BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / I need a beta reader :)

**Posted by Neptune Centari** November 25, 2013 9:07 pm

Hey guys! I am in need of a beta reader for my Sherlock fanfic. I am really looking for a grammer nazi. Grammer and tenses drive me freaking nuts! Spelling shouldn't be an issue, but I am not good with paragraph structure, sentence structure, that kind of thing. If you are willing to lend me some of your time I would incredibly grateful! Having Skype would also be a huge bonus becasue that's my main messenger. My Skype name is Neptune_Centari feel free to add me! Thanks a million in advance!

**Posted by Neptune Centari** November 25, 2013 11:50 pm

I'm happy to take all the help I can get. Skype is just a convenience. I'll shoot you a PM. If anyone else would like to lend me their help that would also be great. Thanks!

**Posted by sherlocked4ever** February 11, 2014 6:15 pm

I didn't want to start a new thread, hope you don't mind if I use yours, Neptune ;)

So, I need a beta reader, too This fanfic I wrote was the first thing I ever wrote really in English except my class tests. I'm from Germany, so maybe there are a few mistakes in it ... If someone would like to read it, I'd be very happy. It's not very long, btw.

**Posted by CaseyB** February 11, 2014 6:25 pm

I think I may be able to help, Sherlocked. I'm American, so I won't be the best at Brit-picking, but I'll be able to offer at least a native speaker's perspective. Send me a PM how you'd like to proceed.

I'm slowly working on a fanfic scene of my own (very slowly, mostly during boring meetings), and for whatever reason, it came to me in German. I don't know if I'll ever finish it, or if I'd even publish it, but if I do, it would be great to have a native speaker read through it to correct my glaring word choice errors.

**Posted by sherlocked4ever** February 11, 2014 6:49 pm

@Casey: Oh, it would be lovely if you read it! =) I'll PM you.
Did I get you right? You wrote a German fanfiction?

**Posted by CaseyB** February 11, 2014 7:00 pm

ah, in the process of writing - not complete. I've got a solid half a page. It's strange, but sometimes things make more sense in a foreign language,

**Posted by sherlocked4ever** February 11, 2014 7:19 pm

Why don't we swap our fics then? I will read yours (when complete) and you mine - is that a deal? (: ('cause I'm German and I'd love to read it!)

**Posted by Song** February 12, 2014 9:11 am

I know how you feel I badly need beta readers with my fics because I type too fast for one thing, and my eczema can also make typing difficult. I always check for typos and mistakes but it doesn't stop them finding their way into an uploaded chapter!

I had one for one fic but the site kept crashing so I could never replace the existing chapter. Doesn't do it now though.

**Posted by TeeJay** February 12, 2014 9:20 am

CaseyB wrote:
ah, in the process of writing - not complete. I've got a solid half a page. It's strange, but sometimes things make more sense in a foreign language,

That's exactly how I feel when I write fanfics in English. I can't imagine writing in German for a show that I watch in English, but I'd be curious to read your German story. (I can beta read it too since German is my native language. PM me if you'd like me to look at it.)

**Posted by Wholocked** February 12, 2014 10:41 pm

I started a thread here: http://sherlock.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=3541 to get people's interest in becoming beta readers but it only has a couple of posts in it. Still, you might want to contact one of them.