Challenge Nineteen: Request a Proof Witch
romancingwizard
Romancing the Wizard
Request a Proof Witch for Challenge Nineteen (Revised 5-31-08)
The Proof Witch service is now closed.
See your moderator if you need assistance.
The cut-off for requesting a Proof Witch
is Friday night, June 6 at nine o'clock EST (NY Time).
All stories posted at Romancing the Wizard must be proof-read for canon spellings and usage, grammar, and punctuation, including proper comma usage. You may use your own qualified proof-reader, or you may request the assistance of an official RTW Proof Witch. The moderators highly recommend the use of our Proof Witch Service to all participants.
The Proof Witches
The moderators of Romancing the Wizard have assembled a team of knowledgeable authors who have volunteered to proof-read stories for our challenges. For this challenge, the following Proof Witches will be on duty: gelsey, ladywhitehart, missblane, somigliana, and sophierom.
Very Important: Our Proof Witches have NOT volunteered to beta read for you. They have only volunteered to proof-read the final version of your story before you post it at romancingwizard. (See our definition of a proof-reader below.)
Romancing the Wizard Definitions
Proof-reader
At RTW, we define a proof-reader as someone who gives a final once over for a near perfect story to catch a stray comma, etc. Experienced, conscientious writers may not use beta-readers, but they will use a proof-reader to double check their story before posting. This is what our Proof Witches will do.
Beta-reader
A beta-reader is someone who will give a thorough editorial review of a story, including specific suggestions for improvement of characterisation, plot, and other elements, as well as canon spelling and grammar and punctuation corrections. They may also review the story for challenge criteria, if needed. New writers will often use beta-readers. Experienced writers who are 'stuck' on a scene may seek the advice of a beta-reader.
Our Proof Witches have not volunteered to be beta readers. You must find your own beta reader, if needed.
New writers will generally use a beta-reader first, make the corrections suggested and then have a proof-reader (it can be the same person or someone else) go over the final story. This step is crucial because new writers often make additional punctuation and grammatical mistakes when correcting stories with many beta comments.
The Procedure
1) Read the information above.
2) When your story is complete, copy this template and paste it into a comment to this post. Fill out the required information, adding any notes as desired.
ETA: Please note the new line on the template -- File Format -- to indicate the type of document file you will be sending to your Proof Witch. (Example: MS Word doc) If you use a Mac, please add that. This is to help avoid compatibility issues.
I'd like to request a Proof Witch, please.
Author:
Wizard/Witch: X
Rating/Warnings: X (Choose one: G/PG or PG-13/R or NC-17.)
File Format: (Example: MS Word doc)
Notes: X
3) A Proof Witch will respond to your request in a reasonable amount of time. Moderator RedVelvetCanopy will watch this post and remedy any unanswered requests, if needed.
4) When a Proof Witch asks you to send your story, make sure to send it as an attachment to an email. (Do not cut and paste it into an email, unless there is a compatibility issue and the Proof Witch specifically requests it.) The file you send must contain the final version, which includes the filled-out story template (HTML coding). Always go over your story several times and check the word count of the text before sending it.
5) Any questions regarding content, challenge requirements, etc. should be sent directly to the lead moderator at seaislewitch(at)livejournal(dot)com.