Beta Project 2017

Anyone can crit any entry. I'll link to the entries when I post them on the 19th. You just send me your critiques via PM, and I'll post them with the mandatory ones. Or you can wait until June 2nd, and crit directly in the crit threads too.

You can put anything. Nobody's going to see the subject but me.

Guys, it's my birthday! And nothing says "Happy birthday" better than a bunch of Beta Project entries in your inbox, am I right?

DancingMaenid said:

So...it looks like I'm going to do this. Eep. I realized I have a possibly silly question about the word count requirements, though:

- Does the hook have to be exactly 150 words, or can it come up a little bit short?

- I may tweak it a little more before PMing, but right now the most natural cut-off point on my opening without going over is 708 words. Is that too short?

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You can definitely be under 150 and 750. Too far under 750, and readers might wonder why you didn't give them more, but around 700 is fine. If you have a good stopping point, use it.

I wouldn't go too far under 150, just because you'll be limiting the type of information your potential betas will be looking for: character, plot, stakes. While there are contests where you can effectively pitch in a sentence or 140 characters or 35 words or whatever, the betas will be looking for something a little more like a query pitch. After all, they have to know if they want to spend time with your book. But a little under 150 is fine, and in fact, probably safer to send to me, since my word counter may not be like yours.

Dysnomia said:

ETA: Ahh I can't wait to read the entries!! And hopefully find something to beta read over the summer! Hmm... Now I'm wondering, how many entries total are there so far, Sage?

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Right now we have 20 entries.

Hey, kaylim!

I can totally understand how overwhelming it can be to share your work. Here's some good things about this contest, but if you're not comfortable with joining at this time, I do it once a year, so you can wait for a later draft or your next book, or maybe you'll find crits and betas other ways in the meantime.

• This is like mini-Share-Your-Work. You're guaranteed 3 crits, which can range from detailed to general. Even with more crits (last year all got at least 4, the most was 9), it's a little less overwhelming than SYW. And it's just on 750 words.
  
• Everything's anonymous. Your name will not be attached to your entry, unless you want it to be after everything's posted. The crits are also anonymous, so it's easier to feel a sense of detachment from them or just blame me since I'll be the one posting them
  
• The only mandatory thing the entrants have to do, other than sending me a complete entry, is crit 3 sets of 750 (or fewer) words. Critting others can really help you learn. You'll be pleasantly surprised how easily you see what sticks out to you as good or bad and how easily you can share that...but also how it will help you realize what works or doesn't work in your own writing.
  
• Writing a hook is great practice for when you have to figure out how to write a query. Although it doesn't have the same word count allowed, learning to write more tightly can only help. People also might give you feedback on the pitch, which is totally stress-free at this point because you're only writing it for the contest, but it will help you see when you get to the query what worked here.
  
• You have lots of freedom to explain what you're looking for from this contest. If you want an alpha reader now for a first draft, you can say that. Alphas are good for giving you feedback on big picture stuff before you go into your first round of revisions. Some people like to be alphas because it's a little less stressful, but others don't like it because they prefer to have a polished draft. For the author, it's cool to get feedback when you don't know where your revisions need to go. If you want future betas for a more polished draft, you can mention that instead.

Just 2 days left to enter. Tighten those hooks. Polish those excerpts.

I got every version of my hook down to 150 or fewer words, so you can too! Don't forget that each word on the side of an em-dash is being counted in all word processors I own. I suspect some word processor versions are counting two words as one for some people in these cases, so don't be fooled by them, thinking you have fewer words than you do.

Ha, the stats changed slightly while I was writing this.

55% of current entries are fantasy (all age groups)
9% of current entries are SF (YA only)
9% of current entries are sci-fantasy (all(ish) age groups)
15% of current entries are contemporary (YA only) (ETA: I counted wrong originally, and this has been updated)
No other genre in any age group has more than one entry.


So if you've entered and you don't want to crit speculative fiction entries, and especially if you don't think YA is for you, encourage others writing your genre to enter.

I'm going to be at chorus rehearsal all night, but I know we're getting close to the finish line, so I wanted to update you. I am currently caught up on all entries. If you haven't received a "got it" or a request to make a change (word count or formatting), your entry may be lost. Get in touch with me, so we can figure it out before midnight tomorrow.

Okay, we're heading into the home stretch--nearly 24 hours to go--and here are some tips for the procrastinators to ensure a smooth transition between the entry phase and the critting phase. I will be up tomorrow night until all the entries are posted, and I do not want to delay posting them because someone had a glitch at the last second and I have to help them figure it out or because someone entered in time but didn't fill out one field and ask me to add their answer at 2 a.m. Delays often end up with the delayer's entry being posted out of genre order, which means their entry will be harder for readers of that genre to find it. I start putting together the entry thread at 12 a.m. sharp.

1. Make your deadline 11:30 PDT tomorrow night. If you end up with a last-minute glitch (and you will if you wait too long, I guarantee it), we'll have half an hour to work it out.
B. It is highly unlikely a minor tweak you make at 11:58 p.m. PDT will make your entry more attractive to beta readers. Don't wait, hoping for inspiration. Send it before the last second.
3. If, by some small chance, you discover a minor tweak that will make a difference at 11:58 and you have already sent your entry in, you can send me the minor tweak, as long as it comes before midnight. (ETA: send me the whole field you've made the change in. If the hook, for example, send the entire new hook. It's less likely I'll misunderstand what you want in this case)
4. Do not skip any of the fields. I don't care whether you think the question doesn't pertain to your novel; if so, say as much. If you skip it and the entry window has closed, I will make up my own answers, and you may not like them There are 9 headers this year.
*. The smoothest transition from entry to posting comes if you use the exact same headers that are in post # 4 of this thread. If I have to change the headers in that 11:59 entry, I can't be posting the entries onto AW yet.
6. An easy way to make sure your entry doesn't need much TLC from me is to take post #4 and Reply With Quote, then erase everything that isn't one of those headers. Then you can fill in the information as it pertains to your novel. Copy it all into a PM, and send my way. Formatting should be easier this way.
. If I have asked you to deal with word count or a missing field, make sure you send me what you need to before the deadline. If it's word count on a 750 excerpt and you don't, I will cut as many sentences as it takes to get to 750 or less. If it's the hook, you must have it under 150, or I can't use your entry. If it's the genres you read (or don't), I will make you a wild card. If it's anything else and you don't get it to me by the deadline, I will make up an answer for you. You have been warned.
8. Check your spaces.
IX. Check how your word processor counts hyphens and em-dashes. Mine counts hyphenated words as one word, but the words around an em-dash as two (as is most accurate). If you put spaces around your em-dashes, my word counter will count it as a word, so don't do that.
10. Preview your PM. Does it look like those in the Beta Project Subforum 2 (plus 2 headers and answers)? Best to do this long before the deadline. May I suggest 11:30 p.m. PDT as a final deadline to preview?