Firstly, if you have any suggestions on how we can improve this page, please email them to me! This section of the site is specifically for the writers, and if you have a suggestion about how we can make it better, we'd love to hear it.

However, before you plunge on and pick several readers in a random fashion, have a think about what exactly you want them to read *for*. It's always easier when someone knows what they want fixed in a fic. If you're worried that you have ten billion typing mistakes, say so (although it's common courtesy to run a spellcheck before sending off the fic!). If, however, you feel that your portrayal of Willow is less than convincing, say that too, and ask for advice.

Before sending off your work, contact the betareader and ask if they could read a story for you. They may be phenomenally busy that week, and have to turn you away. Don't be discouraged - that's real life for you. It's nothing personal, just a shortage on time. The others will be glad to help you out.

All those things said - have a look at the BETAREADER LISTINGS for a suitable reader.

What beatreaders get in return is a chance to read fanfic before it's posted to lists, or archived on any web pages. It's a sneak preview of what's to come... and, of course, you often get a thank you and virtual chocolate biscuits in the author's notes. *g*

If you want to be a beta reader and be listed here, please send me an email with the following questions answered:

NAME:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: (have you betaed stories before?)
CONTENT/ GRAMMAR / SPELLING: (are you better at grammar and spelling than talking about whether a character was written well, etc.?)
SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE: (e.g. if you have knowlegde of ancient weapons, or maybe you've actually *been* to california or live there and know Americanism that can help british writers...)
This is a Spike/Buffy site, so all of the stories will have that pairing. But:
IF THERE ARE OTHER PAIRINGS FEATURED, WHICH WILL YOU *NOT* READ?:
GENRE PREFERENCES: (comedy/angst/action adventure etc.)
DISLIKES: (e.g. character deaths, male slash, etc.)
RATINGS: (if you're under 18, you shouldn't beta anything rated NC-17. say so here if you don't want to beta certain ratings).
SPEED OF RESPONSE: (e.g. same day/ 2-3 days/ 1 week/ later etc.)
LEVEL OF HARSHNESS: (how blunt are you? neither a good nor bad thing; writers look for different things in readers.)

Please answer as much as possible, so that we can make sure that both writers and betareaders are getting a good deal! *g*

These are archived on my "Theories on Fanfic" section. Please head over there for a look. ;-)

Certain things in the Buffydom are repeated over and over again.... a story has a certain setting or idea that people like - and so they use it in their own fics. Again. And again. And again. INitially, that's a *good* thing. It establishes setting in the 'ship universe. It promotes consistency. But there *can* be too much of a good.

Some of these ideas have been used for a veritable plethora of fanfic. I would seriously advise against using any of these, because chances are these fics have already been covered.

THE MOTEL - Set Post-'Becoming2', Spike and Buffy meet up while both of them are on the road and end up spending a night of passion in a motel somewhere. I've seen this situation done well dozens of times - I've also seen it done very badly indeed. By now, every possible spin has been put on it. Time to retire the motel.

Well, that's all so far - we're a new fic, with many imaginative writers, so thankfully we don't repeat ourselves too much! *g* If I notice a growing trend in fics, though, I'll be sure to add it here - be warned. *evil smile*

For those who've never joined a mailing list before, it may seem a fairly daunting experience. For one thing, it's not sending an email to one person - it's sending an email out to a whole group of people, most of which you won't know. However, most lists are friendly places that welcome visitors - and fanfic writers. Below are listed a few of the ones that I'm a member of (and some that I'm not).

Please note: most of these lists are run by Onelist. If you are not a member, you will have to sign up with them beforehand. Don't worry, it only takes a minute. The links below will take you to the information page for each group. From there, you can decide whether or not you want to join.

SPIKE [ http://www.onelist.com/group/spike ] One of the two biggest Spike lists. Anything related to Spike or James Marsters is welcome here - especially fics.
JAMES MARSTERS [ http://www.onelist.com/group/jamesmarsters ] This is the other huge Spike list. Once again, the people are friendly, they don't have a lot of rules, and all sorts of fics are welcome here (as long as they have something to do with Spike! *g*).
UCSL [ http://www.dymphna.net/ucsl ] The 'UnConventional 'Shippers List' welcomes all fics - as long as they have not been featured on the show. So, Buffy / Angel would be offtopic (and hence bad), as would Willow / Oz, etc. However, as long as there is an unconventional 'ship there (like Buffy / Spike), you'll be fine. The webpage also has a few fun places to visit, too, so have a good look around.
THE SUNSET CLUB [ http://www.onelist.com/group/sunsetclub ] It's where the glitteratti hang out after the sun goes down. A friendly bunch (but then, I have to say that as they've been so nice to me *g*), with plenty of madness and fics.
BUFFY BETA [ http://nocturne.simplenet.com/bbeta/ ] This is the largest fanfic list around. Note - *fanfic* list. Any pairing or 'ship goes here, *however*, offtopic posts - i.e. anything *not* in fiction form - are not allowed. Any announcements have to be made in the form of an archive fic (a trend started by The Slayer's Fanfic Archive, whereby the characters are aware of the fandom surrounding them, and actively participate in the writing and reading of the stories.

MORE TO COME SOON!

A brief but important note. Lists have rules. Before you post on a list, *read* the rules! You'd be surprised at how many people don't read the rules and end up breaking them inadvertantly. For example, BBETA only allows posts of under 30K per message. If it's longer, it'll have to be split up into several parts. Also, only five posts per person per day are allowed, to limit on inbox stuffing.

Spike follows a similar set of rules - no limit on the size of posts, but only three fanfic posts are allowed per day. Otherwise, the fics don't get read because of overflowing. Read the rules, abide by them, and everyone will be happy.

You can also read Sandy's "Mailing List Mayhem" guide to how *not* to make a fool of yourself on mailing lists. Essential to those new to these wonderland toys.