General

What is Project Team Beta?
What is a beta?
How do I become a member of Project Team Beta?
How does Project Team Beta work?
What is the age/content guideline, and why do you enforce it?
How long does it take for a chapter to be edited?
Can I be both an author and a beta?
How are authors and betas paired up?

Author

How long does it take for a story application to be approved?
What do I do if my story has been deemed not transit-ready?
What is the New Learners group?
I have worked with another beta on previous chapters, or I have posted several chapters already. Can I start working with you at chapter five?
Will Project Team Beta edit more than one story for me?
How do I submit a chapter into transit?
Can I resubmit a chapter into transit?
I wasn’t particularly fond of one of my betas. What do I do?
Do I have to be on Permanent Assignment by chapter five?
If I have a story on Permanent Assignment, can I fill out a Story Application for a new story?
Can I submit my One Shot for a contest or event?

Beta

What will I be tested on? What is required of me?
What if I fail the beta test?
What is Beta Mentoring?
What if I don’t have a lot of time but still want to beta?
If a story has a lot of the same basic grammar errors, do I have to finish beta’ing it?
What if I don’t like a story sent to me?
How often will chapters be sent to me?
How long do I get to beta a chapter?
What if I can’t beta a chapter due to time restraints?
Can I ask for an extension?
What do I do if I go on vacation?
What is Placed Hiatus?
What if I have a lot of Permanent Assignments and don’t have a lot of time for transit chapters?
What does “technical and creative feedback” mean?
Do I have to give creative feedback?

Permanent Assignment

What is the difference between the “transit” stage and “permanent assignment” stage?
When do stories get placed on permanent assignment?
I am a beta and would love to be a permanent beta for this story. What do I do?
I am an author and would love to have Beta Betty/Beta Bob as a permanent beta my story. What do I do?
I just received notice that I have been put on permanent assignment. What happens now?
One of my permanent betas is going on hiatus. What do I do?

OpenOffice

How do I install OpenOffice?
How do you save a file in .doc format using OpenOffice?
How do you set up OpenOffice to automatically save files in .doc format?
How do you add Project Team Beta style comments using OpenOffice?
How do you view Project Team Beta style comments in OpenOffice?
How do you change the name displayed in the Project Team Beta style comment in OpenOfffice?

General

What is Project Team Beta?

 

Project Team Beta is a group that exists to improve the quality of writing that exists in the Twilight, Harry Potter, and Hunger Games fandom. We have a large team of qualified and knowledgeable betas who volunteer to provide technical and creative feedback to authors of fan fiction.

What is a beta?

 

In the most basic sense, a beta is an editor. A beta is someone who reads a story with a critical eye with the goal of improving the technical and creative aspects of a story. On the technical side, a beta will look at grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, verb tense, and more. On the creative side, a beta will look at flow, description, pacing, dialogue, and more. In order to become a beta for Project Team Beta, you must become qualified by passing a test that determines how well you are able to edit a chapter on a technical and creative level.

How do I become a member of Project Team Beta?

 

To become a member of Project Team Beta, you first need to fill out an application. Applications are available here.

How does Project Team Beta work?

 

To start the process with project team beta, an author must fill out a Story Application. Once the application is approved and the author has received a Welcome Letter, Authors submit chapters via email to Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com. A moderator will then put the chapter into transit. While the chapter is in transit, it will be sent to two qualified PTB betas. A mod will then email the chapter back to the author. All comments are read through by a mod to ensure the best quality edit possible.

What is the age/content guideline, and why do you enforce it?

 

Project Team Beta has an age/content guideline in place to protect our underage members and to protect ourselves. We will only work on stories rated R or NC-17 if the author is over the age of 18. Additionally, we will only send chapters rated R or NC-17 to betas over the age of 18.

How long does it take for a chapter to be edited?

 

The PTB process is not an instantaneous one, and according to our guidelines, we will return a chapter to an author between five and seven days. Each chapter is submitted to a first-run beta and then to a second-run beta. It is recommended that each beta return a chapter within 48 hours. As authors who work with PTB know, the five to seven days is not a hard and fast standard. Many times the process happens much faster than that. The opposite is also true. Sometimes we need extra time to beta and return a chapter to an author.

Can I be both an author and a beta?

 

Yes. You can fill out an application for both an author and a beta. We will not send you your own chapters to be beta’ed.

How are authors and betas paired up?

 

Chapters are sent to betas based on the author’s and beta’s preferences.

Author

How long does it take for a story application to be approved?

 

Please allow up to seven days for your story application to be processed. If you have not heard back from a PTB moderator in seven days, please email StoryApplications@ProjectTeamBeta.com.

What do I do if my story has been deemed not transit-ready?

 

“Not transit-ready” means your story application contained multiple instances of a number of different basic grammar errors. PTB’s transit standard is that all chapters sent in must show a thorough self-edit by the author that demonstrates basic grammar knowledge. At this point, the PTB moderators feel that you are not quite at that level yet.

If your story is not transit-ready, you will be invited into the New Learners group, where PTB moderators will work one-on-one with you and help you learn the basic grammar concepts needed for a thorough self-edit.

What is the New Learners group?

 

This group is for new PTB authors who are working toward being transit-ready. You will be provided resource links to study from and one-on-one help with PTB moderators. Once the PTB mods feel you are ready, you will “graduate” from the program, and will then be able to send in your chapters to be beta’d via transit.

I have worked with another beta on previous chapters, or I have posted several chapters already. Can I start working with you at chapter five?

 

In order to work with PTB, we must start with your story at chapter one. This allows us to provide you with the best possible feedback.

Will Project Team Beta edit more than one story for me?

 

Project Team Beta allows each author to have two stories in transit at a time—one multi-chaptered story and one one-shot. However, each author can only have one chapter in transit at a time.

How do I submit a chapter into transit?

 

After you receive notification that your story has been accepted, you are ready to submit your first chapter into transit. A chapter is submitted to transit by sending it to Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com. Chapters must be self-edited to the best of the author’s ability, they must contain the appropriate information piece, and they must be in .doc format, which is compatible with Microsoft Word and OpenOffice, a free software package available online.

Can I resubmit a chapter into transit?

 

Yes. After you have edited your chapter according to your beta’s comments, if you feel that your chapter is not yet ready, you may submit it again into transit. Please tell the moderators in your email that your chapter is a resubmission so that there is no confusion.

I wasn’t particularly fond of one of my betas. What do I do?

 

Not all betas and authors will mesh. You could come across a beta that you were not particularly fond of. If this happens, please politely and respectfully tell a moderator. We will mark it in your info to not to send your future transit chapters to that particular beta.

Do I have to be on Permanent Assignment by chapter five?

 

No. PTB will not force authors to go on Permanent Assignment. However, we do encourage it. Sometimes finding the right betas takes a little longer than most, and we will continue to accept your chapters into transit while you are looking.

If you are looking for a particular type of beta, email PermanentAssignment@ProjectTeamBeta.com. A PTB moderator will put beta suggestions in your record.

If I have a story on Permanent Assignment, can I fill out a Story Application for a new story?

 

Yes. Once your story is put on Permanent Assignment, it is no longer considered a transit story. Your information is moved to the Permanent Assignment tracker, and you have a free space in transit to submit a new multi-chapter story.

Can I submit my One Shot for a contest or event?

 

Yes. We welcome all one shots, whether or not your have WIP with us. However, you are still only allowed to have one chapter in transit at a time.

There are also time constraints to consider. We suggest that you fill out a Story Application at least 3 weeks before the contest/event deadline, and then once accepted, send in your story to be beta’d at least 1–1.5 weeks before the contest/event deadline. The earlier the better though.

Beta

What will I be tested on? What is required of me?

 

New betas will be tested on: comma usage, (to connect to independent clauses, introductory/parenthetical elements, and direct address) comma splices, word choice, possessive pronouns, dialogue punctuation, and verb tense.

All PTB betas are expected to return the chapter they are beta’ing within 48 hours. Extensions are given as needed.

What if I fail the beta test?

 

All betas can retest after a waiting period of one week. Within that week, betas are given resources so that they may study their weaknesses. On top of that, the betas will be told what their particular weaknesses are, are given an answer key and study guide, and are invited to join the Beta Mentoring group.

What is Beta Mentoring?

 

This is a study guide of sorts for betas who are studying to pass the PTB beta test. Betas are given resources to study from, exercises to practice on (including a practice test), and one-on-one help with PTB moderators.

What if I don’t have a lot of time but still want to beta?

 

No problem. We will work around your schedule. Email Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com and let us know when you would like us to send you chapters. Common requests are: once a week, once every two weeks, only on Fridays, etc.

If a story has a lot of the same basic grammar errors, do I have to finish beta’ing it?

 

The PTB moderators read through every chapter sent into transit. If we feel that the chapter has not been thoroughly self-edited by the author, we will not send it to a beta. However, sometimes chapters do slip through, and if you feel that the chapter has one too many mistakes on multiple basic grammar concepts, contact a mod ASAP at Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com.

What if I don’t like a story sent to me?

 

Some stories just aren’t our cup of tea. If you are able, please try to finish beta’ing it, and then when you send it back, mention that you’d rather not beta future chapters, and we won’t send you chapters from that story anymore. However, if you do not like it at all, it offends you in some way, etc., please contact a mod ASAP at Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com, explaining the situation.

How often will chapters be sent to me?

 

This varies. At the most, we try to send betas chapters once a week. However, how busy our betas are depends on how busy transit it. PTB has been through times where we haven’t been busy at all, and betas were getting chapters every two weeks, sometimes three. The same is true for the opposite. PTB has been very busy, especially at the beginning of summer, and betas have gotten chapters every 3-4 days.

If PTB is especially busy, we will send out a notice to the betas, explaining the situation. However, we will still follow beta preferences. If you request only to be sent a chapter once a week, we will only send you a chapter once a week, regardless of how busy we are.

How long do I get to beta a chapter?

 

All betas are required to return a chapter within 48 hours. If you are unable to beta it within that time period or if you need an extension, contact Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com.

What if I can’t beta a chapter due to time restraints?

 

If you are ever unable to beta a chapter, contact Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com ASAP, and we will reassign it.

Can I ask for an extension?

 

Of course! We understand sometimes a chapter needs more time for various reasons. Contact Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com ASAP. The most we usually give for extension is two days. There are exceptions, but usually if you are unable to beta chapter within 4 days, we will reassign it.

What do I do if I go on vacation?

 

Have fun! And email Hiatus@ProjectTeamBeta.com the day you want to start your hiatus and the day you can start accepting chapters again. At the end of your hiatus, we will send you a confirmation email asking if it is okay to take you off hiatus. Please respond to this email ASAP.

What is Placed Hiatus?

 

If a beta does not return a chapter with 48 hours and does not contact our Admin account, we will send the beta a Late Notice. The beta then has 24 hours to contact our Admin account. If we do not hear back from the beta within 24 hours, we will put the beta on Placed Hiatus. This means the beta will on a required one-week hiatus. There are exceptions, but usually, if the beta has more than three placed hiatuses, we will ask the beta to resign from PTB.

If you are put on Placed Hiatus, and there was a good reason as to why you were unable to contact us (ie. No internet connection, etc.), email Hiatus@ProjectTeamBeta.com your explanation ASAP.

What if I have a lot of Permanent Assignments and don’t have a lot of time for transit chapters?

 

No problem! Email Hiatus@ProjectTeamBeta.com, explaining your situation. We will put you on Permanent Assignment Hiatus, meaning you will still be a PTB beta, but you will no longer receive transit chapters until you are ready.

What does “technical and creative feedback” mean?

 

Technical feedback is all the grammar related comments, including but not limited to: dialogue punctuation, comma usage, verb tense, etc. We expect all of our betas to at least comment on the basic grammar concepts.

Creative feedback is all the comments related to plot development, character development, pacing, etc. These are your opinions you give the author to help improve their story.

Do I have to give creative feedback?

 

No. However, we do encourage it. If at any time you feel a story could improve in some way, or, if something doesn’t make sense or if the timing is off, etc., please don’t hesitate to comment on it.

Please remember that most of creative feedback is your opinion. Tell the author in a respectful and polite way. Ultimately, it is up to the author to follow or to not follow your feedback.

Permanent Assignment

What is the difference between the “transit” stage and “permanent assignment” stage?

 

Stories that are edited by Project Team Beta are likely to experience two different stages: the transit stage and the permanent assignment stage.

The transit stage is the first stage for a story. During this stage, an author submits a chapter via email to Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com. A PTB mod will send the chapter to a first-run beta and then to a second-run beta. We will then return the chapter to the author via email. Each time a chapter is submitted during this stage, it will likely go to different betas. Mods will do our best to accommodate requests for betas, but we cannot guarantee that we can fulfill any beta request.

Permanent assignment is the second stage for a story. It reflects a more traditional beta/author relationship, and it includes two betas and one author. Permanent assignment does not happen until all three agree to the assignment. When a story is on permanent assignment, the author submits chapters directly to his or her betas, and the betas return the chapter directly to the author. Chapters are no longer distributed through Admin@ProjectTeamBeta.com. While on permanent assignment, betas and authors are encouraged to communicate with one another about creative and technical aspects of the story.

When do stories get placed on permanent assignment?

 

Permanent assignment typically does not happen until at least four or five chapters of a story have been edited through transit. This allows for authors to work with several different betas and receive a variety of feedback before settling down with the same two betas for the remainder of their story. Permanent assignment is completely optional. If you prefer to keep sending your chapters to transit and receiving different betas each chapter, that’s fine too! There is not set requirement for when or how stories get placed on permanent assignment.

I am a beta and would love to be a permanent beta for this story. What do I do?

 

Great! Send an email to PermanentAssignment@ProjectTeamBeta.com telling us about your request. We will make a note in our trackers and contact the author to see if he or she feels ready for a permanent assignment and thinks your style of editing is a good fit for what he or she is looking for.

I am an author and would love to have Beta Betty/Beta Bob as a permanent beta my story. What do I do?

 

Great! Send an email to PermanentAssignment@ProjectTeamBeta.com telling us about your request. We will make a note in our trackers and contact Beta Betty/Beta Bob to find out if he or she is available to take on additional permanent stories. Sometimes, our betas have a full load but still enjoy editing the occasional random chapter through transit. Please be patient with us as we help you find permanent betas for your story!

I just received notice that I have been put on permanent assignment. What happens now?

 

If you’re a beta and haven’t yet read the entire story, do that now! It’s almost impossible to be up to date on every story you receive via transit, but you should definitely read all the previous chapters of any story you are permanently assigned to.

The next thing you should do is contact the other members of your beta team (the two betas and the author). Discuss how you would like to beta the story. Does the author want to send the chapter to the same first beta and same second beta for each chapter? Do the betas want to take turns being first and second beta? Would whoever is the first beta like to see the feedback left by the second beta after he/she finishes? Does the author have a story outline she would like to share with one or both of the betas? Is there a specific type of feedback the author is looking for? How often does the author intend to update? The world is your oyster, so feel free to talk about anything!

Once you’ve got a plan in place, the author should begin to send chapters to the betas. Betas, please remember that we expect you to stick to the 48 hour turnaround time we apply to our transit chapters. If you cannot return a chapter within 48 hours for whatever reason, you MUST contact your author and discuss the situation with them. If you find yourself consistently taking longer than 48 hours to return a chapter, you may wish to reconsider being a permanent beta for the story.

Authors, if you find your betas are consistently taking longer than 48 hours to return a chapter to you, please contact us at PermanentAssignment@ProjectTeamBeta.com and let us know. We will help you resolve the issue.

One of my permanent betas is going on hiatus. What do I do?

 

Contact PermanentAssignment@ProjectTeamBeta.com. We can arrange for you to submit chapters through transit while your permanent beta is unavailable.

OpenOffice

How do I install OpenOffice?

 

OpenOffice is fairly easy to install. Just follow the instructions below:

1. Go to www.openoffice.org and click on the large, green down arrow next to the words “I want to download OpenOffice.org.”

2. Select the large, green “download now” button displayed in the middle of the page. Please view the language and operating system options that appear below this button if you are in need of a different version of OpenOffice.

3. Click the “continue to download” button to proceed to download OpenOffice onto your computer. If the download does not automatically begin, look for an information bar at the top of the webpage that reads “to help protect your security, internet explorer blocked this site from downloading files to your computer. click here for options.” If you see this message, click on the information bar and select “download file.” Depending on the level of security on your computer, you may get a “file download – security warning” window. Select the “run” button.”

4. You will be prompted by a dialog window as to where you want to place the downloaded file on your computer. Note this location, as you will need to find the file later in order to install OpenOffice on your computer.

5. For install instructions, please visit http://download.openoffice.org/common/instructions.html

How do you save a file in .doc format using OpenOffice?

 

It is very easy to save a file in .doc format using OpenOffice. Simply follow the instructions below:

1. Once you are ready to save your document, select “file” from the menu.

2. Scroll down and select “save as.”

3. Under “file name,” enter in the name of your document.

4. Select “save as type” and a scroll-down menu will appear with a list of file formats available. There are three different options available for .doc format. Please select the “Microsoft Word 98/2000/XP” (.doc)” option.

5. Click “save.”

How do you set up OpenOffice to automatically save files in .doc format?

 

It is very easy to set up OpenOffice so that your files are automatically saved in .doc format. Simply follow the instructions below:

1. Start OpenOffice.

2. When the message “Welcome to OpenOffice.org” appears, select “tools” from the drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner of the page.

3. Click “options.”

4. In the left-hand column, select the “+” that appears next to the “load/save” to expand the menu. Once the menu has expanded, click on “general.”

5. Under the “Default File Format and ODF Settings” heading, make sure the document type is “text document.” Under the “Always Save As” heading, select “Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP.”

6. OpenOffice will warn you that by not using ODF 1.2 file format, some information may be lost. Project Team Beta has not observed any loss of data while switching between Open Office and Microsoft Word.

7. If you do not want to receive a warning every time you save a .doc file, uncheck the “warn when not saving in ODF or default format” box.

8. Select the “ok” button when finished.

How do you add Project Team Beta style comments using OpenOffice?

 

The comment feature in OpenOffice is slightly different from Microsoft Word. While you can still add a comment, the item being commented on is not highlighted. Instead, a caret or anchor appears at the current cursor location. Due to this difference, it is important for betas and authors alike to name the specific area in question in the comment box. The phrase or character being highlighted will not transfer over from one program to another; therefore, the comment will simply be accompanied by a caret at the beginning of the area that would have traditionally been highlighted in Microsoft Word.

To add a Project Team Beta style comment using OpenOffice, simply follow the instructions below:

1. Place your cursor at the beginning of the area you are commenting on.

2. Select “insert” from the main menu and scroll down to select “note.” You may also use a short cut by pushing Ctrl + Alt + N.

3. In the right-hand margin, a colored box will appear with your name, date, and time. Type your comments inside the colored box.

4. If you wish to reply to or delete a comment box, left click on the down arrow to the right of the signature line at the bottom of the comment box. Select the action you would like to take.

How do you view Project Team Beta style comments in OpenOffice?

 

Project Team Beta style comments will most likely be hidden when a document is first opened in OpenOffice.

To view Project Team Beta style comments, simply follow the instructions below:

1. Select “view” from the pull-down menu at the top of the page.

2. Select “notes” so that a check mark appears to the right of the option in the pull-down menu.

If there are a large number of comments, it can be a little difficult to determine which comment goes with which anchor in the document. To see which comment goes with which anchor, hold your cursor over the comment. The dotted line leading from the comment to the anchor will turn into a solid line, showing the location of the anchor.

How do you change the name displayed in the Project Team Beta style comment in OpenOfffice?

 

The author name, the date, and the time will appear at the bottom of each comment box. Comments from different authors will be displayed in different colors.

To change the name displayed in the Project Team Beta style comment, simply follow the instructions below:

1. Select “tools” from the pull-down menu.

2. Select “options.”

3. Expand the OpenOffice.org menu if it is not already expanded and select “user data.”

4. Enter the name you wish to appear in the comment box.