Beta Readers?

[jackofallgeeks]

I've heard the term before, usually as a verb in Miss Leslie's vocabulary ("I was going to have her Beta my fic first"), but I was wondering if one might explain to me what a Beta Reader is.

Tangentially, I was wondering if any of you out there would be interested in helping me out with some feedback on my story, likely as I write (and rewrite) it. I was thinking of setting up a mailing list that I could send my novella-in-progress out on, and get something of a stream of feedback in return, telling what's good, what doesn't work, what they think of the story, and how they think they'd like to see it progress. I'm really getting more of a concrete idea of what i'm doing with my story -- I even have something of a starting place to jump off of and get my Protagonist into It All -- the piece I've been missing all summer. But I'm sure I can't find all the flaws and redundancies in my story, and so I need wordmonkeys Beta Readers (or something) to help me out.

Or something. Any takers?

Comments

[aiglet.livejournal.com]

A beta is a person who reads your drafts and gives you exactly the kind of feedback you're looking for (along with spelling and grammar and all that stuff).

[whtepckupprncss.livejournal.com]

Lol, what you're asking for is beta readers. People who read your work, and give you feedback. Lol, you pretty much described a beta reader, though whether you knew that I im misinterpreting your entry im not sure but yea...lol.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- as with most words and terms I ask about, I had a certain sense of what it meant, but I wasn't sure. I hate using words I'm not sure about. But yes, reading down the line here, I guess I am looking for Betas, ne? (Y'know, the little blue fish with neon stripes on them...)

[whtepckupprncss.livejournal.com]

oops, someone submitted their reply before me. ^_^;;;

[timv.livejournal.com]

How, ummm, long is it? Cause I would be willing to, but I don't know WHEN I could do it.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Right now it's about a page, though I think I may shift it a little bit to make the Two Scenes I have into One Scene, which would flow better, I think. But I tend to second guess myself alot, which is why I'm looking for Betas -- for a Third Opinion.

If you're interested in helping out, I'd probably send it more-or-less as it comes, in sections of about two to five pages or something, depending on how productive I am at any Arbitrary Division of Time. What I'd be looking for mostly isn't so much mechanical type stuff (grammar, word choice, sentence structure), unless something is glaringly painful, but more opinions on the character ("Henry seems like a nice guy, but Myra's a bitch!"), thoughts on the plot as it's going, holes that don't seem to make much sense, and maybe suggestions on what you think would be neat to see. or something. As much or as little as you have time to give, anything could help potentially.

[timv.livejournal.com]

Arbitrary Division of Time
HA

Anyway, yeah, I will try it out, and if it doesn't work, so be it! :)

[thismortalquill.livejournal.com]

oh, ooh, meemeee!! ::waves hands... and blows you a kiss::

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Ha! Kay.
Haven't seen you around for a while. Things been busy?

[otakulk.livejournal.com]

so is a beta reader like someone who just reads your draft?

Like I sent a draft to my friend Emily cause I don't feel like drafting it right now....

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Apparently so. Preferably, I'd be looking for people to give me feedback (of any kind on any piece of the work), but yeah, looks like that's what a Beta does.

Forgot...

[whtepckupprncss.livejournal.com]

I also forgot to mention I'd be more then happy to read stuff and give you feedback. lol. Later

~*Tina*~

[surichan.livejournal.com]

Heh. Others beat me to the punch.

But, yes, a beta reader is your very own personal editor. Usually you can set the parameters of what they do - whether you want them to just read your story and tell you what they think, edit for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors, or analyze the plot and point out any flaws or holes, or all three, and more. Beth, my omnipresent beta, typically just reads through my stuff and tells me yea or nay, but I have a few other casual betas who I occasionally turn to for particular help on a particular problem.

As to your story and the beta-ing of that...I would love to help. I recently edited one of Mike's old stories for him, and I really do enjoy the editing process. However, there is for me the problem of time in which to do it. I'd hate to keep you waiting while I juggled work, school, and life, all the while trying to squeeze in some editing on your story. Regardless, I'd love to read what you've got. I'm going to leave it up to you whether or not to ask specifically for any help in an editorial vein I might be able to give.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Well, as I noted above, there isn't much to it just yet, and I'd probably be sending it out in bits and pieces -- a scene or two -- as they come to me. I'm not so much interested in mechanical points (grammar et al) so much as characterization, plot flow and holes, exposition, and if I'm trying to tell too much or too little.