[ SECRET POST #1671 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1671 ⌋


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


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 07 pages, 170 secrets from Secret Submission Post #239.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 - too big ], [ 0 - hit/ship/spiration ], [ 0 - omgiknowthem ], [ 0 - take it to comments ], [ 0 - repeats ]
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom.livejournal.com]

21. http://i55.tinypic.com/20fdx8g.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

I can relate. My beta reader of several years has just gotten lazy, and even though I'd still use her for some things, I'm a little grateful to have had excuses lately to look for someone else.

Re: ...

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Gosh, and you've been paying her so much. Why in the world would she lose interest like that?

Re: ...

[mskye.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha A+

Re: ...

[(Anonymous)]

I look over her stuff, so there is an exchange of favors. It's a little more complicated than entitlement when I'm made to feel like she just doesn't give a shit about me anymore.

Re: ...

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Protip: These are the things you should probably say up front if you want more sympathy.

Re: ...

[(Anonymous)]

K

[(Anonymous)]

If you even know her IRL, it sounds like you should know her well enough to talk to her about it, no? Ask her very politely if she could maybe focus more on grammar&plot rather than style, and ask her if she could maybe find time to do it more quickly. And if she doesn't ... I don't think there's anything wrong with looking for someone else (it's easy to find betas on communities or forums, for any story length and subject, or if you have regular readers maybe one of them can help you), and telling her politely that while you appreciated her help, you've found someone else who reads your stuff more quickly. Just be nice about it, thank her for her help, but explain to her that you'd rather post your stories soon after writing them instead of having to wait for her. Unless she's a self-centred wacko, she won't be mad at you - and, tbh, if she takes so long to beta your stuff, she can't be so excited about it that she will be totally mad that you have someone else doing that job now.

TLDR. Having a talk with her and looking for someone else is probably better for everyone involved than you having a beta reader who doesn't help you (and also her wasting her time on a beta job that you don't want/need).

[(Anonymous)]

OP here...I actually tried a couple of LJ communities and other things first, but got no responses. I usually have no problem finding betas for my oneshots, and I can usually FIND a beta for a longer WIP...but it's hard to find one who stays interested. I do have more friends in the fandom now than I did when I started writing, so you're right, I may be able to recruit one of my readers.

*sigh* Thanks for the advice. :)

[(Anonymous)]

You're not alone, OP.

Honestly, if I was closer to more people in fandom, I'd probably drop my current beta in a heart-beat. One of the last things I sent her (I haven't written much since then), I just wanted her overall opinion because I was having issues and I wanted to see if it was just me. I told her this, but it still took her three weeks, and she was DRUNK when she finally did. To make matters worse, we had several IM conversations in that three week period and she gushed about the fic other people had sent her.

[(Anonymous)]

and she gushed about the fic other people had sent her.

Ouch.

[(Anonymous)]

A useless beta is not better than no beta at all, actually. It just adds to the frustration. Find someone else, or learn some self-editing tricks, or have a frank discussion with your current beta as to your needs. Something.

[(Anonymous)]

I think it's time to look for a new beta. You can keep her on if you think it will really keep the peace but lots of people have multiple betas. And if you have a lot of fans reading, just put the word out, I'm sure plenty of them would love to help. Their help won't necessarily be better, but you can weed through them to find what you need.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm assuming that if you know her in rl, then you're friends with her. Air your grievances and if she pitches a fit, then she's probably a shitty friend anyway and you're better off without her.


But if you're not willing to stand up for yourself, I'm not sure there's much I can do for you except advise that you grow a pair.

[(Anonymous)]

Surely one of your readers would volunteer for duty, if you dropped an A/N into your next chapter that you were on beta-search. I had three different reviewers offer their services in their feedback when I did so.

[classic-mold137.livejournal.com]

Get a stealth beta.

[psyco_chick32]

*cringes*
*starts finishing the piece she was supposed to beta ages ago*

(I doubt this is meant for me, but boy I needed that kick, so thanks, OP! And I hope your beta either gets a move on or you can find somebody that WILL help you.)

[feanorian.livejournal.com]

*does the same*

Another thanks, OP. Yours is not the only beta who needed a kick in the butt.

[elica.livejournal.com]

If she rewrites things, she's not a beta.
Find another one.

[(Anonymous)]

*nods*

[psyco_chick32]

Well, ymmv on this (and I completely understand that not everybody views this the same way), but to throw the other side of the argument in - I "rewrite" parts of my author's fic all the time. Sometimes it's just to make sentences make a bit more sense, or to shorten sentences that are a billion words long, or to replace a word that's used repetitively.

That being said, all those things are highlighted, so he's aware and can change them back if he prefers, but I wouldn't say that makes me a crappy beta.

[(Anonymous)]

I am absolutely feeling your pain, OP. My beta is currently sitting on two pieces of mine that she's had for over two months now, and if I hadn't been busy enough with school that I didn't notice the time passing, the wait would have been excruciating. As it is, I've pretty much decided that I'm not going to send her anything more after this unless she asks me to, because at this point it's just making me feel like a harrassing burden for reminding her she's still got my fics.

[omorka.livejournal.com]

I have never had a steady beta - I have to scrounge for a new one for each long-ish project (I self-edit my shorter pieces). How does one find one? Then again, if this sort of behavior is common, maybe I'll just stick with begging my flist when I have a Big Bang that needs editing.

[zyxwvutsrq321.livejournal.com]

Well I think you should gently mention to your beta that you'd prefer more focus on plotting and grammar issues, rather than stylistic things, because she won't know that you're annoyed, otherwise...