Just a coupla questions for you peeps in the know...

[unbridled_b]

Question the first: How would one go about finding a beta reader for original fiction? I'm a member of Absolute Write, but I admit I'm nervous about asking on there because I'm paranoid about the possibility of plagiarism. I do have a couple of trusted fandom writers I run things by, but I know they're both too busy to undertake anything as

Comments

[teragramm]

I used to beta for zarrah04 when she wrote fan fiction. I continued to beta for her when she first started writing original fiction. I haven't done it in a while because she knows I'm bogged down by RL but to be honest, she really doesn't need me any more. She now has a fan following and from that fan following she got a few test readers who read her stories and give feed back. Not sure that's as good as a beta but it works for her.

[jacobs_muse]

Caveat that the SYW area can give a lot of conflicting advice. Some people like to come in there and nitpick, not help, so if you're neurotic about your writing it won't be a good place for you. You have to know what to consider and what to discard.

[jacobs_muse]

Yes, I'd read. And I have enough time to talk about a chapter at a time or discuss overall arc queries, etc.

My betas are fellow fic writers.

You don't have to worry about plagiarism on AW. It's more likely the feedback wouldn't be appropriate for your genre or the person would just flake. I tried out a few people to beta there and I had flakes. I kept records of their info when we exchanged chapters, but that was just a backup precaution.

When looking for a beta, have them do just the first chapter, or just the first 30 or 50 pages, first and see what they say, if they're a good fit.

[slaymesoftly]

Of course I'd take a look at it. Wishing you good luck on the betas - I'm too tied up with RL work (for authors without enough sense to get something beta-read before they send it off to be published), or I'd offer. But good for you for wanting to submit something that's already had other eyes on it! Somewhere out there is an editor who will love you forever. :)

[narcissa_malfoy]

I would love to read some of it :)