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

[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...)