Betas – The Saviors of the Fanfic World Pt. 2
Betas – The saviors of the fanfic world. Part two in a two part series.
In this first part of the series, we focused on what a beta should be able to expect from you as an author. This week, we’ll talk about what you should expect from your beta. Again, I’m keeping the snark and sarcasm to a minimum this week so everyone can see what a serious subject this is. (insert maniacal laughter here)
1. Everyone needs a beta. I feel like I’m repeating myself. Did I mention this last time? Everyone needs a beta. Period. End of story. I won’t mention it again. At least not today.
2. You should get your chapters back with clear, understandable comments made in the margins. They should not be so vague that you have to have someone else read it to help you decipher what it means. If this happens frequently, it may mean you need to communicate better with your beta.
3. If you need a comma added, your beta should turn on track changes and go ahead and add it – not put a comment in the margins telling you that you need a comma. Certain things are non-negotiable in terms of writing quality. Punctuation and spelling need to be correct so it’s not as if you would reject the change.
4. There’s criticism and then there’s constructive criticism. You should always and only receive constructive criticism from your beta. If you don’t feel like her criticism is constructive, you need to tell her that.
5. Timely turn around on your chapters. Your beta has a Real Life, too, so give her a week or so with your chapters, and occasionally things do come up. But overall, it shouldn’t take more than seven or eight days to get your chapter back.
6. Attention to detail. No one is perfect (except, perhaps, for me) so don’t expect to never find a single error in any of your chapters, but I think that a 95% error free rate is reasonable. If you are consistently finding errors that your beta missed, it may be time to look for a new beta.
7. Lastly, and probably most importantly, you should have open lines of communication with your beta. She should listen to your concerns about your story and your writing in general. Most beta’s become beta’s because they genuinely want to help people become better writers. If you have concerns to address, she should make some time to listen to you. You won’t grow as a writer if there’s no one around to water you!
I hope my last two columns have given everyone a little more insight into the process a story goes through before it’s validated, and a little more understanding for the relationship between a writer and their beta.
If you are looking for a beta, check out our ‘I need a Beta’ thread at myvampfiction.com/lair, or go check out Project Team Beta.
Peace Out
Great column. As a beta, it’s always good to be reminded of our responsibilities!
Another wonderful Column, Sarah.
I would also like to add a few things:
1. When an author requests a beta, they should both be very clear on what the author wants from the beta. For instance, if the author ONLY wants technical edits, and not content/flow suggestions, this should be made clear.
2. the author and beta should work together on a method of editing that is best for both of them. However, the author should also be aware that many betas are very set in their ways as far as their methods. For instance, I will only use TrackChanges. I don’t do comment balloons unless there is a need for them.
I have some other things, but it’s something I could use in a blog. *lol*
Great job as always!!