Great thread, Maryn.
I think I might have got the wrong end of the stick, (probably the sharp, pointy end ) But I thought if you asked for a beta you were honour bound to beta in exchange.
Saying that, an AW member did offer to read my MS and he made some fantastic comments, which I'm now working on. I did feel uncomfortable, though, that I couldn't return the favour for him.
To hear that some people don't even bother to thank their beta's is beyond belief, it's simple courtesy after all.
I don't know if this is just me, but I really dislike when the assumption is that if someone offers to beta for you (not because you asked, but they offer), you're going to automatically beta their novel in return. I offer to beta for people all the time based on excerpts I've read of their work and descriptions of their novel, or even query letters. And I don't expect that just because, say, I read both MG and YA, that this MG writer I offer to beta for is going to want to read my YA novel. Just because their query or writing caught my eye, doesn't mean I expect that mine has done the same.
I think I might have got the wrong end of the stick, (probably the sharp, pointy end ) But I thought if you asked for a beta you were honour bound to beta in exchange.
Saying that, an AW member did offer to read my MS and he made some fantastic comments, which I'm now working on. I did feel uncomfortable, though, that I couldn't return the favour for him.
To hear that some people don't even bother to thank their beta's is beyond belief, it's simple courtesy after all.