fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #4430 ]

[ SECRET POST #4430 ]

⌈ Secret Post #4430 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 21 secrets from Secret Submission Post #634.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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05. https://i.imgur.com/RrR4fcy.png

I've had strangers contact me to offer their services as a beta and when I clicked on their profile and checked out their fic... dear lord, LOL. Typos and misspelled words and worse! I always wonder WHY people think they'd make a good beta to the point of believing they should PM random people in the fandom and volunteer.

So, what you're saying is... people were constantly telling you that you needed better editing, but you rejected them because OMG, what if they did a bad job?
Because, tip, if readers message you and ask to beta for you on a *regular* *basis*, they're trying not to say "holy shit your spelling and punctuation are a nightmare, please get help".

Not necessarily. Don't know about other fandoms, but the well known writers in my fandom get offers like this all the time. It's not necessarily related to the quality of the writing, it'd because people love their work and see it as a way to get closer to the author.

Exactly, or to get the fic hot off the press, sometimes as it's being written.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2019-02-20 23:43 (UTC) - Expand

This made me laugh, thank you so much! I feel bad, sorry OP, but yeah, I have never heard of people volunteering to beta just for the glory of touching a BNF. Maybe that just wasn't a thing in the fandom I was in?

In every group (ie. fandom, a fashion movement, alternate lifestyles, whatever), there are a people who zero in on the cool kids who everyone knows and try to find ways to kiss their ass so they can be part of the cool kids inner circle and get special status within the group and be considered cool themselves.

Maybe. I wasn't even the most well known writer in my small fandom and I got some weird PMs from people who wanted my address so they could mail me things, or whatever. I can't even imagine what kind of fuckery the actual BNFs got.

if readers message you and ask to beta for you on a *regular* *basis*

That's not what the secret says.

nayrt but:

"On a regular basis, I'd get PMs from people volunteering to beta for me..."

Right from the secret. Of course, "regular basis" could mean "once a year".

Hmmm. You have me curious about what fandoms you're in where people are so polite and discreet they don't come out and say "holy shit your spelling and punctuation are a nightmare, please get help".

Not OP, and I’ve never actually uploaded my fanfic anywhere, but I’ve mostly seen fanauthors whose spelling and grammar are abysmal begging for someone to beta for them, because no one will willingly wade into the swamp of suck that is their writing.

What fandoms were you in? Actually, what universe were you in? I've never known anyone to be so polite about badly written, badly edited fanfic.

Every fandom I'm been in, if people thought your fic was poorly written they didn't say "Oh um, hey, do you need a beta? I'll beta for you." They say "Your fic sucks. Learn to spell and maybe do us all a favor and get a beta."

nayrt

Yeah, exactly! If the fics were that bad, SOMEONE would tell you, even if it was just to complain or point out the errors to you. And where are so many people eager to edit badly written fanfic?

Damn, glad I'm not in whatever fandoms you're in. I've never seen anyone be anywhere near this mean in my main fandoms.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2019-02-21 06:57 (UTC) - Expand

Agreeing with other replies, I've never heard of badfic getting beta requests. It's usually BNFs and I also think it's a way to get closer to the author or read the chapters before anyone else. I think it's meant in good faith though and is a kind offer nonetheless.

I honestly think you're kind of an asshole, OP, for resenting well-meaning beta-reading offers.

I mean, it costs nothing to have a boilerplate, "Thanks so much for the offer, but I have a regular beta already who doesn't want their name to be known. Have a nice day!"

I've been OP in the past. it's not well-meaning. it's all sycophants and hangers-on who just want to be part of the process, they usually have nothing to offer in beta terms and are not offering out of kindness, they're offering out of personal selfishness.

sure, having a copy-paste answer absolves you time when responding but if you literally get 20 people in six months or even a year, yeah, you do get annoyed and frustrated. it's called human emotion.

I dunno. I can see resenting it after a while if you get a bunch of requests from well meaning people who put you in an awkward position. Going by the secret, OP did pretty much exactly what you suggested and wasn't rude about it, so not sure what your beef is. They're allowed to have complicated feelings.

Just because it's well meaning doesn't mean it's a polite thing to do. And we have no way of knowing how many of those people were actually well meaning, or just wanted to be able to read OP's fics early.

Plus, they said they DID always say no thanks in a polite way, so I can't say I understand why you have such a problem with this secret.

Well at least you just demonstrated you'd be a terrible beta because your reading comprehension isn't great. OP said they're already doing exactly what you demand they do. It's right there in the secret.

lol

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2019-02-21 20:10 (UTC) - Expand

It's hit-or-miss, but a couple of people offering their beta services to me like this ended up being the best damn betas I've ever had. One still does beta reading for me now, five years after their initial offer, and I'm seriously fortunate to have them.

Of course, I've also ended up having a rather bad beta reader through the same channels, so I do see where you're coming from. Still, surely such offers mean well?

Not necessarily. As others have noted, some people offer not because they think they can help you improve, but because they want a preview of your fic, or just to get close to a BNF. I know it sounds weird, but I've seen it happen to friends before. Being a BNF (even in a smallish fandom) seems to attract weirdos who think they know you and can be your bff just because they liked your fic.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2019-02-22 07:11 (UTC) - Expand

Betaing is so complicated. You have no reason to trust random strangers with your stuff just because they offer. Maybe they think they're God's gift to writers, but they might be nightmarish entitled energy sucks. Only you can decide what sort of engagement you want. You're wise to draw your own lines...

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