less_for_you!

[arcanetrivia]

If you like Severus/Lily, take note: less_for_you, the ship fic and art exchange, will be opening for signups for the second fest at the beginning of January. orpheus_samhain is keeping me around as co-mod (yay!) so I wonder if that will turn out to mean I do three pinch-hits (ha). I hope to see a few certain parties that I have collected on my flist since then!

Comments

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

oooh! Dammit, I'm getting kerfluffled over it already. This is going to be a loooong wait.

[arcanetrivia]

Not as long as last year. We're shortening the schedule so posting will begin around the end of March.

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

Yay! That probably will mean more pinch-hitting, but I really really liked yours, so aside from the sympathy it's still a good thing from here. ;)

(and one of these days I'll write something, maybe, but if the only chapter I ever wrote in another fandom got accurately reviewed 'disturbing' I'm not sure I want to know what I'd do with this one)

[arcanetrivia]

"Disturbing" is perfectly kosher if the recipient is ok with it. One of the Sev/Lily fics I remember most was quite disturbing (a dark!Severus dub-con kind of thing).

[lily-hbp.livejournal.com]

I dont undestand Lisa.... I am a dork... ugh!

[arcanetrivia]

You don't understand what an exchange is, or ...?

[lilyevans-snape.livejournal.com]

I'm hopeless at these exchanges too. All fic entries have to be betaed right? Do you have a list of people who beta fics, or do you have to find your own. I never understand how these exchanges work. That's why I never join them (though I shamelessly read and enjoy the results ;-))

[arcanetrivia]

Some fests have a post where people can offer to beta, some don't. less_for_you will this time. But it shouldn't be depended on because it's possible no one could offer. Essentially, plan on finding your own because you might have to. (Securing one early on is usually recommended.) Last year orpheus_samhain asked me to pick over every fic to make sure the coding was right and there weren't any random missed errors; I think she's trying to cut out that step this year, but I probably will do some "grooming" (as I called it) because I am just anal conscientious like that.

[lilyevans-snape.livejournal.com]

See that's the problem. I haven't the foggiest clue of where I would find a beta. I don't normally have my work betaed (as I am sure you are painfully aware ;-)).

[arcanetrivia]

If you don't have someone with whom you have a recurring beta relationship, you can always post in your journal saying "Can anyone beta this?" (as I have done). There are also communities for this sort of thing although I can't name any off the top of my head.

[lilyevans-snape.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a thought. I'd ask you, but then you are a mod so busy enough. I'm trying to think of who else I know on my flist that is talented enough in the spelling and grammar area...

[arcanetrivia]

I'd say "I don't mind" but I don't want to overcommit and end up stressing myself out.

[lilyevans-snape.livejournal.com]

I don't want you to either. :-)

[arcanetrivia]

Community of the type I mentioned:

hp_betas

Out of curiosity...

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

So what exactly is involved in "beta"-ing things inasmuch as the word "proofreading" or "editing" isn't used instead? Am assuming basic editing and britpicking, here. I mean, I know enough to unmangle folks' English, but not a thousand canon details to watch out for.

Re: Out of curiosity...

[arcanetrivia]

"Beta" by analogy with software releases, I assume; someone to test your alpha release and send it back to you with a bug report. I guess "editing" sounds too professional, or something.

It depends on what the author needs or wants. Some want the characterization and story structure untouched, but need help with SPAG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). Others have flawless prose but their story progression tends to be confused. Others, a combination.

When I personally ask someone to beta a work for me, I am asking them to help me rein in certain verbal tics I have (such as using the same adjective too many times over the course of a story), to clarify phrasing, to correct voices that sound wrong or where I seem to have "plot-deviced" the characters' actions by fiat, and to point out anywhere where they didn't think I adequately showed what a character was feeling, where they got confused by the action, whether they felt satisfied or unsatisfied with how the story begins, progresses, and ends.

For the purposes of a fest submission, when we say "all work must be betaed" we mean mainly that it should be free of SPAG errors, since that's at least somewhat objective (depending on the style of the piece) and whether your story "works" is far more subjective, not for us to determine prior to posting.

Britpicking is usually considered separately -- it is a useful part of betaing in a British fandom, but I wouldn't reject a fest submission because it had Americanisms in it. That's the author's problem, so to speak; they maybe should have known better but it's not my job to correct it.

Re: Out of curiosity...

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

Gotcha. I was thinking along the lines of SPAG, clarification, verbal tics and the like with "basic editing", and the rest makes good sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain. I ravenously devour the rare good fic I come across, but have had very little to do with the creation process for established fandoms and the like, and just realised the point of ignorance.