Beta Resume

[comixgal]

I am considering becoming an official beta.

* How many years have you worked as a beta?

I have been acting as a non-professional editor/proofreader for nearly 13 years. I have been working as a fanfiction beta for nearly 5.

* Provide links to some of the work that you have beta'd. Link the titles. Work posted outside of AFF is acceptable as well.

My beta work has been exclusively for real-world writing groups or for stories that are no longer online. I do not have any links to show. I really wish I could link to some examples. I used to have anywhere from 6-10 people that I worked with consistently but college writing groups don't tend to stay together after graduation.

* In which capacities have you served as a beta? (Spelling/grammar, canon, characterization, etc.)

I generally focus on spelling and grammar. If it is a fandom that I am familiar with, I am certainly willing to deal with characterization and canon issues as well.

In addition, I have also worked worked with authors as a researcher instead of proof-reader. My academic life revolves around research so I can generally find articles and information about pretty much anything. I will then write up a short précis of useful information. Topics I have researched include law, psychology, genetics, cryptozoology, ancient civilizations and cultures, S/M lifestyles, architecture, and various jobs.

If you are comfortable with your writing but don't have the time to do research, I can help. Give me an idea of the story and what you are looking for and I will send along some useful information.

* Which types of potentially objectionable content have you beta'd for? Correspond it to warning tags if possible.

I have beta'd for items falling under the following tags: Anal, Angst, AU, BDSM, B-Mod, Bond, CBT, D/s, Dom, DP, S/M, Mpreg, Yaoi, Yuri, (and probably many more.)

* Are there any specific areas in which you would not be willing to beta?

I am generally against rape scenes but could be convinced depending on the ultimate point of the story. I will not refuse to beta any story if the author feels that it has substance or is meaningful within the fandom. I'm not terribly fond of scat or water-sports but have beta'd stories featuring these acts.

Honestly? I'm not easily disgusted and I don't judge individuals based on the content of their stories.

* What are your personal boundaries as a beta?

I do not spend every waking moment in front of my computer. I will not provide you with my phone number. I don't expect you to keep every change or suggestion I make but I will stop communicating with you if you are rude or hypersensitive about my suggestions.

I will keep authors informed of times when I am unable to work on stories. This will hopefully allow you to find someone else if it is an emergency. Just as I do not expect you to come exclusively to me for beta-ing, please realize that I am not at your beck-and-call.

I don't know if this makes me unique from other betas but if you continually make the same mistake over and over and over again, I will fix the first 3-5 then simply mark where a change needs to be made. This saves me time and allows me to focus on other issues. Hopefully, it is also a learning moment for the author. I will generally include the grammatical rule involved in a change I make.

I have been told that I can be a little nit-picky. As a beta I believe that stories are more interesting when sentence lengths vary (despite this being an issue within my own writing), verb usage shouldn't always be active or passive, and that clichés should be stabbed repeatedly with a fountain pen until, whimpering, they submit to a more interesting turn of phrase.

* How do you tend to interact with an author when doing beta work?

That is entirely dependent on the author. I can be as hands-on or hands-off as individuals prefer. I like using Track Changes in Microsoft Word to indicate changes I have made. Otherwise I generally mark changes in a particular color with comments. I like working with authors and hearing about their goals and needs when it comes to writing.

I'm very sensitive to the emotion and anxiety that can come with sharing work and receiving criticism. I can be completely honest regarding my thoughts on quality without being unnecessarily cruel or tactless.

I like to encourage authors to find their own writing style. I'm also more than willing to act as a sounding-board for ideas or concepts that have not been entirely fleshed-out.

If you think it will help please send me links to stories by others that you have liked or that have resounded with you for some reason. I will read those and keep them in mind when I read your work.

If I have helped you, please give me credit for it. If you did not use any of my suggestions, then don't. It is as simple as that.

* Can you determine an average speed when it comes to performing beta work?

This depends on story length and problem type. Generally within the week. Often within 2-3 days.

I like being thorough about research so I might send you back a story that has been beta'd for grammar and spelling then another one with comments regarding any items I felt the need to look into.

* For which fandoms have you worked? Which fandoms do you frequent? Do you consider yourself well-versed on any specific characters?

Harry Potter, all Star Trek, all Joss Whedon shows, Star Wars, mainstream and non-mainstream comics, Dr. Who, Torchwood, CSI, NCIS, most sci-fi/fantasy book series.

* Have you done any unusual beta work in the past?

For a while I did beta work for a friend who recorded the story as an audio file and I transcribed it and made edits as I went. This was a rare case, however, where typing was a difficulty and not simply an annoyance. Similarly, I have beta'd a story over the phone, making comments based solely on word-chose and phraseology.

* Do you have any quirks when it comes to beta work?

One of my biggest quirks used to be that I spell things the "English" way (colour, honour, specialise). I've had this pretty much beaten out of me. Unless it is important to you that phrasing and spelling be English as opposed to American, I will generally keep with the American way of spelling.

* Is there anything else that you'd like to include here?

I speak both French and English fluently. I'm familiar with the difficulties writers experience when English is not their first language. I also understand the grammatical differences between English and most Latin-based languages. If you find yourself struggling with English/American terms or grammar, or find that other betas have a hard time understanding what you're trying to say, I am probably a good choice for you.

Edited July 23, 2008 by comixgal