Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
If you're reading this profile, you must want help beta-reading your fic. If you wish to acquire my services, please read this entire profile to determine whether or not my beta-reading style is suited to your needs. br / For starters, I must warn you: I use "tough love" beta-reading. I can be harsh with my critique; I won't sugarcoat my comments (but I won't be condescending about my critique, either - just because I'm tough doesn't mean I'm cruel). My goal is to help you improve your writing, not to be your personal spell- and grammar-check. If you're looking for a beta-reader who will write your story for you because you're too lazy to have proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation, look somewhere else. I want to make your fic the very best that it can be, and I can't do that if I have to spend all my time being a grammar Nazi. Because of this, what beta-reading requests I will commit to have to be by someone who can write with at least high-school level spelling and grammar.br /Also, there's no need to worry about whether or not you can discern what edits I've made to whatever you send me: I will set off the changes and comments I make from your text in some fashion.br /If you're still interested in having me as your beta-reader, go ahead and read through the rest of my beta-reading profile. If not, why are you still here?br /-HM |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
I am a grammar Nazi. While I do want to receive beta-reading requests from people who already have good spelling and grammar, I don't expect raw chapters to be error-free. I'll edit out those mistakes, and if they happen frequently enough, I'll leave a note about how to avoid those mistakes in the future.br /I am fairly good at spotting characterization flaws, especially if I'm intimately familiar with the fandom (unless your story contains specifically OOC characters - and if they are OOC, make sure that there is a really good reason for that). I'm even better at spotting OOC-ness in characters whose personalities you've established.br /I am good at enriching detail in a story. If there's too much dialogue, I can help give suggestions to diminish the disparity between the amount of dialogue and detail. Similarly, if there's too much detail and not enough dialogue (or too much detail where it isn't needed), I can help with that, too.br /I will look if your story is historically accurate (if your story contains historical references) and do cross-referencing so all your facts match up and you don't contradict yourself. Keep in mind that I am trying to help your fic be the best that it can possibly be.br /The types of stories I specialize in are crossovers, time travel fics, and fics where a canon character is thrown into an AU. This includes fics in which a canon character is thrown into some sort of situation in which they must hide their true identities/abilities in order to get home. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
I will not interfere majorly with the plot, unless I discover a plot hole (or a total lack of plot, in which case I will ask you where you're going with your fic). However, if you're stuck at a certain point, I can give you suggestions on how to proceed (though I would prefer it if you had a great deal of your plot planned out ahead of time).br /I occasionally procrastinate - I'm a very busy person - but I will attempt to beta-read your story in as timely a manner as possible.br /Please keep in mind that I am a human being, and as such, I am not perfect. There is a possibility I may miss something or skew your original intentions with a sentence or paragraph. |
Preferred: types of stories I prefer over others
I prefer to beta stories that are plotted mostly around action/adventure. I also enjoy humorous stories. I like beta-reading stories that contain a good mixture of action and human interaction. But I'll beta-read anything (that includes OC centered stories, crossovers, and self-inserts), as long as your story does not fall into one of the categories below. |
Would Rather Not: I do not beta for these stories
I would prefer to not beta stories that are solely under the horror or tragedy genres. I'd also prefer to not read 100% romantic fluffy stories.br /I refuse to beta any story with a Main Character x OC pairing. I will not, under ANY circumstances, beta a story that contains male pregnancies, rape, incest, or a pedophilic pairing (example: Hermione x Snape). I would also prefer to avoid beta-ing stories that are excessively sexually graphic.br /You'll have to do a lot of convincing if you want me to beta-read a story with yaoi or yuri in it. I don't have anything against yaoi or yuri fics; I just don't like reading them.br /I will NOT beta Fullmetal Alchemist stories that are based on the ORIGINAL ANIME UNLESS it is a POST-MOVIE CROSSOVER. I think the anime twists the manga horribly, so I didn't follow it to the end. I WILL, however, accept stories based off of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's closer to the manga.br /In Pokemon, I'd prefer not to betaread stories made entirely of OCs. On the other hand, I am very willing to betaread anything having to do with the Orre region, since it is the region I am most familiar with. |
