Hiya, I'm Cally Chloe, a pseudonym created from two cats I used to have. Now that you know a useless bit of information about me, let's continue on, if you've not already discarded me as a beta reader worthy of editing your piece of work. Who wants a goofball who shares random bits of information with you, anyway? Beta readers are supposed to take your story, edit it, and give it back.That's not what I'm about.
As a beta reader, yes, I do edit stories. However, I tell you why it needs to be changed, always give you the option of keeping it as-is, suggest things that will further you as a writer - this is your story. It's your masterpiece in the making. I'm just here to make suggestions that I believe will help it flow.
I don't want to be an impersonal editor. If we're going to work together, I want us to be friends. I want to be able to joke around with you and feel comfortable with who I am. If you had stopped with my random sharing of information about myself, then so far, this doesn't seem like an issue.
If you're still reading, hopefully this means you're agreeing with my views on how I like to act around you. You're fine with that. If not, you wouldn't be reading this. You'd have stopped somewhere in the above paragraph.
So, now that we're all on the same page and you like me so far, let's continue with what I'm looking for.
*I want us to be equals. I'm not better than you, and you're not better than me.
*I'm never aiming to offend you. Know that I joke around a lot. I use sarcasm, too, but I try to make that clear as you can't hear my tone of voice.
*My goal is to make your story the best it can be. I want people to read your fic, and when they're done, go to your profile to look for more. I want them to swarm you with reviews, favorites, and alerts. I want them to realize your potential. But most importantly, I want you to be happy with yourself.
As long as all of that is okay, here is what I'd like you to do when applying for my services.
First, send me a PM with a basic plot of the story. I know that sometimes you will write Plot What Plots, and Works In Progress, but everyone has a basic idea of what they want to happen, even if the story takes a turn somewhere and gets there in an unexpected way, or goes somewhere even better.
I'd like to know what pairings will be in the fic. What genre it is, how long you expect it to be (optional) and any other things you think I should know about your fic.
If I like it, I'll send an affirmative message back. If not, I'll have to decline. I wouldn't say I'm a picky person, but if I don't like it, I'll be less inclined to edit it. No offense.
If I accept your story, I'd like the first chapter or prologue or whatever you want me to edit first within the first two weeks of my response. This will let me know that I can reach you relatively easily, and that you're serious about wanting to do this. Writing a story takes work - a lot more than you expect.
You can send me things to edit in two preferred ways; either over e-mail, which I will share with you after you PM me, or over Google Documents, where we can have live editing sessions and can easily discuss things I'm unsure about. However, if you have a preferred way of sharing your work with me, please let me know so that I can possibly adapt.
I will ask a lot of questions. I will bring up a lot of problems. I'll suggest things I think should happen, which you may or may not agree with.
If you've made it this far, I think we can be great friends and work together well. I am currently accepting beta requests. Have at it, and I hope to hear from you soon.
