Willing Beta Readers Volume II

Hi,

I PMed you.

Chris

Full up at the moment.

I'm happy to beta sci-fi, fantasy and all romance except historical.

I'd prefer not to do line by line critiques, so please don't send me a first draft. I'm happy to read a whole MS if your writing clicks with me - I'll do scene summaries with comments on what works well and what jumps out at me, you're welcome to ask for feedback on particular things. PM me with a blurb and word count if you're interested.

I'm also open to having a writing buddy for paranormal romance/urban fantasy if anyone's up for it.

AVAILABILITY: Currently unavailable.

PREFERENCES: Any kind of YA, as well as chick lit. I've been writing/reading YA for a long time, though, so that's my area of expertise. I prefer contemporary/romance, but I'm willing to beta any other kind.

CRITIQUE STYLE: I'm not SUPER harsh or anything, but I will point out anything that I see that does not work. I'm also willing to do line edits--just tell me what you need!

CONTACT: PM me with a synopsis and where you are on the project.

I'm also looking for a critique partner, but if you'd just like to keep this a beta relationship, that's fine!

AVAILABILITY: Available
PREFERENCES: My favorites are YA and Urban Fantasy. But I'm also up for any Sci Fi, Fantasy and Chick-Lit. All depends on the story.
CRITIQUE STYLE: Always honest but I do tend to lean towards the overly nice while still pointing out what needs fixed.

PM me with synopsis and important details.

Availability:
Currently unavailable. My turn around is usually quick. I read every night and if I have a project, I tend to throw myself into it. I prefer to start with a chapter and see if the critique is agreeable to both parties.

Genre/Subjects/Interests:
Anything Fantasy, I love Crime, Romance is great, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Horror. You know what, try me.

Not Really Into:
Science Fiction, only cause I don’t read it. Non fiction.

Critique Style
This will depend on the stage of the MS. If it’s an early draft, I can and will do line edits. Can’t stop myself. :^( If it’s pretty close to wonderful, I’ll just give overall impressions on pace, flow, etc. I will always be professional and completely honest. We can discuss how hard you want to be hit, or how soft you like yo be spoken to.

Disturbing or controversial topics:
I’m good to go, if it’s really really bad ... I’ll let you know.

Contact me:
PM me or you can e-mail me at [email protected]

21 beta’s done - going for 100

AVAILABILITY:Sundays Only.*Available Right Now*

Preferences: LOVE horror. If you have vampires and such,bring it on. No Edward Cullen types, please. Evil vamps or at the very least,vamps with balls only. I like sci-fi,space opera,mangas,comics,graphic novels,crime thrillers, fantasy of all kinds,paranormal romance,YA, and historical romance. No westerns, erotica, or kids books.If you have questions about AA characters,I am more than willing to help. I adore LGBT characters and themes. I don't like non-fiction and literary fiction. Nothing is too crazy for me to read.

Critique Style: Brutally honest. If you are thin-skinned,cry easily,or are afraid of crazy folk,do NOT ask me to beta. This doesn't mean that I am deliberately cruel,rude,or mean! It means that I point out whatever bothers me about the MS.

Time Frame:One week and two at the most.

PM me with a synopsis or if you don't have one of those evil things,just break down the characters and plot. If I like it,I'll get back at you.

AVAILABILITY: I am very Available to read

PREFERENCES: Any kind romance, science fiction, or fantasy. I Especially Enjoy Urban fantasy. Though I am not afraid to read other genres

CRITIQUE STYLE: I am easy going. However If I feel that a section needs some nip/tucking I will let you know. I'm also willing to do a little bit of editing if needed!

CONTACT: PM me with a synopsis.

I'm also looking for a critique partner! but in need some one who is willing to read some dark writing with "adult themes"

Best wishes to all writers!

Availability:
Could probably finish up within a month.

Genre/Subjects/Interests:
Historical fiction (esp. 20th century America, Russian history, Civil War-era, Middle Ages, Renaissance, and prehistory)

Soft sci-fi/futuristic fiction (I prefer stories where it's more like they happen to be set in the future, with characters and the plot being more important than an elaborate depiction of future technology or the nuts and bolts of living in a space colony or on Mars.)

Young adult/middle grade, with a more literary bent, and preferably historical.

In general, I prefer books with a slower, literary build, taking some time to develop the characters and the situation instead of having pivotal or dramatic things happen within the first 50 pages.

Not Really Into:
Most genre fiction (e.g., horror, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, fantasy)

Favourite Authors:
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, Hermann Hesse, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, Mark Twain, Bertolt Brecht, Isaac Asimov

Critique Style
My mom's an English teacher and often let me help with grading her (community college) students' papers over the years, and I work in the production room of a newspaper now, proofreading and writing stories, so I have a tendency to pick out grammatical, orthography, and punctuation errors that someone else might have missed. I try to be honest but encouraging, pointing out the good and giving ideas on how weaker or lacking areas might be improved.

Contact:
PM me with a query, synopsis, and the first chapter.

I'm willing to Beta read - I especially love fantasy, but I'll read pretty much any genre.

Availability: Unavailable as of 10/20/11 (I'm doing NaNo!)

Contacting Me: PM me a summary, blurb, synopsis or query letter. You may also send your first chapter, but that is by no means a requirement.

Critique Style: I comment on pacing, plot, development, characterization, spelling, repetition, consistency, etc. Basically, if I notice something off, I’ll let you know. I make comments as I read and summarize my thoughts at the end. Let me know exactly what you’re looking for in a beta as well as the time frame you would like it to be completed.

What I read: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Humor, Contemporary, LGBT themed and Science Fiction.

What I might read: Romance/chick lit and Non-fiction -if it’s EXTREMELY good.

What I don’t read: Memoirs, Historical fiction, Erotica, Christian, Hard Scifi

Your novel genre not listed? No problem. Just follow the directions for ‘Contacting Me’ and I’ll give it a look.

Things to consider:

~I’ll read first drafts if they don’t read like first drafts. i.e. If it’s riddled with so many errors I have a hard time understanding it, I will have to decline. I actually don’t mind rough/first drafts, but when taking on so many projects…time is not my friend.

~I’m all for giving critique for critique. I may ask if you’re willing to return the favor, but don’t feel obligated! My main focus is to help other writers as much as I can while getting some good reading in. A return crit is not expected or required.

Availability:
I'm retired now and will read as much as you need read as long as it is fairly well edited. Can't promise full timme attention but won't pile it in a corner either
Genre/Subjects/Interests:
Crime, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, History .. anything well written.
Social but not political work is fine too

Not Really Into:
YA, religious, fantasy, pure romance or sci-fi. Definitley no self-help
Any think with more than a much needed f-bomb or two or with excessive profanity won't hold my interest.

Really REALLY not Into:
YA, self help since I can't relate to it and would miss a lot of your scenario

Favourite Authors:
Twain, Clancy, Steinbeck, WEB Griffith, Eckert, Michner,

Critique Style
I'm a hard but fair line-by-liner. I'll comment on what I like and what is exceptionally written.
You'll get suggestions occasionaly about the way I would handle a situation without expectation that you would want to follow it closely
I try to insert humor into my crits from time to time.

Subject Matter Issues:
Looking for wordsmith writers with the ability to handle vocabulary and dialog well. I like some detail and craftsmanship.

Contact:
PM me with the details of what you would like to send, what you're looking for in a critique, including a time table if you have one.

Currently full up.

What I like: Pretty much any kind of fiction. I lean towards Urban Fantay and Paranormal Romance, but I will take a look at pretty much anything.

Not into: Nonfiction, younger YA, strategic battle stories where focus is not on characters

My style: I tend to focus on the characters and their motivatons, plot line, big picture type stuff. I will basically give you whatever is in my head...I will tell you if love something just as quickly as Ill tell you that I dont.

PM me if youd like my help.

Availability:
Evenings and weekends. I can usually go through 50+ pages on weeknights and 200+ on weekends and I'll let you know if something is keeping me from looking at what you send.

Preferred Genre:
Horror, Science Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery

Not Really Into:
Historical/Period unless you cross it with another genre (like List of 7 or The Difference Engine), Military, iffy with Fantasy (I like the Dresden Files, so Urban Fantasy works for me).

Kind of blah about:
YA, Romance/Erotica, Religious. Will read it, and if you're looking for an honest crit you'll get it. But if you're just looking for praise I might not be the best choice for these.

Favorite Authors:
William Goldman, Stephen King, William Gibson, Anne Rice, will give pretty much everything a try

Critique Style:
I can go line by line or do a coverage style crit with the big picture of your story. Just tell what you're looking for, and I'll tell you if it's something I can do.

Subject Matter Issues:
Big fan of realistic dialogue and tight pacing. Really, REALLY not a fan of mistreatment of animals. To clarify, if Jaws gets killed it doesn't bother me or if a certain owl is killed in battle I can deal with that. But if your serial killer protagonist tortures animals and you're lingering over it, I don't find that very pleasant and will say so.

Contact:
PM me with what you need, and I'll let you know if I'm available to take it on.

Available for Beta (Prefer a Trade)

Hello! I'm newish to the forums, but not to writing. I have been writing toward publication for seven years, have a BA in English/Creative Writing and have a short story published by Circlet Press. I also work in the Editorial department of a newspaper, so I have a quasi-journalistic viewpoint on writing.

I have a revised (and revised and revised) fantasy (sword and sorcery with touches of romance) that I would like to trade with others in return for Beta-ing their work. I offer in-depth critiques focusing on line edits (when needed), plot arc, characterization, pacing and whatever else snags my attention. I have a pretty open schedule right now and will offer a quick turnaround (and would like the same).

Availability:

All full up right now.


What I Would Rather Read:

Fantasy (any kind, though my experience with military is limited)
Romance
YA

What I'm Willing to Read:

Erotica
Sci-Fi
Thriller/Mystery
Mainstream
Women's Fiction

What I Will Not Read:

Horror

Note: I LOVE strong female leads, so I'm especially interested in any stories with that type of MC, regardless of genre.

Please e-mail me a brief synopsis or query at bguthrie17(at)yahoo(dot)com or PM here, but I'll respond more quickly to the e-mail.

Hi all,

I'm interested in helping other people with their writing. I have been in critique groups for a while and enjoy helping others and keeping active by critiquing. If interested, please email or PM.

Availability: Currently, I can take on no more projects to beta.

Genres: Novels mostly. Fantasy mostly; some science fiction, horror, or historical fiction. Not your best bet for middle-grade or young adult. Again, I do best with fantasy because that is 90% of what I read. On the other genres, I cannot give you genre-specific advice but general novel advice.

Critique Style: Long-winded. Nitpicky. Line-edits, yes, but without a strong focus on grammar. Micro and macro elements of fiction.

Caveat: If you need a speedy critique, I'm not your best bet. I generally can critique something of less than 5,000 words within a few days, but I must have some time in between, too. Meaning, I cannot critique 5,000 words from the same person every three days for months in a row.

Thanks,
Jodi

Willing beta! - Send me things but I'm feeling very picky at the moment!

Genres:

• Sci-fi
• Fantasy
• M/M romance or erotica
• Anything a bit dark and screwed up
• Horror

Restrictions:
None. In fact bring on the blood, gore, sex and swearing

Not interested in:
YA or MG

Level of crit:
Will do line edits if I see anything glaringly wrong but will be mainly reading for characterisation, plot, continuity and general entertainment.

First of all I'm looking for the first couple of chapters to see if the genre/story line is my sort of thing. Please send me a short bit about the piece you are looking to be beta'd.

Looking forward to reading some great work and getting to know some of you lovely AWers a bit better!

Availability: Okay to take on a new project as of 5/20/12
DO NOT WANT
YA
Romance
Longer (100k+) works

Reading Preferences
Fantasy - f/sf/uf. Gritty is okay, absurd too, whatever it takes to tell the story.

I want to read writers who read in their genre. I want to read active, contributing members to AW.

I want to read neat concepts, cool premises, different settings.


What I Do
I always say I don't want to do line-by-lines but I end up doing them anyways.
I want to talk about big picture stuff, especially plots and characters, but I don't mind answering specific concerns or questions.


About Me
I read pretty widely. My crits can be tough.


Timeframe
Can usually read/write a thoughtful response within 3 weeks. If for some reason I can't get into the work, I'll let you know where I got stuck, why it stuck me.


Contact
PMs are neat. Send me your query or 10-sentence synopsis. If you have a link in SYW I'd like to see your thread.

Status: Reading, not currently available

I'd love to do some Beta reading!

Right now, I'm only interested in reading YA. It's what I write and read, so I honestly wouldn't be as much help to you in other genres. All genres of YA are fine, although I'm not a big fan of tear-jerker types of stories (think Nicholas Sparks). I also don't read much high fantasy, but you can feel free to send it to me and I'll consider it.

I love stories with romance (fine, I'm a sap), and I'm a big fan of paranormal and urban fantasy. Recent books I've loved: The Duff, The Hunger Games (still traumatized, but I loved it), Across the Universe.

I'm a "big picture" beta, and I'll give you feedback on your story as a whole, characters, motivations, plot, pacing, etc. I'm not your girl for line edits, but if I see something weird over and over I'll point it out. Your manuscript doesn't have to be perfect and polished and shiny (why would you need me if it was?), but no first drafts, please.

If you're interested PM me with a blurb about your book. I'll want to see a chapter or two before I commit to reading the whole thing.

Availability: Currently busy with several projects.

Will read: Thriller/suspense, crime/mystery, mainstream, women's fiction, historical, nonfiction (depending on the topic), unconventional memoirs, fantasy

Might read: Sci-fi, YA, romance

Not interested: Horror, addiction/abuse memoir, comic/graphic novel, self-help

My style: Editing is part of my day job, so I'm a stickler for grammar and spelling. I will do line-by-line for particular sections, especially if you ask, but not for an entire manuscript. I'll give you big picture issues: characters, believability, pacing, all that good stuff.

Timeframe: I can generally be fairly quick and responsive, depending on how much work your m/s needs. I'll give you feedback as I go so you won't be waiting weeks to hear something.

Contact: PM me with a synopsis and brief excerpt.

Hi guys!

If you'd like to win one of the 5 first-chapter critiques given by an agented writer, go to my blog
http://monibw.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-blog-post-meet-erin-kelly.html

Availability
Not Available

Contact Me
email: ([email protected]) Send the first chapter of your story or a query letter to see if we mesh well.

Critique Style
Pacing, development, characters, tone, plot, spelling, repetition, and grammar/punctuation.

I am an adverb nazi and I dislike passive voice.

I Will Read:
Young Adult (Contemporary, Fantasy, Sci-Fi)
Fantasy
Science-Fiction
Science-Fantasy
Contemporary
Horror

I Don't Read:
Romance
Erotica
Mystery
Non-fiction
Christian Lit
Paranormal Romance

What You Should Know
I am harsh and I will rip your work apart in the nicest way I can. However, I am not rude. And I've been told that I have a great sense of humor.

I work pretty fast. I can get your full manuscript(40k - 80k) back to you in two days tops.

I don't like working with new writers. Please have a year or two under your belt before you contact me. And I don't mind reading first drafts, just tell me upfront.

And if you're interested, I will swap.

Hello! I'm available to beta read young adult books: fantasy, supernatural, sci-fi (please no realism unless you only want grammar checks).
I can give detailed crit or loose crit depending on your specifications, please let me know the level that would suit you best.
I'm working on a couple of crits at the moment, so please only request for me if you're not in a hurry!

Beta Exchange

I'm looking for a beta exchange. I would be willing to swap fiction stories (my novel is 71,000 words and is a contemporary fiction novel). I pretty much enjoy all fiction genres. I haven't read a lot of sci-fi and mystery, westerns so these might not be the best genres for me. I would give a broad based crit. It would be constructive criticism because I think that's what everyone is mostly looking for.

Anyone out there who has done this before? How does it generally work? Is there a deadline for finishing the criticism, because I definitely think a deadline would be a good idea (though I realize with life, sometimes things get pushed back), but a goal deadline sounds like a good idea.

Thanks,
get_itdown

I'd be happy to beta read, especially more literary fiction. Even better an exchange with my 50,000 word novel set in Kuwait? Let me know what level of response you'd like and we can work out timings.

Urban/paranormal beta reader (swap)

I'd be happy to swap beta reads - YA urban fantasy or grown-up urban fantasy (the vampire/werewolf etc. type, and/or the detective-solving-paranormal-crime type). Also Paranormal Romance, as long as it has a plot that goes beyond romance.
Gritty and hard-boiled is fine, although my own writing is comparatively fluffy (think Patricia Briggs rather than JR Ward, if that means anything to you).

If you have a "detective solving paranormal crime" MS, I'd be willing to beta read even without doing a swap.

Please only approach if you have a complete or near complete MS.

It will take me about two to three weeks to get back to you.