The Beta Box

Ok, I put this request on my Blog, but would anyone like to beta or just read my manuscript for Power Of Friendship 1. It's a fantasy novel and if you're instrested please PM me. Thanks!

P.S this is the right place to put this isn't it?

I know everyone's looking for a good beta. Why? Because it's true. xD I know I am! So here's what we're going to do: a beta request thread! Whoaa! :O

Fill out a form whether you want to be a beta or are requesting one. Then someone else can come here and fill your request out, in which your name will be crossed off the list below. Once you find a match, go ahead and PM them. If you two work out an agreement, just let me know so I can cross your names off the lists. Thanks!

Waiting List FOR Betas wrote:

1.

Betas wrote:

1.

Beta Form wrote:

Name:
Beta Experience:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
What ratings will you do? (T, M, etc.):
Availability:

Requesting Form wrote:

Name:
Writing Experience:
Stengths:
Weaknesses:
Genre of Work Requested:
Rating of Work:
Availability:

I just made a thread for people requesting betas in this Novel forum. :3 I figured others are looking for a beta, too, so it would be more organized for everyone. Hope you don't mind, but if you could post there, that would be really helpful in starting the thread. ;D

Moolight - excellent idea. I'm going to leave this here because this section gets the most traffic!

Okay! Thanks Emily! ;D

I need a beta... preferably someone who has more time on their hands than I do. XD

Hadhafang-

I don't have lots of time, but I manage to read at least 3 hours every day, so I guess I do have time!

PM me if you want me to beta for ya

Thanks Julie! But I just figured out that I don't really need a beta... just a motivator. XD

Well HadHafang, feel free to go on the motivation thread here or if you've problem go to the assistant thread - we're all about helping each other here

Thanks Julie for offering too

Go go go!! *cheers*

Haha, np Always happy to help.

I'll leave the offer out there though for anyone else who needs a beta, editor, cheerleader, etc. Just send me a PM

I might actually do that once i get over this WB

XD Thanks for the advice, I'll head on over there ASAP. XD

Hi guys! I'm looking for a volunteer to read my manuscript . . . it's chick lit so I'd preferably like someone who's familiar with that genre or enjoys reading it. I'll do the same for someone else if anyone needs a fresh perspective on their own writing!
Cheers x

Hi Grace welcome to the board! Great to have you!

I'd love to, but i actually wouldn't be well read for the genre, but i'll give it a go if no one else bits

Thanks Emily!

I'll wait a few days maybe so & if nobody else is interested then I'll get in tough with u again if that's ok?!

Groovey!!

OK, I need some help. I'm having doubts about my story. I don't know if it's the kind of thing that would sell.
Here's a rough blurb thing for it:

Two years ago, Martha met the vampires. Six months ago, she ran away from them.

She's moving on, pleased to be free of their control, and suppressing the magic that drew the vampires to her in the first place.
Until she comes home one day to find Douglas in her flat. Her friend has been kidnapped and now the vampires need Martha's magic to find him and get him back. From the moment she agrees to help, Martha is pulled back into the depths of the supernatural world, torn between wanting to help and wanting to go home, between a controlling lover and one who only ever wants to have fun, and between safety where she's alone or danger where she has friends.
Can you ever really escape from the vampires?



The thing about it is, I'm really telling two stories at once, about the same person. One is set when she first meets the vampires. The other is now, the present, where she's going back to them. I think my main problem is wondering if I should cut the flashback bits, or if they work.

So, I'm looking for someone (or a couple of people) to read what I've got so far and give me an honest opinion of whether it works or not. So far, I've got about 4.5 chapters, which is about 17k words. You don't have to read all of it if you don't want to - just the first 3 would probably be fine, and that's a little less than 10k.

Some notes:
This is my very first draft. I don't edit as I go, so this is rough. Very rough.
I'm not looking for someone to pick out the spellings and grammar - I haven't checked for those myself yet, and I won't until I've finished the first draft.

All I'm looking for is an honest opinion on whether or not you think it's working, or whether I should work on something more 'publishable'. If things work well between us, maybe you'd be interested in becoming a critique partner or beta reader, but that's a later, optional thing.

Does anyone think they might be able to help?

Send it onto me Daeonica - after i've this proposal yoke done (hopefully this friday) i'll have free time!!

I'll have a look at it too daeonica if you want No prob!

Hi,

If you need another opinion, quite happy to do it.

I'm in the market for some betas! I've got two projects, and I'll take one for each, or one who wants both, whatever.

Name: Jenna
Writing Experience: Been writing for years. Still learning--and will always be.
Stengths: Grammar, dialogue, description, flow.
Weaknesses: Description (I'm strong sometimes and weak at others), catching cliches (and I freely admit it), plot twists, stating the obvious
Availability: I'll probably be able to send along stuff pretty quickly, but I've got midterms coming up this month, so...

And now for the projects:

PROJECT ONE
Title: The Surface of the Deep
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: T--violence and brief language

PROJECT TWO
Title: The Endless (this one will be available in January or February)
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Rating: M--extreme language, violence, sex, and general not-kid-friendlyness (If nobody wants to take this one on, that's fine--I'll hit up somebody elsewhere)

I need a beta for my Christmas story. I haven't finished the first draft yet, but I'd like someone to read it through and give me some feedback.

Hi all,

Not sure how many of these beta requests are still outstanding, but I am happy to help out where able. While I don't have a huge amount of time to devote, I can certainly knock out a couple chapters of a novel or critique a short story now and then, particularly if there's a day or two (or more!) before you need comments back.

Using Jenna's template above, here's a quick rundown on me:

Name: Jon Paul, or J. P.
Writing Experience: Wrote much more when I was younger--short and long fiction mostly, but I got down a few (really bad) poems and a couple of plays too. I am back at it now after a long fallow period, still getting my wits about me.
Stengths: Characterization, scene-setting, dialogue, word choice.
Weaknesses: Passive voice, wordiness, over-writing.
Availability: I'm pretty flexible, so respond to this thread or PM me if I can help!

Cheers!