iterations
Recently I've been doing a lot of both beta-editing of others' stories, and revising my own stories after beta. One writer posted a story that I'd made some general comments on how a particular section needed revision - she'd revised it, but in the posted version I could see a few errors that made me wince, because I just knew readers would think, "Wow, Isis must suck as a beta to let those things through" (of course I'd answered gmth's poll and said these things were the beta's fault, so, ooof). Plus, I noticed a typo I must have missed - bad me! On the other hand, I find it hard to re-read stories with the same critical eye, because I already know the story.
ETA: This is not to be interpreted as disappointment in or disparagement of any of the people I have recently beta-read for! Nor is it a request that beta-ees re-send their stories after they've incorporated my comments - I'm not very good at re-reading, as I said. Just my own grousing at myself, mostly. If I have beta'ed for you recently, be assured that unless I told you otherwise, I loved doing it and hope to do it again.
Of course, I'm being a little hypocritical (hyper-critical?) here, as I just uploaded my yuletide story without sending the story back to my beta so she could see the changes I'd made to her general suggestions. I very rarely have my revisions re-beta'ed. I also always have multiple betas, and there have been many times that an error slips by one but not another.
So naturally I thought I'd poll the masses. Er, those of you masses who write.
Poll multiple betas, sequentially or in parallel
ETA: This is not to be interpreted as disappointment in or disparagement of any of the people I have recently beta-read for! Nor is it a request that beta-ees re-send their stories after they've incorporated my comments - I'm not very good at re-reading, as I said. Just my own grousing at myself, mostly. If I have beta'ed for you recently, be assured that unless I told you otherwise, I loved doing it and hope to do it again.
Of course, I'm being a little hypocritical (hyper-critical?) here, as I just uploaded my yuletide story without sending the story back to my beta so she could see the changes I'd made to her general suggestions. I very rarely have my revisions re-beta'ed. I also always have multiple betas, and there have been many times that an error slips by one but not another.
So naturally I thought I'd poll the masses. Er, those of you masses who write.
Poll multiple betas, sequentially or in parallel