Hi! I'll lead off by geeking about how much I love your writing, literally everything you write! I was hoping you'd be able to help me... how would one go about finding a Beta? I've never had anyone read my crap for me. *blushes*
Hi @caleprwrite - nice to see a familiar AO3 face over here! I will do my level best to answer this, with the caveat that I'm a terrible person to give this advice. Both of my betas came to me through unconventional channels - @chemegeek was someone who reached out to me while I was writing PI, and I found that she was invaluable in asking me questions about the story, pointing out where I wasn't being clear, and making sure my plots made sense. She's also a FANTASTIC cheerleader. @awwtopsy is someone I've been writing with for upwards of ten years now, so she knows me, knows my style, and knows when I'm being lazy/repetitive.
So, all that to say, I've never done a traditional beta search. However, I think there are some Stucky-specific beta request blogs out there. In addition, joining bangs and things like that can be a great way to meet new people and solicit betas! I know, for example, the RBB had a beta request channel and a beta email that went out looking for readers.
The biggest part of it is finding someone you feel comfortable with, who matches your style in terms of what you're looking for critique-wise. Some people just want a story/plot beta, others want a full SPaG beta (spelling, punctuation, and grammar), others just need someone to cheerleader them along.
Hopefully, this helps a little, and you can find someone who works for you! <3
