Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
Hey everybody! I've been thinking about being a beta for a while now, and I finally decided to go ahead and do it. I'd like to warn you that I am an English major who plans on becoming an editor one day, so I pay a lot of attention to proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, etc. Nothing bothers me more in a story than someone who clearly has no grasp of the English language---it's pretty irritating. That being said, I'm not here to tell you that you suck; after all, we all make a few mistakes or typos every once in a while. I'm very gentle with everyone I correct in reviews, and I'll give you helpful tips rather than flames. I don't like to make people feel bad. ;-) I'll also point out what is working in your story. So if you're interested, I'd be happy to help you out. Please keep in mind that I am a working college student with a busy schedule, but I can almost always get back to you within a few days. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
As stated above, I'm very in-tune with my inner English major. Picking out errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, etc is definitely my strong suit. I can also take a look at a piece and see if it just doesn't "sound right", in which case I'll look for ways to reorder words so it turns out better. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
There are times when I know that certain phrases/sentences look/sound wrong, but I just can't figure out how to change them to say what I want properly. I'm good at finding these errors, just not always at fixing them. I also tend to be a little too forgiving when it comes to long and wordy sentences. |
Preferred: types of entries I prefer over others
I have a vast array of interests as a reader: I enjoy reading sci-fi (especially of the military variety), romance, horror (zombies are a plus), historical fiction (mostly only if it has war, love, or both in it), action, and thriller stories. I prefer the stories I read to be of a serious nature, though I do delve into humor every once in a while for a good laugh. I can deal very well with things like blood, gore, and violence, as long as they have an actual purpose in the story. I'm also cool with language, so curse up a storm if you'd like. ;-) |
Would Rather Not: types of entries I do not want to beta for
I'm not really into fantasy, emo stuff, or westerns, and I tend to really, really hate poetry (sorry poetry fans); I'd much rather stick to straight-up stories myself. As far as romance goes, I won't read slash, incest, rape, lemons, or anything like that. I'm pretty much ok with any other stuff. FYI: In the case of style, I absolutely cannot stand present tense; don't really know why, I just can't. |
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