Author Confession

[keiramarcos]

My name is Keira and I'm fed up with the beta process.

Don't get me wrong, I totally love my betas. They're great. I just hate the process itself.  

I have to ask myself, who in fandom decided that beta was a thing? Who thought -- oh, I'm getting free stuff to read but this author really should do a bunch of extra work to make sure my free entertainment doesn't have any typos!

I'm currently in beta for my QB fic. I mean, like I'm on part 2 of 6 in that process. I just finished Darkly Loyal and it's twice the length of my QB. If I actually put that in beta -- it wouldn't be ready to post until probably April. Fuck that noise.

BAH.

Comments

[me_ya_ri]

*shrug* You write clean enough that I'd just go for it, personally. It's not like you're making grammar errors left and right, messing up the paragraph divisions and having blatantly incomplete thoughts all over the place.

Do what makes you happy, and flip the bird at people who complain.

[fashi0n_mistake]

Honestly, I stopped asking people to look over my stories before I post them a couple months back. People get what they get. I was happy with what I wrote and that’s what matters.

[syberjade]

You write better than most traditional published writers and gawd you definitely write better than me. Post it when your ready and torpedos away at the complainers. Happy holidays!

[tiffany1567]

I personally don't have a beta, just because I just have trust issues. If you don't want to have it beta-ed don't, if you do then that's cool too.

[rothesis]

As a reader, I am happy to read your works raw on rough trade. However, as a listener to your radio show, I am concerned you would be disappointed in yourself if you noticed any flaws after posting.

Remember, you are doing this for fun. Please yourself.

[timespirt]

Who cares about beta. Do what you want, forget the complainers!

[esteefee]

Ugh, yeah. Obvsly, I think having a beta is a personal choice. I don't use them for shorter fic bc I write pretty clean. For longer fic, I like having 'em for continuity checks because god I make the dumbest mistakes sometimes. (What the hell happened to the dog? He brought the dog and now it's watching them fuck??) But I don't write seriously long epics like you do!

4 or 5 months seems like a long time to do a beta tho? Maybe you can break the piece up among different betas so to shorten the period of time it takes? I dunno.

Happy holidays btw!

[rosefyre]

Up to you, honestly? I do occasionally like betas, but I stopped using them for some fics because, as you said, it adds so much time to the writing/editing/posting cycle. I think there's a case to be made, especially if you're participating in an exchange or doing something as a gift or want a check on certain things, but there's also a case for just having fun and getting your fic out. So really, up to you.

[alisonk23]

Speaking as a reader, I don't mind either way. I have read plenty of stuff that's apparently been through the process and still has typos &c, but I have always ignored it. As you rightly point out, we are being given a gift and it isn't nice to be rude about that!

I don't really see why an author needs to say one way or another whether the text has been beta'd. If none is credited, I don't assume there wasn't one. TBH, I don't think about it one way or another, but if I did I might well come to the conclusion that the author thanked their beta privately. Anyone rude enough to ask about it should be ignored!

Traditionally published work is different. I was pretty hacked off some years ago when I bought a big coffee table style book published by the BBC (of all people) which turned out to be full of errors. Not impressed!

But it's an entirely different situation from fan fiction (even if much fan work is plenty good enough to be sold in shops!) because of the payment involved. Plus I doubt the money saved on not using editors goes to the writer...

Do whatever makes you happiest, K. You already give us so much.
Happy Christmas!

[princessofgeeks]

You know, you don't have to use a beta if you don't want to. When I was writing I very rarely used betas. I would ask for specific help if I was stuck on something, but that's it.

You've been writing for years in a ton of fandoms and you can post without a beta anytime you want.

I am the princess. I have spoken.

[keiramarcos]

Well, Darkly Loyal is 180k ;-)

[darkjediqueen]

I don't know.

I think that four months for a 181,000-word story seems like a short time based on the process that my beta and I have going and how long it took her to beta my 170,000-word story. The betas have a life of their own. And if they can only do a chapter a week, you have to multiply the chapters by the weeks and then have two betas will double that time. Breaking down a 181k story into 5k average chapters is 36 chapters. I have no clue if Darkly Loyal is like that, but it's a good starting point. Even with one beta and a chapter a week that's 36 weeks. That's nine months. I'm sure that some betas can do quicker, but that's a good break down. Even three chapters a week is still three months.

And splitting a story into parts and have each section only gone over by one beta is asking for continuity errors and plot hole errors.

Betaing short stories is easy, and it's easy to keep track of things, it's a not a simple it takes an hour to beta a 5k story so it'll take 5 hours to beta a 25k story. Sometimes adding more words means doubling even tripling time because of keeping all of the parts in order in the beta's head.

[darkjediqueen]

I do like to use my betas because I sometimes write things that don't make sense to anyone but me it seems. But then I've gotten better at that as well. I know that everyone is different but my thought is always, it's free entertainment and no matter what I still get people bitching about mistakes even if I have THREE different people go over it so why add that headache when people are going to bitch anyway.

[esteefee]

I have separate continuity/pacing betas from my line edit betas, which obviously simplifies things. They just fell into the different skill sets naturally. So divvying up the line edit beta on larger works (still nothing like 180K though, yow!) gives my betas a bit of a break. But it's all a personal preference, obvsly.

[esteefee]

epic! *punches your shoulder*

[edited for more appropriate iconage]

[danceswithgary]

I gave up on using a beta years ago and stopped being a beta a few years back. Fan fiction is supposed to be a pleasure to write, not a chore. I love your work and would read new pieces with gratitude. you are one of the authors I turn to on a bad day/night and thank you for that.

[keiramarcos]

Great icon usage.

[keiramarcos]

Girl, you'll turn my head ;-)

[quiltedlives]

As a reader, I have no problem reading your stuff on Rough Trade that hasn't been beta-ed. You're the writer - your choice - I'll read it either way

Happy Holidays!

[kristories]

I agree wholeheartedly. I used to be obsessed with getting things beta read and, after a while, I decided to hell with it. It's mine. It's up. If I re-read it at some point and decide to fix something so be it. I just got tired of the process, of finding the right people who don't want to make mass changes to things, or the ones who will pay attention to more than just what they want to read.

[irish_dragon]

Personally, it's up to you. I read your fanfiction a lot and most of the time multiple times. I don't usually have problems, and if I do, I keep my mouth shut, because of this nice disclaimer at the beginning. Unsol. beta bad.

That being said, I've been a fanfiction reader for over ten years. I have seen some awesome fic ruined by poor writing styles and improper grammar.

Betas have their uses, and maybe when someone is just building their craft they may need that help as they build their skill set.

Writing is an Art. With all art, there is a learning curve. The more you do it, the more you educate yourself about what you are doing, branching out, and growing, the more you improve your craft.

Maybe in the beginning betas can help with that. They can point out where you need more work or where you are doing well. Sometimes having that mirror of a different perspective is immensely helpful.

[winter_elf]

I think beta's help beginning/new writers immensely, to help polish their work and assist them. Less needed as the writer becomes more professional. So I can see your frustration, and when it's for fun, again, more frustration.

[silent_fire]

I'm happy with anything that gets me more of your awesome stories! Darkly Loyal and your Rough Trade posts have been amazing without any beta readers; you do an amazing job all on your own.