Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related It's Beta-Reader Appreciation Day!

Well, it's December 1 again, and we decided on these boards last year to make this day our Annual Beta-Reader Appreciation Day.

Beta-readers are an essential part of any fanfic-writer's set of tools. They test-read stories for us, reassure us, catch silly mistakes, point out characterisation issues, praise us when we need it, laugh at our silly jokes, display endless patience when we fling rewrite after rewrite at them, don't throw wobblies when we get anxious, and above all prevent us a lot of embarrassment when we finally post. I couldn't manage without my betas, and I'm sure it's the same for every other author out there.

And yet, when a story's finished and posted, who gets the credit? The author. Who even bothers to read far enough in the author's notes to find out who her/his BRs were?

So today is our annual opportunity to say a public thank you to all these amazing, selfless volunteers out there, who make fanfic-writers' lives so much easier and more enjoyable - and who, actually, do a lot for readers too. Speaking personally, apart from knowing that my stories are less error-ridden as a result of my BRs' endeavours, I have several stories on the archive which would never have been finished were it not for the patient nagging of my BRs.

So post your thanks and appreciation to your BRs in this thread!


Wendy (who will be back later to thank her own invaluable, amazing BRs properly).

I'm the quintessential Before and After story. My first couple of fanfics, I didn't use a beta reader. Mostly because I didn't know anyone I thought would be willing to be a beta reader for a newbie, and also because the prospect of someone telling me what I should change in my story really sounded...annoying.

Well...I finally did use a beta, and boy, was I wrong. She didn't annoy me at all - she tickled me pink!! Boosted my confidence by offering praise just when I needed it and helped me fix several problems that really were problems. I discovered through that experience that beta readers were actually the best invention ever, and I've never looked back. So a big thanks to Kathy B who introduced me to the miracle of beta readers.

Now I use two people pretty much regularly, and since neither one would really appreciate the gift of my first born child instead I'll give my endless thanks and a huge hug to CC Aiken and LabRat. Without these two women, I'd be sitting in a corner sucking my thumb and whimpering helplessly. They've picked up my spirits when I was sure I was never going to write another coherent sentence. They've gotten me out of more corners than I can count. And through a lot of really fun brainstorming and just shooting the breeze on IRC, they've planted the seeds for many stories, both fanfic and non-fanfic as well.

Thanks CC and Lab!! You guys are the greatest.

Lynn

I've sent my thank-yous privately, but what I want to do here is to thank those readers who have posted helpful comments on anything I've posted on the mbs. Their interest in what I was writing kept me going, and their suggestions resulted in a great many changes to what I was writing, whether it was an eagled-spotting of typos or the ciritcal concern with a plot hole or the thoughtful comment on chracterization. I even changed the ending of my last story based on mbs comments.

So, to those mbs commentors who have taken the time with my stuff, a mega thank-you!

And, an equally huge thank-you to the excellent Jeanne Parre, who GE'd my stories.

cc malo

Hooray for beta-readers! I'll just concentrate on the ones I've got at the moment, but many others have helped me out, too.

Thanks to Claire Hess for being unfailingly supportive, and for all the great insights into the characters & situations.

Thanks to Wendy Richards for cleaning up my commas You are one of the main reasons I have any idea what punctuation to use, especially in dialog tags.

Thanks to Elena for being so enthusiastic it's slightly alarming!

Thanks to Hazel, who volunteered *and* sent back comments within hours of first reading the file. (don't worry, I won't expect that ever again!)

And thanks very much to everyone else who's helped me throughout the years. I've learned *so* much, and I appreciate it all.

PJ

Well, I don't use BRs too often, and I haven't written very much lately. It's not that I don't appreciate what BRs do, it's that most of what I write consists of short pieces I dash off in under an hour (often much less). Doesn't usually seem worth finding a BR for bits of fluff like that.

Every once in a while, though, I'll attempt something longer, and that's when BRs are really useful. All the more so because I'm simply not used to working at that length.

So, I'd like to thank...

Bethy, whose help with Persephone's Return was invaluable. Besides pointing out a myriad of places in need of tweaking, she forced me to reevaluate half the story, bringing about the Lois introspection that became the signature of the whole thing.

Kaylle. Her brainstorming, BRing, and general encouragement played a major role in getting "Finding Clark Kent" from the point of "hey, wouldn't it be cool to write a fic with reader interaction?" to an actual living story. She even managed to BR the sections in record time, sometimes even while I was posting.

Laurie, for agreeing to work with me on Chi, Beta, despite a busy schedule, and for managing to review it when I was ready despite a family emergency.

Sara, for both her patience and enthusiasm. Those two qualities don't go together very easily, so it's all the more impressive that she's managing. I only wish I had more for her to help me with. Hopefully, I'll be able to thank her more properly next year.

The archive GEs, for the amazing work that they do. Neither rain nor sleet nor excessive comma splices will stay these tireless grammatical warriors from their appointed stories. Or something like that.

If I've forgotten anyone, my deepest and humblest apologies. It's not because your work was any less helpful. It's just been a long year.

Paul

I'm back, and it's my turn.

First, I'd like to agree with Carol; the readers on these boards are wonderful additional beta-readers. Many times over the past year I've made additions to stories, corrected errors or plot glitches or remembered to deal with a thread I'd left dangling because readers on the boards had pointed things out or made really interesting, fascinating posts. So thank you, guys - you are terrific! Thank you!!

To Elena, who before RL got in the way was a huge help to me. El, your comments are witty, incisive and incredibly helpful; I also had to learn not to read them when I was drinking.

And to my two chief beta-readers, Yvonne and Kaethel. I simply couldn't write without you. You reassure me about stories I have massive doubts about; you make invaluable suggestions; you laugh at weak jokes; you nag for more; you send files back promptly and with lots of helpful suggestions, comments, corrections and asides which leave me giggling. Even though you sometimes have diametrically opposing views as to the usefulness of passages of introspection or some dialogue - I would be lost without you.

And the best thing is that my beta-readers are also pretty wonderful friends too.

So thank you all so very much indeed. You are amazing people. I'd feel as if I were lost in a dark forest if I were writing without your help.

I have to jump in here, too! Without BRs, I'd be totally and completely lost. Over the years I've had many wonderful BRs, and they helped tighten my fics in a way I never could by myself. If any of you have enjoyed anything I've written, it's my BRs you should thank! They're definitely the greastest thing since chocolate.

Thank you, my trusty BRs!

Over the years I've been the privileged recipient of a whole passel of betas, all of whom have made the whole writing process entertaining, challenging, utterly frustrating (when they got in the way of Lazy Writer Not Wanting To Work Syndrome) and educational. Not to mention so much fun.

This year in particular I have to give thanks to Wendy - who taught me to loathe comma splices and who unfailingly ignored me completely whenever I said, "Absolutely no rush on this one!" and got the segment back to me in record time, even when she was in the middle of RL chaos.

And most especially to Lynn. What would I do without her eagle eye, her suggestions, her ideas, her humour, her enthusiastic pompom waving and her ability to see something interesting and worthwhile in WIPs I've long since given up on.

I know I'd be a lot poorer without beta input!

Thanks, guys. You're the best.

And, as a sidebar, three hearty cheers (and a whole lot more) for our wonderful Archive editors, who work so hard throughout the year to polish up those stories.

And to the terrific community of readers we have here, who are so welcoming, encouraging and just plain fun to hang out with and present stories to. Your comments and suggestions have had me thinking and laughing and pondering and I'm a much better writer for it.


LabRat

I would like to say thankyou and give a big hug to Julie Stars!

Looking at the stuff she's been beta-ing for me and comparing it to my unbetaed WIPs and stories, I can't help but notice an *amazing* difference. Her comments and suggestions leave my WIPs looking all polished and sparkly, so much so that I almost have the guts to post them

Would I even dream of posting something longer than a vignette without passing it under Julie's skilled eye first? Outside of OSY, no.

From "comma goes here" notes to full-fledged brainstorming sessions, having such a wonderful Beta is a God-Sent (even though I must surely annoy her at times ).

So Julie, here is yet another "BEST BETA EVER!" Award.
Thanks for being my Beta-Reader.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to run away before people start asking exactly *what* we've been working on.

I would like to thank all my BRs and GEs, who have helped me make my stories better and have been teaching me some things along the way. Also, the readers on these boards, who have been very supportive and helpful since I first joined. (I won't give out names, for fear of forgetting anyone. You know who you are )

See ya and thanks,
AnnaBtG.

Hi FoLCs

Oh Gosh. I hope I didn't forget anyone. I can always come back and Edit though. I just hope I don't need a BR for this.

To everyone else who BRs, I also would like to say that you are super cool.

BRs initiate the engine, but you guys are the real ones to make it run. So, for readers I .

MDL. (Who truly hopes people will understand she didn't have a BR for this so she might not have made herself very clear. )

Saskia - Even when you were in the midst of changing countries, you were always there to support me!! I'm still not sure whether I should thank you or strangle you, though, for that one idea... you know what I'm talking about. *sigh* I guess that's what I get for making friends with someone so evil. /me runs and ducks <g>

Paul - Yet another hijacked BR, but one I'll never regret finding!! I loved getting my story parts back, always filled with humor and intelligence and insight! Though I may have grumbled a lot

The IRC Gang - You helped me out more than you know! Hope you didn't get sick of my whining. But, it really helped, even when I just needed to vent.

The MB Readers - Thank you so much for making my first time posting a story a positive one! This story would undoubtedly still be unfinished on my hard drive if I hadn't posted and gotten encouragement from all of you. And thanks a million for sticking with me when RL and my muse conspired against me getting the rest of the story written.

Sara

Thanks back to you, Sara You have no idea how much you helped me on WAM! Your sheer enthusiasm about reading it kept me on track, especially when I was desperately losing momentum and I needed all the nudges I could get =p And I think you bring new meaning to the words, "Fast response time." =)

I don't have any other 'official' beta readers, but thanks to all the folks on the boards who posted comments on my story, and to the folks in IRC who helped me with some last minute edits, especially Wendy, Pam, Bethy, and Roger Hope I didn't miss a name!

And even though I know they won't see it here since they're not really L&C fans as far as community participation goes (yet!!!) -- thanks to my RL friends Nick, Jay, and Gary, who help me edit as well

Here's a hip, hip, hooray for all the betas out there! I personally haven't had one in some time, but they've always been awesome encouraging me, giving me ideas, and fixing my plot holes.

Here's another cheer for the GEs! I don't know of all of them who've helped out, but most recently, LabRat has fixed up a few stories for me. Thank you for fixing all of my comma issues and my bad grammar! I really appreciate it!

Thanks to everyone who's read my stories and given me encouragement. I always love writing and would write with or without an audience, but it makes me happy you guys are just as enthusiastic about reading!

Jen

Hi,

I'll keep this short and just say one very big heartfelt thankyou to my betareaders and GE who have been with me for a number of years now.

I don't know how you keep up with my mostly long stories and also keep me on track when it seems my private life is going down the drain.

Thank you for the work you've done for me, but also thank you all for being such good friends.

I'd also like to take the chance to say thank you to those who post fdk on my stories. The encouragment you offer has helped me get through some very bad times when I thought I'd never reach the end of a story, or never start a new one.

Which could be something you'd all be glad of!

Yours Jenni

I try not to draw any attention to my super-secret mystery beta reader. I wouldn't want them to have to endure the shame and humiliation that would inevitablky come from being associated with one of my stories.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate their efforts. I'm terrible at grammar and spelling, and often their comments, questions, and suggestions are the only thing that keeps me writing once I lose steam on a story.

So.... Thanks!

Tank (who has to say that he's really just a nice guy and his evil reputation is all the fault of his beta reader... really)

Hopefully better a bit late than never at all...

Labrat, on whose doorstep I fell when I stumbled cluelessly into this fandom. With her encouragment, and very patient step by step instruction- right down to showing me where to break my story into seperate parts- I posted to the boards. It was the third fic I had written, but the first time I'd ever done so here. And I wouldn't have without Lab.

She didn't know it, but that pretty much cemented her in as my Magic Feather. I don't jump off the high dive without her. Also, I've gotten so much less considerate over time. Generally, Lab sees my WIPS only when I am ready to adandon them in disgust and I want them fixed! I want Lois to stop just sitting there! I want a villain I can build a plot around!! I need a way to hide Tempus so my heroes aren't clueless for not finding him!!

And if that wasn't enough, Lab finds my really stupid things. The ones I don't notice for all my worrying over why Lois hasn't moved from her spot in ages.

Thank you seems really inadequate for all the invaluable instruction. But thank you, Lab.

And Lynnm is my perfect Beta Foil. Two women who can't agree on an episode of Smallville, but who BR for one another fairly nicely. I mean, she has that Clark Kent hang-up, while I tend to crush on Superman. She scowls at S1 Lois, while I find her perfectly reasonable. Therefore, Lynn offers me a viewpoint that I'd never come up with on my own, one that is smart and fun and well argued. In doing so, she has enhanced my storytelling. I'm really grateful.

SQD did me a wonderful service by coaxing me through my last epic. By looking it over in its earliest stages and giving me the reader's pov. She was also dead right, and so when I ignored her warnings about the ending, I paid the price! A price which Liz helped me work out most graciously.

Sherry has been an excellent behind the scenes reader, who isn't afraid to tell me like it is. Jude and Ray have sent me such thoughtful and thorough comments, they need to be mentioned here for their generous contributions. (I still owe you, Ray. Haven't forgotten.)

And the readers who have given me such great feedback all along. So thought provoking and really fun. They've made me a better writer. (Not that I haven't done my share of grumbling over it...)

A big, fat thank you to all of the above. I can't say well enough how much I appreciate it. I'm learning. And I hope I'm improving. But most of all, I'm really, really enjoying myself here!

CC

I plead work, a choir rehearsal and watching a fascinating program about Brian Wilson (of Beach Boys fame) in defence of my tardiness. In consequence, I just didn't see this thread until today. A thread which I love, btw, because I get to see who's BRing for who <g>.

This year, I've had the pleasure of discovering new BR talents as well as continuing with my multi-talented BR-in-Chief, Wendy.

CCAiken Wow. She's fast, she's got a brilliant sense of humour, and she's a one-woman ideas factory. It's probably safe to say that my current WIP would still be a bunch of messy notes and literary dead-ends if she hadn't responded to my hesitant plea for help. She clicked into the story straight away and offered a ton of fantastic ideas, and now that I'm sending her story parts, she's giving me lots of encouragement and still feeding me those great ideas. Thanks, CC!

Lynn Another great ideas woman. In fact, at one point, I was tempted to sit back and let CC and Lynn write my current WIP for me <g>. Also, as a fellow Clark-lover, I feel she understands me very well. We like to give him hell, we like to shake things up a bit, and we definitely don't like to be conventional - she's a great co-conspirator.

Wendy Well, what can I say that I haven't said many times before? Quite simply, I don't feel my stories have been properly prepared for public consumption unless they've been through the Wendy wash-cycle <g> Then they're all sparkly and squeaky clean and safe enough to read without donning protective gloves and dark goggles.

Okay, Wendy would dispute the squeaky clean bit after reading the latest part of my current WIP, but you know what I mean, I'm sure <g>.

My memory is awful, leaving me with the distinct feeling that I've missed people out, so if you fall into that category, feel free to humiliate me by identifying yourselves. You can be sure I appreciated you at the time, whoever you are.

Yvonne

Yes, yes, yes, I'm late.

But in the great tradition of "better late than never", I'd like to add my contribution to this thread.

I haven't written a lot this year. Real life has kept me a lot busier than I wish it had, and so my leisure time has been cut down as a result. However, I'm still there and I'm still working on several WIPs, and so I still have BRs, even if I left them mostly alone this year. :p

There are no words to say what my BRs mean to me. They're constant rocks of support; they cheer me up when I feel like I'll never get something done; they nag when I don't expect anybody to remember I write, because it's been months since I posted anything; they coax when I claim that what I wrote is too much of a pre-pre-pre-pre-first-draft to be seen by anybody, even them; they're always up to brainstorming and they give me great suggestions when I'm stuck; they laugh at my weakly humorous lines, they tell me when there's a plot glitch, they're always gentle in their criticism, but also very honest and helpful when it comes to fixing problems, and they edit my grammar mistakes and take the time to explain the rules to me so I can get better. I couldn't do it without their help.

So I'd like to give a very big hug to Annette, for being *the* beta-reader with emphasis on reader. Your comments never fail to make me laugh and smile and cheer me up. Thanks so much for being the greatest cheerleader I could ever wish for. A very big hug to Bethy, for agreeing to be added to the list of BRs for the everlasting WIP called Near Wild Heaven II. A very big hug to El, for always finding new evil ideas to add to the plot, and giving me great feedback with her eagle-eye. A very big hug to Rat, who's been there since the very beginning and always tells me how to fix plot glitches even when I'm sure there's no way I can pull it off (but she makes me do it anyway, and in the end she's right and I'm wrong). And last but not least, a very big hug to Wendy, for helping me organise my thoughts about wild plots, keeping me on track when I go off on a wild tangent, and always giving me the encouragement and help I need. Thank you all, guys! You're fantastic friends to me.

Kaethel

Thanks MDL. That cheered me up! Thanks for letting me try to be a BR!

I wrote one story that a few people BRed for me. Alas I cannot remember who they were b/c the e-mails and files where lost! I still have the ving. but won't post. Even though I like to say thanks for the suggestions. Thanks for putting up with a person's first LnC complete fic, as mini as it was.