Beta Search Post

[briarwood.livejournal.com]

All Summergen stories MUST be beta'd.

Why? Because the story you are writing is a gift and a beta will help you make the story the best it can be.

A beta's job is more than just a proof-reader, though she does that, too. If English is not your first language, or if it is but you know your spelling isn't too hot, a having a beta to proof-read your work is essential.

But a beta is really about having a second pair of eyes to read through your fic and spot the things that you, as the writer, might miss. Like that part which makes perfect sense to you because you know what you were thinking when you wrote it, but you haven't quite explained enough for a reader to get it.

Like that part where you had Dean take his jacket off for some reason and in the next scene you've got him wearing it. Or that part where you had Sam buying pie but when he gets back to the motel it's magically transformed into burgers.

A beta will highlight these things for you. They aren't always mistakes, but they are things you can change to make your fic better.

I know that if you don't have a regular beta reader, that can be a pain, but it's really important. spn_betas is a great place to start, but this post is here for you, too.

If you want to volunteer your services as a beta, please leave a comment here. If you need a beta, you can look through the volunteers and contact someone, or you can leave a comment of your own. I'll do my best to keep track and remind people if there are beta requests unanswered.