Sunnydale After Dark
Active Beta Readers
There are 5 members who are active and currently accepting new stories.

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Ratings I'll beta: •G  •PG  •PG-13  •R  •NC-17  •Adult Only
I can help with: •American English 
Turnaround for an average length chapter: 1-3 days
Beta experience: I haven't betad any fanfic but I have done some professional editing and writing, and I taught writing for adults at one time.  I love some angst, and building tension - not so good with the fluff.  My favorite seasons are the late one, and my sweet spot is post NFA.
Story types/topics I will not beta: No mpreg, all human, or major character bashing.
Additional Comments: I love research.
Ratings I'll beta: •G  •PG  •PG-13  •R  •NC-17  •Adult Only
I can help with: •American English  •British English  •Canon Elements  •Grammar  •Plot Suggestions  •Punctuation 
Turnaround for an average length chapter: 4-7 days
Beta experience: I'm a long-time fanfiction reader, professional essayist, and copy editor. This is the first time I will be combining my two loves. 
Story types/topics I will not beta: No AU or comic, please.
Additional Comments:
Ratings I'll beta: •G  •PG  •PG-13  •R  •NC-17 
I can help with: •American English  •British English  •Canon Elements  •Grammar  •Plot Suggestions  •Punctuation 
Turnaround for an average length chapter: 4-7 days
Beta experience: Over the years, I've beta'd (several book length) stories for a number of authors, mostly those who've written in the Buffyverse. I've also worked with other universes as well, most recently, Shadow and Bone (grishaverse).
Recent authors include Annabellee, lafillesauvage and Brooke724
 

Story types/topics I will not beta:
  • Please attempt to paragraph your work.  If you send me pages of work that is all one paragraph, I will not read it. 
  • The same is true if you don't even attempt to spell check.
  • NO ALL HUMAN. Mostly they read like self inserts.  They tend rarely to be about Buffy and Spike (or any of the other characters).  That said, I have read a few good ones, but I don't seek them out, and as a rule, I won't want to beta them.  If an author I already work with asks, I will consider it on a case by case basis.  If this is your bread and butter; I'm NOT your girl.
  • NO BLOODPLAY CENTRIC fic.  (If Buffy gives Spike blood to save him or heal him, this is fine. If they're stuck on a desert island or another dimension and she has to feed him, that's fine too.  If Buffy is his suck buddy and the sex is all about the blood drinking then she's a snack, not a girlfriend or a partner) 
Also, bites to the carotid or femoral arteries are likely to be fatal and/or to cause strokes even if they are not intended to kill.  I'm not into auto erotic asphyxiation as I think it is a stupid way to die.  I see blood 'play' as much the same stupidity. It may feel good (no idea, haven't tried it!!) BUT: it's not romantic, it's idiotic.  Even the series showed Riley being fed from on the arm.
I have seen the results of a clot from a (closed) carotid injury (stroke).  It's not romantic.
voluntary exanguination is a stupid way to die.
 If vampire spit had enough clotting factor to stop a carotid bleed, it would also have enough clotting factor to throw a clot to the brain.
  • Rape 'sex': I will edit stories that include a rape, but I do not beta or read rape lovingly described.  I ALWAYS TAKE THE VICTIM'S SIDE (male, female, adult or child) AND THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS FOR THIS.  If you celebrate rape sex, I'm not your girl.  I consider sexual coercion and sexual violation to be worse than murder.  There are valid reasons why someone might kill (including killing of their own or their child's rapist, war or self-defense).  There is NO reason for anyone EVER to rape anyone.  Rape is murder where the victim has to get up and walk around for the rest of their lives blaming themselves for what happened, no matter how it occurred.
(I think I've been clear enough.  If you aren't sure, please ask).
There are circumstances where one may need to describe some aspects of a rape.  Just remember that rape is NOT sex. It is always violation and destruction of the victim, even if it is 'loving'... maybe especially if it is 'loving'.
Rape is about power and control and about making war on the body and mind of the victim.
Vigorous, consensual sex is NOT rape.
  • I will not edit explicit sex involving partners below the age of 17.
Sex between minors and adults is ALWAYS rape of the most despicable kind. If an adult 'falls for' a minor, it's that adult's job to get as far from that minor as he/she can.
  • I do not enjoy bashfic.  If you hate a character or a pairing, don't write them.  Don't spend a fic tearing them down.  Note: this is not the same as building a reasonable VILLAIN.  ANY of our buffyverse characters could be drawn as a villain.  Just don't do it out of hate and spite of the character. We all have favorites, but if your way of building up your favorite is to demonize some or all of the rest of the characters, leave me out of your process.
  • If you're writing 'angry fic' please see a therapist.  Seriously.  I think writing can be cathartic, but if you're writing your RAW pain or misery into fic as therapy, you're not going to be 'using' your anger or angst, it is using you.  PROCESSED pain makes for exceptional story.  Unprocessed pain does not.  The best place for unprocessed pain in written form is a journal. These can be very helpful.
Often, but not always, 'angry fic' comes out as hatred of one character, frequently an authority figure or a parent.
  • I don't like misogyny or misandry If you don't like men or you don't like women... I don't want to read your work. If your character doesn't like men or doesn't like women, that's a different matter entirely.
  • I don't do bigotry or racism.  If you (not a character) don't like certain sexual orientations, sexual identities, religion/lack of religion, races, classes, categories or particular types of people because of some characteristic or belief etc., I'm not your editor.
  • I am a radical egalitarian.  I don't segregate or grade people according to inherent characteristics or beliefs. (I will admit I have no use for bigots or sexual predators)
Additional Comments: I've written over 1 million words of well received fan fiction.  Most of it is on Twisting the Hellmouth. Google/Bing me if you're interested.
I've lived in both the UK (a while ago) and the US (currently) and have extensive exposure to both types of English and both cultures.  I will expect your British characters to sound British and your Americans to sound American. 
As I am primarily a crossover author, I am familiar with several other universes (mostly television). 
Selected ones are: Stargate, CSI, House, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Star Trek (Deep Space 9, primarily), MASH, ER and Rivers of London.  I'm fond of medico-legal dramas. Note: presence on this list is not a guarantee I know the series the way I know Buffy.
Knowledge of medical terminology.  Familiarity with (and interest in) medical and first responder procedure (EMS focused).  Emphasis on emergency medicine.  I do NOT claim to know it all.  I probably can direct you to the right place for your research.
___________________
  • What I expect of the writer. PLEASE READ!
  • That you have at least a basic grasp of **English grammar and punctuation and that you'll at least try to present me with a final draft of each chapter of your work. 
  • I will NOT rewrite your work. 
  • I do not expect blind obedience to every editing suggestion. I do expect you to pay attention, particularly if I flag the same error repeatedly.
**NOTE: Please let me know if English is NOT your first language and what your first language is.
I don't expect perfection. I expect an honest try.  Yes, you CAN improve your fundamentals. I did.
  • Use the spell check.  It will not catch sound alike words or wrong words that are spelled correctly, so you should also attempt an edit as well.  Nevertheless, most of us don't 'see' what we wrote.  We see what we THINK we wrote.  That's part of why editors exist.
As I said before: I will NOT rewrite bad work.  I'm here to help YOU be the best you.  There's already one of me.  I have plenty of work to do without rewriting a great idea poorly executed, or worse, a poor idea, awfully executed. 
NOTE: I will probably refuse if you ask me to beta you. I already have 4 people I work with and my own work.  So please don't take it personally. 
  • I will expect you to submit (to me) at least ONE final draft chapter or a short story before considering working with you. 
I will give you honest comments on what you send me. If you don't want honest comments, please do NOT send me your work. I will not be mean, but I will tell you EXPLICITLY AND HONESTLY what I think.
  • SEX: Yes, I will edit explicit writing.  I'm not interested in editing pure porn that has no connection with the characters in question, however.  If you can make me believe it's Spike and Buffy or Joyce and Giles, or even (gasp) Joyce and Spike!! - I don't care how raunchy it gets.
I read and write straight and gay stories will happily edit sex between various permutations of adults, regardless of gender or sexual preference.
If you sound like a porno flick and when I take the names off and it is generic sex talk; then it's not writing, it's 'merely' porn.  That has its place, but I'm more interested in writing than in porn.  That said; I LOVE great sex writing and I have strong opinions on the matter: Blue's Rules for Writing Sex There are several decent guides on the web that will help you write believable and stirring sex scenes.  If you don't read mine, please read someone else's.
  •  Yes, I can help with fights and battles.
  • My job is to help you POLISH your work for posting.  I look forward to seeing how I can help.
Ratings I'll beta: •G  •PG  •PG-13  •R  •NC-17  •Adult Only
I can help with: •American English  •British English  •Grammar  •Plot Suggestions  •Punctuation 
Turnaround for an average length chapter: 1-3 days
Beta experience: I did some beta for ssddgr, paganbaby, darkrivertempest and pixiecorn back in the day, and more recently for maryperk.
I do editing as a freelancer as a side biz, as LMO Editing (website under construction). Oh and I have a degree in English.
No way I'd charge to beta fanfic though.
Story types/topics I will not beta: Non-con, SA, 
Additional Comments: I will be your cheerleader and you will always know how I feel about your story.
Ratings I'll beta: •G  •PG  •PG-13  •R  •NC-17  •Adult Only
I can help with: •American English  •British English  •Canon Elements  •Grammar  •Plot Suggestions  •Punctuation 
Turnaround for an average length chapter: 1-3 days
Beta experience: Currently active for Holly, occasional beta for Cosmic Tuesdays. Am willing to tackle anything. 
Story types/topics I will not beta:
Additional Comments: Am a good witch like Tara, not a bad witch like Willow. Love writing Drusilla, Illyria, and Faith. And Spike. Knowledgeable about IS law, mythology, and geography. Can also choreograph fight scenes and sex scenes.