I have been editing fan fiction, original fiction, poetry, essays and newspaper articles for three or four years now. As much as I like writing, I've found that I actually prefer editing, and I take it very seriously. While I do not claim to be the best editor in the world, I seldom see a piece that I don't think I could improve. I have been known to double a document's word count because I have so many comments. Sometimes writers go into shock when they see so much red, but remember: red is good. Red means that you can improve. Also, I usually ask my writers to do two or three drafts of a chapter or story, though this depends completely on the condition of the story. If you produce a near-immaculate first draft, I won't ask for a second.

However, though I am always happy to get new stories, there are times that I am not the best beta for a story. I would prefer to catch those times before we try to work together and get frustrated. So some notes on protocol:

When you contact me, please tell me what your story is about and where you plan to go with it. Do not tell me it is about some guys who do some stuff--if you can't provide a summary, you aren't ready for a beta reader. I will email you back within a day telling you that I would love to beta your story. Don’t send me a document before then, because even though the chances that I cannot accept your story are slim, I reserve the right to decline a project. Once you send the document, give me three days to work. After that, feel free to email me about it.

I have a functional knowledge of English grammar and an above average vocabulary. I have a long-standing attraction to the bildungsroman, which makes me focus on character development. I laugh in the face of melodrama.

I am not good at praising and encouraging my writers. I won't deride your story or try to make you feel stupid; I'm just not much of a motivator. This is not to say I will never hurt your feelings--I most likely will, if you care about your story like you should. But I'm not trying to make you cry.

Honestly, I'll edit just about anything, though I prefer stories that have a hand on the rim of reality. If a story is well-written, I will enjoy it. If it isn't, genre doesn't matter.

Also, as I hinted in my general bio, I am not a beta for someone who just wants a spell check. I will turn your story into confetti if that is what it takes to make it good. If you aren't prepare to do some work, don't ask me to beta.

I don't like stories that are classified as "romances." Really. Don't send me your romantic story. Don't try to pass it off as something else, don't try to argue that yours is different. There are plenty of good betas out there who will be overjoyed at the prospect of helping you with it. Just not me. I don't care if the story has romance in it, and I'm not expecting your characters to be absolutely chaste, but getting Character X with Character Y should not be the entire plot.

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