Willing Beta Readers Volume II

Re-posting because I'm re-opening!

Availability: UNAVAILABLE

Preference: My range of things I would be able to provide informed opinions on is fairly narrow: YA, in particular fantasy, science fiction (all subgenres), and contemporary.

I seek the kinds of things that most everybody tends to like in their stories: engaging writing, interesting characters, lots of stuff happening, etc. But here are some random things that will probably endear me, just in case your story has any of the below and you are on the fence about whether it could potentially be my style:

-books about competitions
-diversity (of all types!)
-ensemble casts
-shenanigans
-humor and fun things happening (I am not opposed to dark, but not really in the mood for all dark all the time at the moment)
-kissing (yup)

(if your story has all of the above, you probably have a new #1 fan)
(just to clarify, I'm not insinuating that I beta read solely for my own pleasure, though hopefully that comes about at least a little bit. but i don't believe in critting something you wouldn't like even when it's polished up and published with a shiny cover)

Not Interested In:First drafts, drafts that are not done, and genre wise uh...pretty much everything that is not above. Due to past interactions, I would also strongly prefer that you have at least 50 posts here.

Experience: I have beta read for several people on here and no one's died yet

My Style: I am not much into line-editing, nor do I go out of my way to be harsh--but I don't want to go too easy on you, either! I will be honest if I dislike something, but if I'm enjoying the story, I generally don't complain. My beta style tends to focus on providing general feedback and emotional reactions, and I don't tend to point out nit-picky things unless they jump out at me in a good or bad way. I leave some notes in line as they occur to me, also do a write-up at the end and try to cover all the major big-picture points (pacing, characters, dialogue, etc).

I do work full-time, but I am a fast reader and the turnaround time should not be horrific!

Contact: Please PM me with a query (or something that vaguely resembles one; I know how writing those things goes) including genre and word count, and ideally a link to a sample of the writing. It would probably be in both of our best interests to do a test run of a couple chapters at first.

Availability: Not Available (July 15th); thanks for the responses!

Preference: Works that contain three or more words where I need to reach for a dictionary. You know, 'literature.' Hah. That was a joke. Also, nonfiction because it rocks. Historical fiction.

Maybe: Like most I'm not defined by what I like but what I don't. There is an appetite for most everything except...

Not Interested: YA, Romance

Experience: I'm not sure what to put here. How long have I been proofreading? A few years, on and off but keep in mind that I am an amateur. I have spent a considerable amount of time reading college essays, for money, yet in the realm of 'fiction' the only proof reading I have done for money is a creative English course. Does being a teacher assistant for some precocious students who have, to put it euphemistically, only a rough acquaintance with the subject they're supposedly writing about count as fiction? Does rewriting a student's essay about literary theory, like all literary theory, count as fiction?

I doubt it.

There have been some true manuscripts that have passed through my hands but they are uniquely done as a favor... This is the first time that a complete stranger has used me. Hm, I should work on the phrasing. You get my point.

My Style: Send me a message. 'Yo, bro, u free 2nite?' I'll confirm or deny. Assuming it's the former send me a little blurb (250-500 words, more or less depending on whether the muse is relatively silent or verbose) about the manuscript. Perhaps a quote that you feel encapsulates the story would be useful and I would accept that. Then we'll go from there. Perhaps some nice chat?

Most of my reading is dialectical. I'll look at particularly charismatic passages and provide some commentary, some direction. Some of it will be useless. Some will be helpful. The vast majority will exist on a continuum between the two. The only thing I'll promise is that I'm (not to toot my own horn) devilishly good at pointing out grammatical mistakes. I'll hold you to a standard I'd never hold myself to.

Then, perhaps, a nice recap of things you should consider at the end of each chapter.

Turnaround Time: It depends. Your abilities are a codetermining factor. If you send me a dense work of nonfiction on the medieval church (which would be reasonably awesome) then it's going to be quite different if you send me a frothier if still enjoyable work about traveling. I have free time, the plan is to devote some of it to you, dear writer, and I can only hope that is enough to assuage any of those niggling fears you may have.

Contact: PM me with a pitch and how you want me to work for you.

Availability: AVAILABLE for Swap only (July 8, '14)


Preferences: Young Adult or New Adult - Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Chick-Lit, Women's Fiction, Horror, Sci-Fi.

Note: Violence is okay. I don't mind blood and gore if it is written well


I will NOT read:

- Another paranormal romance. I don't mind manuscripts with romantic content, but I just don't want to read anything with romance as the focal point. Especially if it's a romance between a vampire boy and a human girl. Thanks.

- First Drafts and very rough manuscripts that are riddled with copious grammatical errors (the manuscript should be somewhat polished.) If I agree to beta read for you and find that your manuscript is extremely rough, I will rescind my offer to beta (I've just had some bad experiences.)

- Anything with graphic erotic content or profuse swearing. The occasional swear word is fine, but if it's F-bombs in every paragraph, then I won't read it.


Experience: I have a BA in English. I've Beta-Read for six writers already and they were all very pleased with my thorough and helpful feedback. I am also in Public Relations, so I have a solid background in communications and am equipped with strong grammar skills.


Style: I'm respectful and professional, but very honest. Therefore I will be gentle, but I won't sugarcoat anything.

I'm flexible with your requirements. I try not to do too much line-by-line critiquing and just focus on the story as a whole. But occasionally I will point out lines that stand out to me (whether for good or bad reasons.)

I prefer to beta-read Microsoft Word documents. But if you absolutely insist on sending it as a PDF, message me and we can work something out.



Turnaround Time: 2-3 weeks (or less)


PM me if interested
__________________

Availability: Available

Preference: Horror, paranormal, anything weird, new weird, old weird, gothic, magic realism, family sagas. All sorts of violent and sexual content is cool, along with all the naughty language you can muster. LGBTQ enthusiastic.

Not Interested: Romance, contemporary, MG (unless your MG is basically Goosebumps), slice of life. I'm happy to take a chance on YA, but it's not my regular gig. ETA: Okay, so I'm gonna go ahead and say no YA unless it's straight up horror. Sorry folks. No explicit rape, please. And if your whole book hates on women (or POC or gay people), your crit from me will be filled with all kinds of unhappiness. I'll still crit it, but you might not be pleased with the feedback. Fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian are very hard sells.

Experience: I've been writing and reading forever, I studied creative writing in college, and my literary agent is currently shopping my first novel. Plus I was editor of the op/ed section of my daily college newspaper.

My Style: If I really fall in love with your manuscript, I'd do a line-by-line if you wanted. But mostly I'd give general feedback on whatever you need. Story structure, character development, pacing, flow, etc. Not the best for nitpicky grammar stuff. I have a short attention span, so if you want someone to tell you when it gets boring, I'm your girl. I am pretty honest. A fan of the compliment, constructive criticism, compliment style. But don't PM me if you don't want a harsh, honest opinion.

Contact: Please PM a synopsis, genre, word-count, and the first page. I'm a lot more inclined to reply to people who have a bunch of posts and are a part of the community. I'm going to be picky, just because I don't want to take on anything that I won't be able to finish, so if I don't reply, it's probably me, not you

Availability: UNAVAILABLE

Preference: YA/NA, horror, paranormal, contemporary, romance as long as it's weird. I'm big into pop culture, current events, trends, fashion, etc. so anything with these elements.

Not Interested: MG, High Fantasy (I just... I can't...)

Experience: This isn't my first rodeo.

My Style: I'm blunt, no easier way to put it. I read and write fast--LBL with a little blurb of feedback at the end. I tend to focus on plot, characters, pacing, flow, DIALOGUE, whether the story is engaging or makes me want to pour hot coffee on my brain. What I won't do is tell you something isn't working and not offer a way to make it work. I'll only give criticism if I have something constructive to go along. I understand for some people this is your baby and I'm not in the habit of making unnecessary rude comments about other people's children.

Contact: PM a one sentence synopsis, genre, word-count, and if I'm down I'll ask for the first three chapters. I prefer to crit on a three chapter basis just so I can get everything done in an efficient and timely fashion. I don't care if you have 2 or 2000 posts on AW, the one sentence synopsis will seal the deal on whether or not we're a good fit.

Availability: Currently Unavailable as of 8/29


Preference: Urban fantasy, high fantasy, any kind of fantasy really. YA. Dystopian. Science fiction. Mystery. Anything with orginality, that goes against the norm. Something with great characters.
I'm fine with unfinished/very rough draft stuff as well.


Not Interested: A manuscript centered entirely on romance. Romance is fine so long as it's not the entire book.
Anything with extreme gore--moderate violence is fine--so no horror. No erotica either please.
I'd rather not read any non-fiction, NA, MG, or coming-of-age sorts of YAs. (Fantasy YA is fine.)
Historical fiction and paranormal I'll have to see what it's about first.


Experience: I've beta'd for other people, but keep in mind I'm an amateur. I love reading and writing and know a lot about good plot and character development.


Style: I don't have any strict way of doing things; if you want feedback on a certain area of your story I will give it my all. I know grammar and spelling well and can point out typos for you but when it comes to more complicated grammar I'm not the best person. I can read pretty fast and will work with any time constraints you might have. Personally I'd love to focus on general plot stuff, world building, and character development, but I can go in depth as well. Tell me what you want to do and we can work something out.

I give honest feedback, and I'll be as critical as you want me to be. At the same time I'm not going to rip your manuscript to shreds and I will be positive too. I'm not going to lie to you.


Contact: Send me a PM with maybe a little excerpt, quick synopsis, genre and all that and I'll tell you if it's something I want to work on! We can figure things out from there.

Availability: Closed

Preference: Hard SF, Fantasy, Crime, Thrillers, Children's books.

I won't read full novels. I will read single chapters and snippets of approx 3000 words.
If you want input on character development, world-building, action setups etc., 3000 words should be enough.

Not Interested: No vampires, werewolves, zombies or any other type of horrific entities which nowadays seem to inhabit every corner of the written biosphere. Ask if unsure. No works driven solely by romance and erotics. (Character driven stories with erotic content are fine.)

Experience: I'm 53, started with SF when I was 9, do the math Impossible to count how many books I've read by Asimov, Pohl, Heinlein, van Vogt, Poul Anderson, K Dick, Silverberg, Stephen R. Donaldson, etc etc. with fantasy when I was about 11 (Tolkien, Jack Vance still a favorite). Currently reading a lot of contemporary mystery. Done a couple of AW reads, elsewhere too.

My Style: I'll tell it like I see it, the good and the bad. The reason for the read is to get feedback right? I'm not mean but Scandinavian, so expect me to be blunt. Please don't take anything I say personally.

Contact: PM here or pop a mail: contact at nichedelivery dot com or: nichedelivery at gmail dot com , and let me know what you got

Just joined. I read YA, romance , chick lit, suspense and I have read others. I just finished a review so I am open. Pm me if you need help.

Availability: Temp. unavailable. Reading a few MS

Preference: YA, MG, SF, Fantasy, Mystery. Open to most things, but prob not the best romance reader. Fine with language and violence.

Not Interested: I will read romance but I have no idea what makes a good one. Literary fic might be a hard sell unless I love what you have on SYW. I will not read erotica or hardcore horror.

My Style: I try not to sugarcoat or be a jerk. Polite and to the point. I think a beta is mostly for high level stuff and that's what I'll focus on. I might LBL sections to illustrate something in the prose.

Contact: PM me and maybe link to a SYW chapter. I'll see if it will work for me.

Availability: Currently Unavailable. Reading.

Experience/Style: I enjoy reading and I've beta for many members of AW. I can be very helpful in character development, plot, consistency, romance and an overall idea if your story was engaging enough to keep me reading. No grammar or spelling. I am honest, straight-forward, but not cruel. My goal is to help you the best way I can. Beta reading is another way to get in touch with writers and learn from each other, so I won't be the one to crush your dream. But expect me to be honest about the things I don't like.

Preference:

YA (contemporary, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance -- yes, including vampires, werewolves and stuff like that)
NA
Romance
Women's Lit

Maybe: MG.

Turnaround Time: It depends as I work full time. If I fall in love with your MS, I might be done with it in a week (once I am excited about something, I just keep going). If it needs more attention, a couple of weeks. It probably won't take me more than a month.

Contact: Please PM me with an idea of your MS and your expectation. We'll go from there.

Available

I've got a post buried several pages back, but it's more than 2 years old, so time for a new one!

Will beta: Contemporary or historical romance preferred. No paranormal, fantasy, or SF romance. No romantic suspense. Erotic romance is OK, but I do not read a lot of it. No ménage, though. m/m is OK too, but again, I do not read a lot of it. I am only interested in adult romance; no YA or NA. Also, I will not beta read unpolished manuscripts, or for people who have no activity in the community. May also consider women's or general fiction.

time frame: 1-2 weeks

about me: I write contemporary romance and women's fiction. I have done some beta-ing, but not recently. I would like to read a chapter or two before agreeing to beta the rest of the manuscript if you have no SYW posts.


PM me with a little information on your manuscript.

-Laura

Availability: AVAILABLE, but busy. Slow turnaround at the moment, but PM if interested.

Genres: Sci-fi, Fantasy, M/M Romance, YA (especially if it also falls into one of those other three) I don't mind language, sex, violence, whatever (except for the NOs mentioned below)

WILL NOT READ: Het romance (I will read M/M that also has het pairings, or bi characters though, just not pure het) Also, please do not send me anything that involves eye injuries (a character with a glass eye, fine... a graphic depiction of how he lost the original one, please don't!) I'm okay with drafts and partials, but at least TRY to check it over yourself first.

Experience: I've betaed for a couple of people here, also fanfiction for years and years. I'm an ESL teacher so I can go to town with the grammar if you ask, but in general as a beta I will point out RECURRING grammar and spelling problems, but not highlight every single instance. Especially for a novel length work, that just takes too much time. Mostly I'll comment on things like voice, characterization, continuity, believability of the characters, plot flow, things like that.

Harshness: I tell it like I see it. If it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read, I will tell you. I also make an effort to point out what I DO like... and if it's mostly good you'll get mostly good comments. But I'm going to pretend I picked your book up at a bookstore and am reading it as a reader, and give you an insight into what I'm thinking as that reader... be it "OMG I'm moved to tears!" or "Okay, putting the book down now."

Turnaround time: Totally depends, on what I've got going on as far as work and my own writing and other beta jobs... send me a PM and let me know what your ms is about and approximately how long it is, and we'll talk specifics.

Availability: Unavailable

Preference: Horror, crime, thriller, science fiction and fantasy. Comic twists welcome. Happy with YA, MG or Adult in the aforementioned genres.

Maybe: Historical fiction - this is a big maybe depending on setting and the type of comments you are seeking. This is mostly because, in regards to most eras, I would feel ill-equipped to spot research errors. Romance - would consider some non-cookie cutter paranormal romance, comic romance... anything quirky or cross-genre.

Not Interested: Non-fiction, scripts, poetry and picture books.

Experience: Degree in English. Beta read a lot. I used to post feedback quite regularly on SYW, so you might want to check my past posts to see if we're on the same wavelength.

My Style: I’m straight shooting and won’t shy away from the truth, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be nasty about it. I don't bite, so if you're nervous but you want an honest read, I could be a good fit for you.

I try to give balanced feedback - I'll point out things that work as well as things that don't. I'm happy to look at plot holes, characterisation issues and continuity errors. I will look at grammar/spelling etc, but I'm not a proofreader and will not go over a lengthy manuscript with a fine-tooth comb for errors of this nature.

Turnaround Time: Turnaround time will differ depending on the length and state of your manuscript. If we agree we're a fit, we can arrange a fair time together. If any unforeseen problems arise that could impact the turnaround time, I will let you know in advance of this date.

Contact: PM me with a brief blurb, length etc and, if it feels like a fit, we can go from there.

Availability: Unavailable (but will return!)

Preferences: New Adult, Young Adult, Contemporary and Historical Romance, Erotica (nothing super crazy though), Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Chick-Lit, Women's Fiction

Maybe: Sci-fi

Not interested in: Horror

Note: Please don't send me a rough first draft that's full of grammatical errors.

Experience: Creative writing courses. English teacher. I'm a writer myself, but I'm not a stickler for grammar and won't correct every single mistake.

Style: I'm an honest person and I'm not out to ruin your day. I seek to be professional and help you the best I can. Please be able to take constructive criticism though.

I can only take PDF submissions. I won't be able to mark it up with a red pen for every error. I'll read through and note any major plot or structural problems. Of course I'll note on pages big grammar errors I find. What I'm good at is telling you if the story flows well and if I think the characters and scene are well developed and interesting.

Please tell me your synopsis and send me the first few chapters. If I'm interested I'll ask for the rest. If I'm not, I'll tell you why.

Turnaround Time: 2-3 weeks (or less)

PM me if interested

Availability: Closed

Preference: Fantasy but I'm ok with anything except the ones below.

Not Interested: Erotica, Non-fiction, Politics or Religion

Experience: I have beta-ed for several AWers. Worked for the Learning Support department in an international school.

My Style: Line-by-line including:

Pacing
Writing style
Language - active vs passive sentence, show vs tell, grammar and punctuation
POV issue
Settings and description
Character development
Dialogue
Chapter review
Intrigue/Suspense/Emotional-reaction rating
Overall plot


Turnaround Time: One day - depending on the length.

Contact: PM me for a start. I prefer Word doc, one to two chapters only.

Communication style: Frequent, with follow-up, if necessary.

Swap or no swap: Must be willing to reciprocate.

Harshness level: The review will be done with a sense of encouragement, not criticism. I won't nitpick or try to change your style.

Availability: Unavailable. I should be available in a month or two.

Specialization:

• Any type of YA (preferably with some elements of the genres below)
  
• Dystopian
• Adventure
• LGBT
• Fantasy
• Supernatural
• Fairy Tale
  

What I won't read:

• Too much erotica.
• Heavy Drug Use. It's not my cup of tea, and I wont be the best at critiquing it.
• Any religion based novel. I wouldn't be much help.
• Westerns

Schedule: Time frame depends as I do get fairly in depth. I'm a fast reader though, so I can usually get things back pretty quickly if I can. You may want to note that i'm not the type to get your manuscript back in a day. Tell me what you'd like time frame wise and i'll tell you if I can swing it. Note: I am currently in school which may effect time frame.

My critique style: I give my opinions both line by line and overall effect. If you have specific questions about chapters or any of the critiques I gave I'm happy to focus on certain things or answer your questions. I always have something positive to say, and anything I say is meant to be constructive. I also prefer to do chapter or chapter (or a few chapters at a time) as opposed to a full manuscript. This is just because I feel I can give more direct critiques.

Other Notes: I think having a conversation about the novel is important. If I'm spending hours trying to help you out, I'd appreciate a reply at least. Before I beta I'd like to see the first chapter or a good summary to make sure that we fit for both our sakes. I'd be happy to critique something if you want to know if my style is right for you. I prefer to contact through email once I start beta reading. Also, I do not need polished manuscripts. Any stage in the writing process is fine, even if it's still being written or is in its first draft. If it's important, I have beta read quite a few times before.

Contact: PM me if you want to see if we fit

Beta Reader

***Available***

Preference: Erotica, Romance, New Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction. Love shapeshifters of all kinds, fae, witches, and demons. Graphic sex and explicit language are fine. In fact, they are preferred. LGBT is great although I wonder if I have much to add to a M/M. Fantasy and dystopian are fine.

Not so much: Suspense/Murder/Crime. ONLY because I am not heavy into this genre.

Not interested: YA - not your girl. Non-fiction, high fantasy, no zombies- not my thing

Experience: I've been a beta reader for a year and my CPs are happy with the experience. I'm published but it was a series of technical newspaper articles.

My Style: I prefer a finished work. A first draft is ok, but if you don't know what your ending is, I'm not your girl. I do a line-by-line and also provide general feedback on character development, structure, plot, etc. I'm big on pacing.

I am honest. I'll tell you what I like and I'll make suggestions on items I don't like. I think if I'm not honest with you, I'm doing you a disservice as your beta reader.

I try to have a quick turnaround but I can't do an entire novel in a week. I don't have that kind of time. I don't thrive on tight deadlines but I do like to have a nice back in forth. I usually average about two to five chapter trades in a week.

Contact: Please PM me. I'll read a first chapter and if we both feel like we make a good match, we can continue. I'll take a full novel once we agree to work together.

I'll be happy to beta fantasy (all kinds), scifi, horror. YA or adult only

I'm willing to beta. I think I'm open to most things, although I'm not your gal for super gruesome, tons of swearing, or explicit sex scenes.
PM if interested.

new

Availability: Available!


Experience: none


Contact: PM me with a short synopsis of your writing and some details on your expectations to see if it is something I'd be comfortable working with.

Thanks in advance... I'd really like to get some experience with beta reading and look forward to seeing your work.

Availability: Temporarily unavailable

Preference: I read a lot of genres, but my first loves will always be fantasy and sci fi.


Not Interested: Erotica or anything that will make me blush... Some sex is fine but a ton just makes me uncomfortable. (I suddenly realized how that sentence sounded, but it made me laugh loudly, so I am leaving it for the amusement of others.) Also, I hate horror or anything graphic violence.

Experience: None. Scary, huh?

My Style: I doubt I would be very harsh. I will be honest.

Turnaround Time: Slow. Incredibly slow. I have two babies and am in the process of revising my own manuscript. However, I want to do this because I find it easier to approach fellow rookies sometimes. So, I want to help out others. I know how hard it is to find betas.

Contact: PM me.

Availability: Unavailable (life got really busy and I've been really slow in getting back to people that I'm currently critiquing.)


Preference: Mainstream, Romance, Humor, Horror. But I'm willing to give anything a chance, except what's listed in Not Interested.

Not Interested: LGBT, Fantasy (no experience in this genre). Non-fiction is on a case-by-case basis. I'm willing to read YA, but the last time I read it was when I WAS a YA, so I don't know how much help I would be.

Experience: I have beta-ed for some writers (non-AW), as well as some SYW.

My Style: Line by line, and usually also a brief overview.

Turnaround Time: It really depends if life gets in the way. Usually at least a chapter a week.


Contact: PM me your word count, along with one chapter or a summary of your story. If it's a good fit, you can either send the rest chapter by chapter or the entire manuscript at once. But if sending the entire MS, please allow a chapter a week. Also, please let me know if you found me through this thread.

Communication style: Would prefer to keep communication open, especially if I end up doing the entire manuscript.

Harshness level: I don't mean to sound harsh, but I am guessing that I might. Just know it's all intended to be constructive feedback. I also will point out what I think is good.

Availability: Updated 26/08Unavailable for the near/indeterminate future.

Preference: Paranormal, Mystery/suspense, unique hard-to-categorise stories, Literary. I'm quite good at 'getting' relatively abstract 'out there' ideas. Something with humour -dark or light.

I prefer knowing what the book is about and seeing opening pages first; I'm likely to provide better critiques if it's something I already like for more intangible reasons and if various issues like wordiness, POV, filtering, grammar and so on have already been worked out for the most part.

It depends: Horror (creepy, yes, gore, no), Sci-fi (though I'm more Vonnegut than Heinlein), Dystopia so long as it's fairly cerebral, GLBT so long as the story isn't just about a character being gay, etc, YA, Fantasy (not to keen on multiple creatures or Dwarves, Trolls, etc. though unless you write like Terry Pratchett) Romance or erotic romance - so long as it's an unusual premise.

Not Interested: MG (except fantasy as that's all I read at that age), Historical, Christian, Memoir, Epic Fantasy/Sword & Sorcery, Coming of Age, Domestics, Children's, anything with lots of fights or battles, stories about drug addiction or mental illness, zombie outbreaks, post-apocalypses, anything to militaristic. If 'magic' in your novel can be replaced by the word 'red' without altering the meaning of the sentence much ...

Graphic sex is fine, but graphic violence or sadistic cruelty, no.
Swearing is fine if it's the odd potty-mouthed character, but not if it's integral to the narrator's 'voice'.

Experience: Two complete novels, the opening chapters for several others. As well as critting here. I have very broad tastes and read from most genres, but can't say I'm an expert in any particular one.
I've travelled lots, am fairly well-versed in conspiracy theories, true crime, the media, recent history, popular science and 'real' esoteric stuff if needed.

My Style: Blunt, will deliver blows softly if needed but you need to tell me ahead of time and my natural tendency is sarcasm. I tend to point out what I think needs fixing, figuring the writer can assume that anything left alone works fine as is. I'd prefer to aim for overall plot structure, characterisation, pacing and so forth and will LBL only to illustrate an example of some problem that seems to come up often. If I see typos, spelling errors, I'll point them out, but no deep editing.

I'll try to be up front with my own biases - I do aim for a writer to keep their own style or 'voice' and try to separate my own pet likes and dislikes from what I can see might still 'work' for other people. I'm not terribly good at hand-holding and probably not the best fit if someone hasn't been critiqued a fair amount already and knows they can handle it. If I think something still has some rather basic issues that need addressing first, I'll say so, but I do try to be constructive.

Contact: PM a quick synopsis, genre, word-count, and a couple of sample pages so I can get a sense for the style before I commit. I find some writing styles easier to get through than others and prefer 'easy'.
I prefer the whole thing at once since I'm a fast reader but with a short memory and generally prefer to turn something around quickly. If not given a deadline, I can forget sometimes, so don't be afraid to nudge. I'm not bothered by post count, so long as the person isn't a complete newbie either to here or writing in general, they communicate well or I see it would be a good 'fit'.

Swap: It depends on what I've got going at the time.

I'd prefer to give ongoing feedback rather than just at the end.

Availability: Available.

Preference: Anything goes unless specified below.

Not Interested: Rape. I don't, flat out, want to read about it. Christian driven plots. Westerns. Non-Fiction, Uncompleted novels or First Drafts
(If you haven't take the time to go through it again, don't ask. This doesn't mean it needs to be perfect, but spying the obvious mistake or typos, will increase the chance I will continue to read.)

Experience: I've betaed before as well as critiqued here.

My Style: I am a thorough. I read the entire chapter first and write impressions, problems and what-not then a line-by-line for a better look. I am blunt. You won't always agree.

Contact: PM me. I prefer to read the first chapter and see if we will fit and if you are willing to accept what I have to say.

P.S. I would also like to ask that you be active in the community. You don't need to be over 9,000 posts active or anything, but if you just created your account and are reading this don't ask.