How to Become a Beta

So you would like to be a Beta. It’s not an extremely difficult process to do, but it is very important. If we don’t have enough proof that you’re qualified to be an Advisor, you might be rejected. Hopefully, that will not be the case.

Here are a few requirements that you must have to become a Beta.

• You must have at least 10 in-depth critiques of different stories on the forum. If we feel it is necessary, we may ask you to do more.

• You should have completed the three lessons in the lessons section. Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling. These can be done at any time, not only if you want to be a Beta.

• You should be an active member with at least 35 posts. This is to ensure that you won’t just apply, be accepted, then leave.

• You cannot have any warnings if you want to be a Beta. This is for the safety of any members who would wish to use you as an Advisor. When you’re accepted, and if you get a warning, you will go down a rank.

• It is recommended that you have your own Writing Section on the forum. Writers tend to be good Beta, as they know what to look for in a good story. This is not necessary, but it will improve your chances of being accepted.

Now that you’ve made sure that you fulfill these requirements, it is time for you to do the actual application. I have written a short story that you will read, and then analyze as if you were an advisor for it. Please fill out the form below, and PM it to Daisy Doo. Make sure you put your analysis of the sample story in a spoiler so it takes up less room.

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Until I write a special sample story just for this, please beta the first chapter of the story. Don't worry, i'm working on it:)
Here is the code for your application.

Code:

[b]Name on forum:[/b]
[b]Name you wished to be called:[/b]
[b]Any special qualifications:[/b]
[b]Link to three critiques on the forum:[/b]
[b]Link to writer’s section:[/b] (if any)
[b]Reason for wanting to be an Beta:[/b]
[b]Detailed analysis of sample story:[/b] (Please put in Spoiler)

When this is done, all you have to do is wait. A PM will be sent to you explaining what to do now.

Here are a few things to think about when you are analyzing a story. If you read this before you read the sample story, you’ll know a bit more about what we’re looking for in a good critique.

• When you first read a story, it’s a good idea to read it through once just for enjoyment. Next, read it again an focus more on the plot and the content. Finally, check for any SPaG issues that need to be addressed. Reading it through three times will make sure that every aspect of the story will be touched upon in your critique.

• When you write your critique, please do not only criticize. Make sure to encourage the writer. If somebody receives a critique that says nothing good about the story, it probably won’t encourage them to write more. So please be kind and considerate.

• The format of a critique is not very important but a good way to do it is to have separate paragraphs for each part. Maybe do one for SPaG problems, another for plot and content, and the first and last for a bit of praise. This will make sure that it is easy to understand your critique.

• The more effort you put into critiquing a story, the better the finished product will be. If you just read through it and pick out little problems, that will be alright, but it won’t help the author too much. If you actually research a question about the content, it will really help them out, and you’ll get lots of praise. For example, if it’s a Historical Fiction, and you have a question about the accuracy of a fact, you can Google it, and tell the author what you found out. It’s so much more helpful to an author if you find this out and tell them your finding, than if you just tell them to check the accuracy of the fact.

• Length is not as important as quality. If you have a very short critique, that is find, but please make sure that it actually is useful to the author, not just saying you liked the story. On the other hand, a whole long critique about loving the story may be encouraging to read, but it won’t improve the writing at all. So find a good balance between the two. Obviously, long, detailed critiques that also encourage the author are preferred.

So that’s about it. Once you become an Beta, you’ll have access to a special section of the forum just for the advisors. There, there will be more tips on writing critiques, and you can get help from experience advisors.

Good luck!
Gigi