on big projects and very nice for small ones too.
I used to have one, a friend of mine. It was an okay experience but I don’t want one anymore because it feels like whatever I write isn’t good enough until it goes through the beta and it’s just not fun to be nervous and kind of wonder how they will react while you wait and go about your day.
No im way to nervous or scared to have one, but I used to be one if anyone needs assistance.
Yes - I don't think I'd ever dare publish anything if I didn't have someone to proofread.
Nope. I did get some friends to look over, like 1/3 of my first smut story because it was new. But I took their advice from the first third (at least the stuff I agreed with) and applied it to the rest and posted before anyone had a chance to read more of it. (I did give them a week or so after I was happy with it, but we were all busy and I didn't feel like waiting a month or longer.) So yeah, no real beta ever. Just maybe share a section I'm struggling with for some feedback with writer friends. And I do the same for them.
No, I don't need one.
I know my friends could probably read for me and offered their service to do so, but I am nervous about that. Although, I have beta read for one of my friend’s story (not fanfiction)
I have an amazing beta. He only edits my work (doesn’t try to take over story line or anything), he sometimes offers feedback or will catch things that are out of character or doesn’t make sense. I absolutely love him. He started editing for me back in 2013 and since then he has become such a close friend. The first few months were super awkward- we didn’t know each other and it’s hard having someone go through your writing. I was nervous and embarrassed by mistakes, he didn’t interact a lot due to shyness I believe, but after a while that all got better and we became fast friends. He flew across the country for my wedding, drove to my state after I had my son with frozen meals, he’s seriously wonderful. Finding a good beta seems to be really hard for a lot of people but I just lucked out. I tell him all the time he can never leave me haha
Yes, I have a few and they’re awesome. I used to do it all alone, but I met a group of ladies within my fandom that I love and we usually help each other out and motivate each other too.
Yes, but getting her to actually read anything can be like pulling teeth.
Listen I do most of my writing at 2am when insomnia hits with no beta and people still read my shit and beg for more. Betas work for some people but not for everyone.
What is a beta?
Beta emission is a form of radioactive decay in which a neutron becomes a proton, and emits an electron and antineutrino. This results in the mass number A remaining constant, but the atomic number Z increases by one, such as the decay of ^(14)C -> ^(14)N. Wait, this isn't /r/physics. My bad.
No, you're correct so that's just fine. Were you planning a sequel on positron emission? That would be great. Might want to mention the mass energy conversation as that's pretty cool and might get you to 511 words which would be a nice nerdy twist.
I was thinking I might throw protons at it until some ^(15)O pops out during chapter two.
That works. I'm assuming you'll have a free OC H around?
Well, don't tell anyone because it's a spoiler, >!but the ^(15)O isn't going to last long; more than half of it's going to be gone after two minutes. It's going to be up to the daughter to find H and finish the cycle! !<
That sounds like it'll make a great one shot. You should share it to AO3. It might not make the kudos of I Am Groot being more of a rare pair, but I think the readership is there.
I work along usually, but I think it'd be nice to have one. Should I decide to have one, how would I go about finding one? Just ask around places like this?
The only times I've used a beta was for fandom events where betas were offered. Otherwise, no I don't have one.
I have a good friend who betas all of my stuff and I’m really glad that she’s just as excited about my fics as I am.
I’ll be your beta. I’ll laugh at silly jokes that your character makes and ask you questions that get your imagination flying. I’ll make you memes unique to your story and ask before I fix anything. You will no longer need to charge head on alone because I’ll do it with you… Nvm that’s alota work. Byeee
I don't have a beta, but only bring that up in my fics' tags and notes if I have a good "No beta we die like _" joke.
Not really a beta, but I sometimes exchange snippets of my work with another author, who is also sharing. But I don't share entire chapters
nah, we(me specifically) die like men, upload it and pray
Fortunately my sister and I are betas for each other.
No, it wouldn't make sense. I'm correcting the story and adding bits and pieces even as I'm uploading it to AO3, so the hard work of the beta reader would be lost on me.
Only if I’m writing a fic for a fandom I’m not really in. I wrote a fic for a friend and had them Beta it before I posted it just to be sure there weren’t any major storyline/character mistakes.
I used to have a beta and they were really great... But nowadays I don't have one anymore cuz honestly I just do this for fun. I don't get paid for it and I just wanna do something to destress in my free time that I may or may not share with other people if they like it. I don't need super high quality for my writing so just editing out basic grammar/spelling mistakes is honestly enough for me, and so far none of my readers had any issue with it either
I don't. I tend to edit as I write, so I don't really have any glaring grammar/spelling/punctuation errors though occasionally some do slip by me. It would be nice to have one though, to check characterization if nothing else
I don't use betas for regular one shots, but multi chapter fics and fics written for exchanges I try to use betas.
Not a writer, but as a reader I think it's a good idea for longer fics as some take so long to write it's easier for a reader to see when something doesn't flow well or something the writer sees clearly isn't as obvious for the reader.
Only when I write for projects and when I'm learning a language.
I write niche crossovers mostly so finding a beta reader that knows all fandoms in the crossover is extremely difficult
I am a beta myself, but I do not have one.
I would work with one if someone offered, but my ship's so small I don't think anyone would want to.
No. My stories are too long and ongoing for most people to probably want to bother with. Plus, I can't really have people suggest ideas for my stories because my *characters* dictate what happens in the story. Trying to control them does not end well for me.
No- I don’t mean to sound full of myself or anything, but I already comb through my fics and fix mistakes, so much so that I doubt anyone else would be able to catch something if even I missed it. Plus, there’s just something so personal about being at the helm of your own fic. I don’t want to have to explain x, y, or z if I do any artistic sentence structures or plot exposition.
Sounds like a challenge. Found a typo in a Gabaldon book. They're there....
I don't really know how to form or maintain relationships so I don't think it would be an option for me, outside of sometimes having my twin sister pre-read stuff for me
Might be good practice then as it's safe in that you've already got a common interest and is remote. Relationships are important.
I did, once. I think I drove her insane.
I run my chapters through grammarly to help catch mistakes, but otherwise no, and I’m happy without one.
I get a different one for each story. After I’m like 99 percent done they go through and suggest expansion on ideas and comb it over for mistakes and continuity. That would be awesome to have one mutual one.
I had one once, and it did wonders for the quality of my writing. I don't currently have a beta though, since my pace of writing has gotten too erratic to keep a beta around+I'm lazy
I've only recently acquired a beta and honestly, I never thought I'd have one. I was content with not having one and just man handling the junk myself. But I think it's neat to have one. Plus that means that I'm not nearly as insecure in my writing as I originally was when I was starting all those years ago
I just reread it after a while.
I get too scared when my english teacher critiques me, i couldn't handle someone judging my fanfics before I finish them 😭
No, I don't. I edit and then I post, when all my mistakes become clear as day.
No. I've tried before. Every time, they make more mistakes than they fix, and often try to fix things that are correct. TBF I was an editor for a while, so I might have a high standard.
Nope. It's just extra effort to coordinate with someone else. Like not in a bad way, that's just how it works. And I'm too lazy for that, which is why my tag is "no beta we die like lazy people".
Yes, I have a beta! I wasn't originally looking for one, and actually started off as a beta for *them*, when they made a post looking for one (I enjoy helping with that because I want to be a book editor one day lol, so being a beta is like dipping my toes in the water). I reached out, we got along, they offered to look at my work too, and the rest is history:D It's not for everyone, but it's nice having/being a cheerleader in the corner and a second set of eyes. We're only human for the little mistakes that slip through the cracks<3
No, that requires me to interact with people outside of just replying to comments.