Remember that post where I started collecting people for the Beta List?

Well, here's that list.... as well as a recapitulation of the purpose of a beta reader, and some guidelines.

A Beta will go through your writing and may check for any or all of the following things - spelling, grammar, characterization, plot points, development of the storyline, factual accuracy, coherence, and authenticity. They may not check for all of these things - you mustn't expect them to advise you on things they are not comfortable with themselves.

A Beta's job is to give you feedback and advice. You do not have to accept that advice - but it is advisable that you consider it. Often, it is invaluable to have a second opinion on a piece of work - a second pair of eyes may pick out things that were in your blind spot. Please keep in mind that they are giving you this advice for a reason, the reason being that they want to help you get your work as good as it can be. They may pick one of your most treasured works to pieces - this does not mean that they hate you. Be flattered that they are taking the time out of their busy schedule to help you, take their opinion into account in your consideration of your work, and move on. A good piece of writing is not written in one draft - ever hear that saying Rome wasn't built in a day? It applies here too. Rework, re-evaluate, discuss, rediscuss, rewrite... and then post. Have some integrity, put some effort into your work.

Betas should make their comments as constructive as possible, and should try and work with the authors if possible. Often, being in contact with them whilst going through their work is beneficial for both parties.

Please choose a beta - or betas - from the list below. Look at their preferred story type and their availability and find which one is best suited for your needs. Request their services either by contacting them on their personal journals, or by email.

We must ask that you send any piece of writing with adult rated material (rated R or above) to a beta over the age of 15.

A Beta is not obliged to take on a story, should you ask them to. If they decline, please just go and select another one.

If, at any time, a Beta is unable or unwilling to continue working on a piece of writing, they have the right to withdraw their services. Please be considerate of the betas needs too - work with them, don't give them a hard time if it takes them a little longer than usual to get back to you.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here is The List - which will be constantly updated.



The Beta List

LJ-Name: remenissionsx
Real name/Alias: Katy
Age: 16
Email Address: she_fell_in_love_with_the_drummer@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: Msn - we_have_everyone_except_scotty@hotmail.com
Stories Willing To Beta: I don't want to read mpregs. They scare me. And nc-17 stuff is cool but I couldn't give advice about it.
Availability: pretty available. It may take me a few days.
Links to Examples of Work: Regrets And Romance, Lonely Days, I write mostly drabbles and very little vam.
Native English Speaker?: Yes

LJ-Name: conjure_lass
Real name/Alias: Katherine
Age:26
Email Address:conjure_lass@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: My AIM name is KissingPanorama
Stories Willing To Beta: I'm willing to beta pretty much anything. I'll do NC-17 all the way down to G.
Availability: I am an adult with a full-time job. That said, when I beta it may take me about two to three days to complete the job (depending on length. If your chapter is only about 2000 words i'll probably get it all done in one night).
Links to Examples of Work: xxjabberwockyxx for all of my vam works.
Native English Speaker?: Yes

LJ-Name: devine007
Real name/Alias: Dev
Age: 18
Email Address: ldjka13@yahoo.com
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything at all.
Availability: I'm a part-time college student with a part-time job. I spend more time on the computer than i do studying.
Links to Examples of Work: I've never written a vam fic. Sorry.
Native English Speaker?: Yes

LJ-Name: liesthatwebleed
Real name/Alias: Jenny
Age:14
Email Address: lovejenny888@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: Yahoo-lovejenny888, Aim-jennycheng888
Stories Willing To Beta: I'm willing to beta pretty much anything.
Availability: I'm pretty quick in responding. I have no life and I spend too much time on the computer. Weekends are the best but I'll probably give you feedback the day or the day after you send your works to me.
Links to Examples of Work: I haven't written any Vam works, but I have written some Green Day slash. If you want to read it, here: http://www.sullen-riot.com/efic/viewuser.php?uid=27 I'm pretty sure I can beta better than I can write.
Native English Speaker?:Yes

LJ-Name: jinjeru
Real name/Alias: V-Gin
Age: Probably the oldest person on this list -_-;
Email Address: Jinjeru@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: Yahoo= Moonwyllow MSN= Jinjeru@hotmail.com
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything really I can do NC-17 to G ratings. Big old warning, I am the last person you want to come to if you need help with grammar or spelling. I have a spell check I can run stuff through but that covers it. I am however perfectly good at telling you if you have any plot issues or place that need fleshing out or triming up. I also am good with characterizations so if you need that kind of help I am here for you.
Availability: I have a full time job but no real life at the moment so only a few days if that is all I will be needing to Beta.
Links to Examples of Work: I Dream:Epilogue(other chaptrers in post)
Love’s Light Blue
I’ll Be What I Am…
We’re Here Only to Lose
I’m For You:Part 1Part 2
Native English Speaker?: Yep! I speak good american.... lol! Kidding. Yeah, I am a native English speaker.

LJ-Name: lady_of_sadness
Real name/Alias: Maria/Nienna
Age: 28
Email Address: mydiabolikalrapture@gmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: AIM: Dita4, MSN: heavenly_flames@hotmail.com
Stories Willing To Beta: I'll pretty much beta anything. Long fics, one shots, multi parters. From smut to fluff, kink to squick, I can handle it. Nothing with children, or animals in a sexual way though, please.
Availability: I'm a part time college student, with a job and a life. The time it takes me to finish a beta depends on the length of the piece, and the free time I have available. Usually I can have a piece back in a couple days, at the most a week. I'll also always let you know when you can expect it back after I receive it.
Links to Examples of Work: http://lady-of-sadness.livejournal.com/16782.html#cutid1, http://lady-of-sadness.livejournal.com/10038.html#cutid1, and not vam but something I've written: http://lady-of-sadness.livejournal.com/11387.html#cutid1
Native English Speaker?: Yes.

LJ-Name: sublimerotica
Real name/Alias: Maria
Age: 16
Email Address: mypony8me4snack@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: MSN: same as email. AIM: Kardiopatheies
Stories Willing To Beta: I'll beta anything.
Availability: My life is the internet. Depending on how long the chapter is and how much help is needed, it should be back within 1-2 days, unless circumstances arise. (I am human, after all.)
Links to Examples of Work: Enkeli, Memories, Winterlong
Native English Speaker?: Yes.

LJ-Name: trollsttroll
Real name/Alias: St. Troll or B. Windsor
Age: 27
Email Address: trollsttroll @ hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: same as email, but contact via email first!
Stories Willing To Beta: G to NC-17, AUs, H/C, squicks... anything but super sweet fluff.
Availability: I work full time and am a mother of a 3 year old. So expect at minimum a day or two.
Links to Examples of Work: Multi-fandom writer. my fic Index...
Native English Speaker?: Yes... and 2nd year college level German.
Other information: I've not written anything in VAM fandom and am rather new... but I've been writing fanfiction since 2002, have over 76 stories written (some multi-chapter), and was an English lit major for a time in college.
Type of beta to expect: Grammer, punctuation, comments on style, and a small bit of characterization.

LJ-Name: inourblood
Real name/Alias: Beth
Age: 16
Email Address: kemo_sabe@hotmail.co.uk
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: kemo_sabe@hotmail.co.uk
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything. Angst or general sad fics in perticular, but don't mind fluff, drama, etc.
Availability: Depending on how much coursework, but should be done in a week at most.
Links to Examples of Work: Time of Your Life
Valentines Day
Random fluff
In the Heat of the Moment
Breakdown
Native English Speaker?: Yes

LJ-Name: xshock_x_starx
Real name/Alias: Lyssa
Age: 19
Email Address: lyssapants@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: AIM: omgimakillah, MSN: same as my email address.
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything, really.
Availability: Pretty much any day. Unless something serious comes up or something. But it might take me a few days, I have a life outside of the internet, after all.
Links to Examples of Work: I'm very anal about my own writings, and therefore, they'll never see the light of day. D:
Native English Speaker?: Well, I spoke French up until I was 5, but I'm fluent in English.

LJ-Name: rurouni_yasha
Real name/Alias: Diane
Age:16
Email Address: demonmoonlightshadow@yahoo.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: AIM: Rurouni Yasha15 MSN:demonmoonlightshadow@yahoo.com
Stories Willing To Beta: Doesn't really matter, I'll read basically anything
Availability: Right now, ( currently fall) I'm in a marching band so I have pracitse tues, thur, fri, sat. Games: fri/sat and comps: sat/sun. So i'm busy, but I barely sleep and i'll always get work to you in a matter of days or the same day. I spend alot of time on the computer.
Links to Examples of Work: lone_piper all of my fiction is on there
Native English Speaker?: yes,

LJ-Name: elenlor_edhelen
Real name/Alias: Julia
Email Address: Juliaben@sbcglobal.net
AIM: crazygal4813
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything. Besides disturbing mutilation and shit like that.
Availability: My time is quite consumed by school right now, but I'll never take more than three days to beta something.
Links to Examples of Work: My memories
Native English Speaker?: English is actually my second language, but I've been speaking it since I was seven, and my English is probably better than that of a good amount of native speakers.

LJ-Name: ecampos
Real name/Alias: Ely
Age: 34
Email Address: akasha-lestat@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: Msn - akasha-lestat@hotmail.com
Stories Willing To Beta: I don't do mpregs, fisting or hard core S&M. OK for: NC-17 to G. Angst, Dark, Character Death, Fluffy, Hurt-comfort, mild non-con.
Availability: Pretty available. 24-48 hrs, depend on the length of the chapters and/or how many chapters at once.
Links to Examples of Work: I have a few drabbles and am working on a cross-over Orlando/Ville/Viggo with a friend and also Harry Potter. Have worked on doing beta for jemalfoy from the Harry Potter fandom.
Native English Speaker?: No, but am fully bilingual i.e. 100%, learned while a kid too.

LJ-Name: migemanson
Real name/Alias: Helen Schofield
Age: 19
Email Address: Goth_Rocker33@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: AIM: MigeManson
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything expect bloodplay.
Availability: 2 days at the latest
Links to Examples of Work:
http://migemanson.livejournal.com/560.html
http://lpfiction.com/story.php?id=11271
Native English Speaker?: Yeah - uses americanisms though.

LJ-Name: hangon2iq
Real name/Alias: alex
Age: 22
Email Address: love_us_noise@yahoo.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: will only avail this info to those who contact me about beta-ing.
Stories Willing To Beta: G to NC-17/MA. kink, bdsm, bloodplay and character death are all fine. will only accept fics that involve graphic drug use if it is not "glorified". m-preg, non-con, incest and other possibly squickworthy subject matter will be considered, with a decision made upon preview of story. that being said, i have to add that fluff is not a favourite, but i will beta it if you flatter me. *wink*
also willing to beta for pairings other than vam/other fandoms - if i'm familiar with them.
Availability: i am currently moving house. my availability is likely to free up around mid-november 2006. i work almost full time, but my guess is a maximum of three days time to get back to you unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Links to Examples of Work:
Vam: "Intellectual Stimulation" - part one, still unfinished.
Vam [& others]: "Snippets" - humorous, script-style drabble.
Dunnovak [ryan dunn and brandon novak]: "Just Let Me" - part one, work-in-progress.
Native English Speaker?: yes
Note: don't be fooled by my characteristic lack of capitalisation when posting - i am a spelling/grammar nazi to the core! those are definitely my strongest points. i can provide suggestions on any other aspect of the work given to me and if i feel i am unable to help with something, i will readily admit it and direct you to someone more capable!
as an aside, i am probably more familiar with the "bam half" of the pairing - as in i know more details about bam and his friends [and living on the east coast of america, from personal experience]... this is not to say that i'm unfamiliar with all things HIM, i just feel i might be able to provide more insight on bam's side of things.

LJ-Name: edie_finneran
Real name/Alias Em
Email Address: lumi@mail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: I'd prefer just e-mail
Stories Willing To Beta: Any rating, really. Considering that I'm not actually beta'ing, I don't mind the content, excluding maybe necrophilia and stories glorifying suicide and murder, racist content, things like that.
Availability: I usually check my e-mail daily, so you should get a reply within a couple of days.
Links to Examples of Work: Probably doesn't matter considering the type of help I offer, but here are examples anyway Crown of Love (Vam standalone) The Tour (yet unfinished Ville Valo/Gerard Way fic)
Native English Speaker?: No, I'm a native Finnish speaker
Note: I'm not actually offering to beta as English is not my first language but if you want to add me to the list as someone who's willing to help with Finnish/Finland stuff, that would be great. Many people put bits of Finnish in their stories and I would be willing to give the proper translations, as Internet translators 99% time give incorrect translations. I'd also love to help with anything having to do with Finland/Northern Europe /(Europe in general), like if a story takes place in Finland I can tell how the Finnish High School system works, or things like Finnish names, geography, about Finnish society, just about anything.

LJ-Name: persianfire
Real name/Alias: persianfire
Age: 25
Email Address: jared_jj_james @ yahoo.com (without the spaces)
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: sorry, don't give out this info unless I know you. I check my email every day though, and if you want to chat using AIM am willing to swap privately. (call me paranoid!)
Stories Willing To Beta: any and all. I like angst, dark, smut, strange...basically anything, but I do like a certain amount of realism, so if you've written the boys performing some weird acrobatic sex act I'm not sure is even possible I'll look it up:)
Availability: I check email every day, but I expect approx 3 days, I will always email you and give you a time though (this is for when I've finished my degree!) Only available after December 2006.
Links to Examples of Work: links can be found in my memories under 'my fic' http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=persianfire&keyword=my+fic&filter=all
Native English Speaker?: Yes, British English, so if you're looking for Americanisms I'm not your guy.

LJ-Name: xxperhonenxx
Real name/Alias: Elizabeth
Age: 16
Email Address: norwegian_native_art@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: norwegian_native_art@hotmail.com
Stories Willing To Beta: I'll try anything. Though I'm not good with smut and kink, things of that sort, I'm better with dark, angst, fluff, strange, comedy and so on.
Any length is fine, not very good with characterisations but good with anything else. I might not be 100% in grammar, but damn close;)
Availability: Not very busy. I have no life so I'm online everyday, and the time it'll take to beta will probably depend on the length.
Links to Examples of Work: Ville's pirate fantasy Only a child
Native English Speaker?: I'm bilingual. I live in norway so I don't know if its counted as first language, but I've been speaking english almost all my life, as well as norwegian. And if its to any help (probably not) I do a tiny bit finnish.

LJ-Name: oanja
Real name/Alias: Tanja
Age20
Email Address: Oanja_@hotmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: AIM oanjax
Stories Willing To Beta: I know that edie_finneran already offered her help with this but I thought that two wouldn't hurt, so I'm here to help with things concerning Finland or the Finnish language. Anything about the culture places, translations into Finnish etc. I'd be more than happy to help!
Availability: I spend way too much time online so you can expect a reply mostly within a day (notice the time difference though)
Links to Examples of Work: That's the link to Undercover love...http://community.livejournal.com/__vam/1994992.html
Native English Speaker?: No, as said before I'm finnish.

LJ-Name: oof_floof<
Real name/Alias: Heidi
Age: 17
Email Address: requiemoflove@gmail.com
MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Jabber etc Contact: MSN - hundredshadesofgrey@hotmail.com, AIM - xshadesofgreyxx
Stories Willing To Beta: Anything, except for bloodplay, mpreg, and some pwp's.
Availability: I'm a highschool senior and an IB student. You know those stereotypes where all the IB students get no sleep and have no life? Yeah, thats me. I'm juggling school work and applications to Columbia, UPenn, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. I also am a moderator of two communities, a passionate writer and I love to go out with my friends. However, I also love editing, and I really like helping people out. It might take me a while, but I'll get it done as soon as I can.
Links to Examples of Work: You're Not Here - original story, Prologue to Smoking, Heaven's Ablaze, Lights of Home, My Writing Journal
Native English Speaker?: Yes


Thank you all for your enthusiasm!