Willing Beta Readers Volume II

AM a willing Beta Reader for Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Contemporary Romance, and some erotica depending on subject.

Dark fiction + Fantasy Beta-reader

I've Beta-read for several members of AW now, and I find it rather addicting.

Not available at this time.

My critique style:

I am brutally honest, but not with grammar/prose. I can handle reviewing less than polish manuscripts, as long as the story is compelling (Although, expect a few grammar/spelling corrections if your MS is not polished.). My focus is on your plot and characters. If your main character is flat or a Mary-Sue or not consistent, I will point out every occurrence.

I prefer to send in a few chapters at a time and then once finished, give my overall impressions of the manuscript. Feedback or questions about my critique are definitely encouraged. Feel free to use or contact me, even after the Beta is complete. I don't mind looking over a revised scene. I am a stay at home mother so some days I have more time for reading/reviewing than others. If you'd like a review quickly, specify, otherwise it might be a few days between chapter submissions.

Genres (YA and Adult):

- Horror (Prefer psychological rather than Gore, but nothing is too scary or offlimits)
- Fantasy (any sub-genre)
- Science Fiction
- Paranormal
- Dystopian

I will read some books outside of those genres, but they must be dark. The darker the better. I enjoy books that have main characters with mental disorders, rough upbringing, dark secrets, etc. Thrillers are a plus. I will also consider novellas.

Not interested in:

- Non-fiction
- Chick Lit
- Detectives
- Literary
- Short Stories
- Screenplays
- Romance/Erotica unless mixed with Horror/Dark Fantasy Genre

Contact:

Contact me by PM with an overview of your manuscript, genre, and word count. Let me know what you're looking for and if you desire a full read within a certain amount of time. I'll let you know if I'm available and then ask for your first chapter. If you like my critique of the first chapter and I enjoy your story, we can continue from there.

AVAILABILITY: UNAVAILABLE*


*Update: Sorry, I received quite a few requests for beta-reading, and I'm now sorting through them. Will be available again in 3 weeks. Thanks!

Just finished my recent beta-reading projects so I'm available.

Partial or Full Manuscripts are welcome.

I will not read first drafts.

I find it difficult to read manuscripts that are riddled with errors. Therefore, I will read polished manuscripts only, meaning, the work has gone through an editor for grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as some plot development.

I prefer Young Adult (Paranormal romance, chick-lit, urban fantasy, dystopian.) But I will accept mystery or thrillers, if your novel synopsis sounds interesting. Gore and violence are acceptable. However, I do not accept anything with erotic content or profuse swearing.

PM me with a synopsis of your work, as well as the type of beta-read you are looking for.

Thanks!
___________

would like to Beta

available: no - I will be available again some time after Nanowrimo

please only polished work. I don't like pointing out awkward sentences every other paragraph. and I am not qualified to help with grammar or spelling. I've been in workshops and writing groups before so hopefully I can give you some good insight. I think I tend to crit harsh so if you don't want that specify or try someone else.

Interested in:
1. romance (without too much sex and no erotica, i usually skim over sex scenes but I will obviously read yours). I prefer light and funny to dark and gritty
2. Fantasy. nothing too epic, i prefer fairy tale fluffy fantasy to LOTR or game of throne type stuff.
3.If you want me to read "urban fantasy" it HAS to be a very interesting premise without a lot of violence and killing. I'm really burned out on that specific genre.
5. complete or incomplete is ok, so are short stories I would PREFER complete work, but you can send it in chunks if you like.


Not Interested In:
1. horror
2. anything dark and depressing, I'm just not in the mood for it right now.
3. excessive sex or violence (see above) a little is fine.
4. anything historical (including romances) - I don't know enough about history to be any help
5. sci fi - i like fantasy, but I've never been into science fiction
6. YA - just something else I am burned out on


send me a PM with a synopsis of your work including length (in words not pages) and what you want from me as a beta reader. and DON'T say you want me to be honest and blunt if you can't handle that. My turn around is usually pretty fast but I do have a very active toddler so it may not be as fast as you would like.

Contemporary Fiction Beta

Interested in:

witty, complete, polished MS in the 70-100K range; preferably in an international setting


Not interested in:

- head-hopping
- first person POV
- anything historical
- anything religious
- Chick Lit
- YA
- Sci Fi
- Horror
- paranormal


Critique style:

I'm blatantly honest. I don't do line by line crits, grammar, punctuation, spelling. My focus is on inconsistencies, contradictions, plot development, plot holes, word choice, repetitive and/or wooden prose.


Availability and Turn-Around time:

Currently available; TA 6-7 weeks


Contact:

PM with a short synopsis, a few words about yourself, plus first 500 words / 2 pages.


PS

I'm not a copy editor; I'm a trained engineer as well as language teacher

Availability: Unavailable. I should be available around this time in July.

Specialization:

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

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.

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 better more direct critiques this way.

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

Willing to Beta-Read

I am willing to beta-read for anything. I especially like plots that involve drugs, comedy, depression, crime, or anything out of the ordinary. I especially love plot-twists. I'm not too shabby with giving ideas, helping develop characters, or anything of that nature, so shoot me a message. I'm a writer myself, so I understand that you need good feedback

Currently Available

Preferences:
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Mysteries
Almost anything with a paranormal edge to it.
I'll even read romance.

Dislikes:
Excessive erotica/sex scenes
Anything to dark or horrific.

Wont even attempt to read:
Historical
Horror
Non-fiction

I work on a chapter to chapter basis, meaning I will send you the chapter once I’ve finished with it, instead of the whole novel or such. I am brutally honest, and if your writing is in need of work, I will make your page bleed with corrections. So if you’re thick skinned, I’d be more than happy to help.

Evie

Okay wow, I got a lot of messages in a short amount of time posting in here! I've accepted three stories for beta reading, and as soon as I'm done with them I will update my status back to available!



----
My sister is a writer and she is the only person I've ever done beta reading for, so I don't have a lot of experience, but I'm very enthusiastic.

I prefer Young Adult fiction, with a leaning toward fantasy or sci-fi. I'm really into anything set in another world, especially a future dystopian society.

I also enjoy historical romance, mystery and the paranormal.

I don't like horror, erotica or anything containing gruesome rape or murder scenes.

I am fairly proficient in spelling, grammar in sentence structure, if that's what you need. However, I think I would be the most useful in character development, maintaining plot continuity, making sure there are no loose ends or plot holes, and of course the always useful 'making sure it makes sense and sounds right'. I'm also open to giving chapter by chapter reviews from a reader's prospective (which can often be quite different from a writer's prospective).

At this point, I'm not interested in a swap because the novel I'm working on is still basically an infant, so I'm basically a free beta reader If you would like to use me, just send me a message. Thanks!

Unimportant said:

Adding: Crikey! I made this post and got two PMs within ten minutes! Why is it that I have completely lost the ability to finish even the shortest of short stories, and there are eight zillion of y'all with completed novels spilling all over the place? Perhaps I should stipulate that if I beta read for you, you have to send me Butt-In-Chair karma points or something.

Click to expand...

How about acknowledgement in the credits, should our masterpieces ever make it to print?

Unimportant said:

Adding: Crikey! I made this post and got two PMs within ten minutes! Why is it that I have completely lost the ability to finish even the shortest of short stories, and there are eight zillion of y'all with completed novels spilling all over the place? Perhaps I should stipulate that if I beta read for you, you have to send me Butt-In-Chair karma points or something.

Click to expand...

Within an hour of making my post, I'd agreed to beta read three complete novels and already had one of them in my inbox lol. Eager beavers! I want to stipulate that I also get karma points, except that even when I'm not working my butt is usually in the chair

Racking up my karma

Availability: Really available and not going to disappear. As of 6/12/2014

Specialization:
Fiction
Fantasy (YA, Dystopian, adventure)
Can examine feminist/privilege/class/race issues regarding your characters if asked. I actually love to.

What I won't read:
Bring anything on. If your query does not sound like something I will be a good fit for, I will just let you know. It's probably more important that you know my specialties so that you may get better feedback. I just want a warning for any sexual assault scenes.

Schedule: If you have a time frame, let me know. I see myself aiming for 4 weeks.

My critique style: I like to go line-by-line with my thoughts as a reader as they come. I find this can be very helpful for a writer; they can compare the intended effect of their words. I can't help but give my outlook on social issues in your world. I can take a look at the way your characters treat each other and the consistency throughout. I think I am most sensitive to character development, world building, and flow.

You tell me what to concentrate on and what you need from me. I am interested in exercising all my critique muscles. In all cases, I'll be straightforward.

Other notes: This is my first time being an official beta reader, but I have critiqued a lot of excerpts in various forums. I am doing this to sharpen my critique skills for passing through my own work. Update 6/12/2014: I still haven't been a beta reader. I disappeared in 2012 until now. I'll be a better reader from now on.

Contact: Please query me (doesn't have to be super formal) and possibly send the first chapter. If I think I am a good fit, I will critique it. If we are both comfortable, let's go forward.

I respond to all PMs about beta reading. Update: Even if it's two years later!

Still new to this site but far from new to beta reading, I would love to throw my hat into the ring. I am a quick reader with no interest in sugar coating things. While grammar and punctuation are not my strong point, I would be glad to let you know if the story flows, if the charecters are believable, what takes me out of the story and so on. All just my opinion, of course.

I love any ya, horror...actually I'm willing to give anything a chance as long as it doesn't involve child or animal abuse.

Pm me! I'd be happy to lend a pair of fresh eyes.

Availability: I am available until I am booked with people I need to beta read for. I also have my own WIP, but I will always try to squeeze as many as I can in. Currently I am unavailable.

I am new to this site. But I am not new to editing. I will gladly read your WIP or Full Manuscript.

Things I love:
Fiction
Science Fiction
Dystopian
Fantasy
YA
Mystery
Romance(Be sure to see my dislikes.)
Just about anything under the sun.

Things I don't like:
Non-Fiction
Erotica/sex scenes.

I will be brutally honest about your manuscript. Overall I'll do a chapter by chapter thing giving you general feedback about believable characters, plot consistency, etc. I'm not really a line edits person.

I would love to help you with your novel.

Contact:

PM me.

Look forward to hearing from you!

I'm new to this site, but I've been a beta reader on other sites for a couple of years now. Since I'm most familiar with m/m novels, that's where I'd like to offer my services at this time.

For the most part, I use track changes and make inline comments. I usually like to beta a sample/chapter before I commit to the novel just to make sure we're a good fit for each other

Just felt I should post this here as well:

AVAILABILITY: Available c: – Currently on bedrest, so I have an obscene amount of reading time on my hands.

Here's a handy list of what I will and won't do:
I enjoy betaing:
Horror
Violence/macabre/graphic material
Anything weird or experimental
Science Fiction
Shorter stuff including novellas
Screenplays
Historical (specifically anything between 500 b.c. - 500 a.d.)
GLBT
Thrillers

I'm OK with betaing:
Erotica including BDSM
Nonfiction

I don't like betaing, but will still consider:
Het

I won't beta:
YA
Anything where romance or fantasy is the main focus
MSs over 125k


I have experience editing academic papers and non-fiction works, but none so far with fiction. Feel free to contact me via PM. Please include a synopsis of some sort and an excerpt if possible. Give me a little bit of time to get back to you as I'm currently having health problems.

Availability
Ready and waiting!

My Snazzy Style
I follow the "thorough but kind" method of beta-ing. I leave no verb hanging and no plot hole unfilled. I will type suggestions and questions til my wittle fingers are raw; however, I do it with lots of humor 'cause constructive criticism is necessary, but fun constructive criticism is the best! I also try to spend just as much time telling you what I think is FAB-ulous as I do bandaging the ouchies.

What Pushes My Buttons (In order of kink preference)
Urban Fantasy (Adult or YA)
Paranormal Romance
High/Epic Fantasy (Adult or YA)
Erotic Urban Fantasy
Erotic Fantasy
Science Fiction (Adult or YA)
Dystopian (Adult or YA)

I especially love strong female protagonists. And sexy men.

That Which Art Not My Thang
I am not huge on historical fiction except in the sense of things like Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. Romance without the fantasy ain't really my thang, either. I'm also not a fan of non-fiction unless it is in regards to religion--I majored in World Religious Studies.

Turtle Racer or Han Solo On Crack?
We can work with the time frame... You should probably expect to get around 20,000 words a week or so.

How This Fish Betas
i is a english Teecher so i am good 4 fix in grammer, & punktuation or speling. I had also been good at figuring out what was the tense she is using.

I love to dive into stuff on a micro level, really digging into why particular words were chosen. I am very conscientious when it comes to things such as unnecessary adjectives ("the baseball was round"... No s***?), poorly chosen descriptors ("You are wonderful," she exhaled.), and tell-versus-show (Matt thought the girl was beautiful. -versus- The girl's long blonde hair danced in the wind, her sea-blue eyes sparkling in the morning sun. Matt had never seen anything so glorious.)

I can also do a simple, overall analysis of the plot if that is all you're looking for.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have a dirty mind and a crazy sense of humor. I am severely lacking in the PC department. Some people call me Joel Robinson. Others think I'm more of a Sue Sylvester. If ya don't get the references, look them up. Then watch the damn shows. You'll be glad you did.

Want to Have Some Fried Beta?
Feel free to query me. Send me a couple chaps to make sure we mesh. No need for anything too formal. I ain't a formal kind of gal.

Whatchu Get Out of This, Gurlfriend?
You can pay me in cans of tuna fish. I am a cannibal beta fish, you see. I also accept pink zebras, six-ply toilet paper, and panties worn by Johhny Depp (authenticated only!!!)

Currently Unavailable

Preferances: YA

Dislikes: Nonfiction, Religious/Spiritual, Westerns

Other Notes: Though my preferance is YA, I do read adult books and occasionally even dip into some upper MG. I've only ever beta read for close friends, so this is sort of new for me.

Contact: Send me a PM with some sort of query or summary of your book. Be sure to include the wordcount. Let me know what you're looking for in a beta.

Availability: Available

Preferences: Anything YA

Not Interested In: Anything else, really. Upper MG is probably fine, but it's not my primary genre and I'm not sure I'd be the best beta for it.

Critique Style: I'm pretty thorough and will do line edits if necessary, but generally not a lot of them. Otherwise I give impressions after each chapter and final impressions at the end of the novel.
I tend to focus mostly on dialogue/characterization, and I like to think I'm pretty good with those two. I'll also point out plot inconsistencies and general feedback.

Time Frame: If there's a deadline I'll try to stick to it, but I won't do anything under two weeks. I'll always try to have it back to you in less than a month, though.

Contact: Send me a PM with a query/summary of your MS. I like to do a sample chapter or two first before agreeing to a full MS. That way I'll know if it's something I'm interested in reading and you'll know if my crit style works for you or not.

Availability: Available

Preference: Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, light weight fantasy. If it has a humorous bent, so much the better.

Detest: Romance, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts. Detest even more: Historical Romance, laws of grammar. Don't do erotica & such.

Style: I'm pretty much a plot/voice/meta style person. You don't want me for a grammar editor, as mine is so bad I've been reduced to lobbying for new laws of grammar just so that I can violate them. Also, my grandfather was a run on sentence, and we have a family feud going to with commas. I can help with the overall view of your story, but copy edits...ick.

Speed: I read really quickly. That said, it has to be something I'm enjoying reading. If reading your text is like rolling naked in a bucket of tacks, don't be surprised if I don't jet through it.

Cruelty: Yup. I don't lavish praise on crap. If your work sucks, I will probably tell you, though I'll try to remember to say it in kinder words.

I'll require a couple starter chapters to make sure we are a good fit. Otherwise, I'll happily tell you I'm occupado. Of course, if I'm busy, I'll say the same thing.

Availability: Available
Preference: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, straight-up fiction, chick lit. Anything except Romance or anything uber-violent or dark. Nothing sadistic, please.
Who I am: I've got years of experience as a copy editor for a newspaper -- made it to chief copy editor. That means I can do line-by-line edits in my sleep. It also means I hate them.
So I'm going more for plot, theme, feel, voice, etc., though I will notice every grammatical error and run-on sentence and it will make my teeth hurt.
I prefer clean copy. If you're not going to bother running spell check before you send it to me, I can't be bothered reading it -- you're not really serious about this.
I'm pretty straight-forward, and I will point out changes that I think need to be made. This doesn't mean that I'm right -- just that I have an opinion, and you asked for it.
I will not be cruel -- there's enough of that in the world to go around.
Interested? I have three small children and I homeschool and I'm working on a rewrite of my own book. I will make time to read your work if it's in good enough shape that you really think it's worth a read.
I will also be happy to look at rough drafts or concepts and discuss ideas and plot points and where something should be headed, but I want to know up front that it's not a polished piece that I'm supposed to settle in and enjoy reading.
Haven't scared you off?
PM me and we'll talk!

Availabilty: available

Preferences: romance, chick lit, YA, erotica, light and fluffy

Dislikes: supernatural, anything too angsty, anything too dark

Style: I'm not really a grammar/spelling beta. I can catch things, but I don't have an eye for it like some people do. I will instead read your story as a reader and be able to give you critiques from the readers POV. Likes/dislikes/reactions/thoughts/etc.

Manuscript type: I'll read first drafts or polished manuscripts, finished or not...but if its not finished it needs to be a serious project of yours no one you work on occasionally.

Process: contact with me your name and story synopsis. If it sounds interesting I will have you email the first 2 chapters. I want to read those before agreeing to be your beta simply because I want to LIKE the story and enjoy reading it!

Excited to hear from you!!