Proof Witches, Proof-Readers, and Beta Readers
romancingwizard
Romancing the Wizard
Requesting a Proof Witch Guidelines - REVISED May 24, 2008
All stories posted at Romancing the Wizard must be proofread for canon spellings and usage, grammar and punctuation, including proper comma usage.
You have two options to accomplish this:
- 1) Use your own proof-reader.
2) Request the assistance of an official RTW Proof Witch.
The Proof Witches
We have assembled a team of knowledgeable authors who have volunteered to proof-read stories for our challenges. They are:
- gelsey
ladywhitehart
missblane
somigliana
sophierom (on sabbatical)
velvetcandy
Important: Our Proof Witches have NOT volunteered to beta for you. They have only volunteered to proof-read the final version of your story before you post it at romancingwizard. (See our definition of a proof-reader below.)
The Definitions
Proof-reader
At romancingwizard, we define a proof-reader as someone who will give a final once over for a near perfect story to catch a stray comma, etc. Experienced, conscientious writers may not use beta-readers, but they will use a proof-reader to double check their story before posting. This is what our Proof Witches will do.
Beta-reader
A beta-reader is someone who will give a thorough editorial review of a story, including specific suggestions for improvement of characterisation, plot, and other elements, as well as canon spelling and grammar and punctuation corrections. They may also review the story for challenge criteria, if needed. New writers will often use beta-readers. Experienced writers who are 'stuck' on a scene may seek the advice of a beta-reader. Our Proof Witches have not volunteered to be beta readers. You must find your own beta reader, if needed.
New writers will generally use a beta-reader first, make the corrections suggested and then have a proof-reader (it can be the same person or someone else) go over the final story. This step is crucial because new writers often make additional punctuation and grammatical mistakes when correcting stories with many beta comments.
The Procedure - REVISED May 24, 2008
For each challenge, there will be a post started by the moderator entitled 'Request a Proof Witch'. This will contain instructions, including cut-off dates for requests.
Please be aware it might take a while for a Proof Witch to respond to your request for a proof-reader. The Proof Witches will pick up requests in order of the thread as they have time for proof-reading. RedVelvetCanopy (moderator) will monitor the thread to promptly remedy any unanswered requests, if needed.
When you send your story to your Proof Witch, make sure you send them the final version, which includes the filled-out template and HTML coding. Make sure you have gone over your story several times and have checked the word count before sending it to your Proof Witch. They are not doing your work for you. They are simply scanning to make sure there are no obvious errors.
As always, per the community and challenge guidelines, any questions regarding content, requirements, etc. should be sent directly to the moderators at seaislewitch(at)livejournal(dot)com. If a Proof Witch sees something at odds with our guidelines, they will alert the moderators and the moderators will contact you.
We hope this feature will aid our authors, encourage challenge participation, and make our community stand out for its excellence.
seaislewitch, Lead Moderator
redvelvetcanopy, Moderator
lewlinx, Moderator