Reverse bang: Finding a Beta

[cap_ironman_fe]

As we get closer to posting date claims, writers are hopefully wrapping up their fics, which means it’s time to find a beta! We assume most of you have worked with a beta before, but if not, a beta is someone who reads your fic before it’s published and offers advice. That advice can range from proofreading and copyediting to plot assessment, characterization critiques and overall reactions, and we highly recommend you use one before posting your challenge fic.

Ways to find a beta:

1. Ask a friend. Depending on their skills and the type of critique you’re looking for, real life and internet friends can both make good beta readers if they’re willing.

2. We have a list over on the cap-im lj comm of people who have volunteered their time and skills. Send one of them an email or contact them on tumblr!

3. Ask on tumblr. Many authors ask for beta assistance from their followers so that they can get a range of responses about their work. Be sure you include your wordcount, universe, and major warnings. If you want extra exposure, mention us (@cap-ironman) and use the tag #cap im rbb beta. We’ll reblog your post and hopefully find you someone quickly.

4. If you’ve tried everything else, let the event mods know and we’ll see what we can do to lend you a hand.

If you’re interested in betaing:

1. Let us know! You can send us a tumblr ask, leave a comment on this lj post, or send us an email at cap.im.events@gmail.com. Or, as above, make a post that mentions us (@cap-ironman) and use the tag #cap im rbb beta and we’ll reblog your offer. Make sure you mention what universes you’re comfortable working with, what you like to focus on as a beta (if you’ve beta’d before) and if there’s anything you explicitly don’t want to read about.

2. Keep an eye out for authors looking for help, on tumblr or in the irc chat, and volunteer your time! Make sure you know how much time you are willing to devote to the task, what you’re comfortable with, and have a wordcount range or level of detail in mind that reflects that.

Things to keep in mind when working with or as a beta:

Communication is key. Be up front with the kind of help and advice you're looking for, and what sort of timeline you're on (and authors, make sure you get your draft back with a few days left before your due date!). Talk about what's going to happen--what the author wants, what the beta is willing to do. Make sure you both have similar ideas of what's expected. If there are specific sections or aspects you're worrying about, tell your beta. Maybe even mark it in the text with a comment or some highlighting. If you're using Word or LibreOffice or similar, we suggest using Track Changes (it's usually under the Edit menu in the toolbar), or in GoogleDocs you can use Suggestion mode. The comment tool can also be really useful. And authors: when you get your story back, go through it! Look at the work your beta did and decide whether or not you want to keep the changes. If they asked questions, answer those questions, but also think about WHY they asked and what you could do to change your text so that your readers aren't left with the same questions. If you still have questions for the reader perspective, ask. Communication doesn't have to end just because you got the draft back. This is a collaborative process, and it goes on for as long as you both want it to. Authors, make sure you thank your betas. Even if you disagree with everything they changed, they just gave you their editing skills for free and used their time to help you improve your story! Whether you say thanks privately, when you post, or both, be sure you express your appreciation. Betaing is a very behind-the-scenes part of fandom, and just like any other part of fandom, manners and acknowledgment are important in building both good friendships and good writers.

Betas, ask questions! Don't feel like you have to confine yourself to grammar and syntax, think about the feel you get off a story and where it might be going. What would it take to really get it there? Does the characterization fit? Are there any universe-breaking problems that the story doesn't adequately address? If you have an idea of something that could be tweaked or added, suggest it. Even if the author doesn't like it, it might get them thinking of something else that really brings a scene together. Are you confused? Tell the author! Did you love a certain bit of dialogue? Definitely mark that. Even emoticons will do. Authors want their stories to be read and enjoyed, and the more positive feedback you can give them now, the more strength they're likely to have to really polish that draft up and make it shine. You're probably the only person who's going to read it anything like as closely as they are, and it can be a great opportunity to express the sorts of reactions that are difficult to distill into comments. "This scene is great!" noted next to something specific can hold a lot more weight than a general "I really liked this" comment on the fic over all. Even if you get the rawest rough draft you've ever seen, find something good to say. Pick out things you liked. Sandwich negatives with positives when you can. Be constructive in your criticism, even if the author asks for the most detailed, scathing editing job you've ever done. This isn't an anonymous copyedit service, this is fandom, and fandom is about connecting and enjoying something together. A first-time read can be great for really getting the major ideas and emotions of the work, and you're hopefully giving yourself enough time to do a second or third reading for the work of corrections and suggestions. If you make a change that's not simple grammar, note WHY you're making the change. If you find you're making the same grammar change over and over, maybe explain the rule. Not all fanfic authors are native English speakers, and some of us who are have forgotten little details like how important commas can be :).

Information about date claims is available in this post. We’re looking forward to seeing all the great art and fic everyone’s been working on!