While writers are much more visible in the fanfiction space, editors and beta readers are the unsung heroes that often go unnoticed, but who make the reading experience so much more enjoyable. Today, I’m thrilled to share with you the one-on-one I had with Lauriegirl48. Laurie is one of those special editors that doesn’t just clean up your spelling and grammar editors; she can work with you at any point of your creative process. From brainstorming to plotting to rewriting clunky phrases, she does it all, and her true talent is in really being able to understand a writer’s vision and helping them to execute it. Without further ado, here’s our interview!
How long have you been a member of P&P? Just over a year!
How did you find P&P? Through Ao3. I’ve been seeing the collections and challenges for years, but never knew how to join.
How long have you been a Snamione fan? 15+ years? I try not to think about it too hard…
What got you into the pairing? I am also a Dramione fan and have been for close to 20 years. I believe I followed a Dramione author into Snamione (a good author can convince me to go almost anywhere :)) and I got hooked!
How did you become a fanfic editor? I beta for two fandoms – Harry Potter and Wednesday (Netflix). I was part of a Wednesday server and an author was looking for a beta, so I volunteered! It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and could never figure out how to get into it. I then realised that fandom servers often have a beta-reader role, so I picked that and jumped at the chance to help people when they asked. Eventually, I started to get comfortable approaching other authors.
What do you most enjoy about editing fics? I love fixing errors and brainstorming with authors about ideas and characterisations. What is hardest about editing fics? Beta-ing chapter by chapter can be difficult. I don’t always remember what’s happened in previous chapters (depending on the story itself and how long it’s been since the last one) and so keeping a fic’s lore straight can be difficult. It also interrupts the flow to not receive a large chunk at once, and if an author doesn’t know where they want to take a story yet (which is incredibly common, and is not a judgement from me), it can make brainstorming and appropriate editing difficult because you can’t see the picture as a whole yet.
What advice do you have for new writers seeking a beta editor? Be clear about what kind of corrections and feedback you want and be prepared to get it.
Do you think everyone needs a beta editor? Not at all! I work with an author who honestly doesn’t need me. She writes her entire fic (often novel length) and lets it marinate for a few weeks before she even sends it to me. But she likes the reassurance and sanity check, and I love working with her.
If you are at liberty to share, which fics have you edited?
Snamione
My Soul to the Soul of the Reader by Tragic_Hamster
Chocolate Cake Soulmates by Tragic_Hamster
Let Them Pity Us by DeepShadows2
Private Collection by DeepShadows2
The Desire by DeepShadows2
Unbalanced External Forces by thefrenchpress
Wednesday
Look at Us, A Couple of Teenage Tearaways by chasingwyler
A Rented Hyde (and a Head That’s Full of Woe) by hellhoundtheory
An Echo of Woe by hellhoundtheory
Self Portrait with Two Circles by hellhoundtheory
If you are at liberty to share, which fics are you currently editing?
Snamione
Kintsugi by Holtsford
There Your Heart Will Be by zeegrindylows
Wednesday
The Cute Werewolf’s Guide to Annoying a Heartless Professor by mau_ria
Selective Breeding by Araminia16
Academic Affair by batgrrls
Summer slipped us underneath her tongue by batgrrls
Cantor by hellhoundtheory
Cabin Fever by chasingwyler
Fraternity on Death Row by chasingwyler
How to Kill a Guy in 10 Ways by chasingwyler
Til Death Do Us Part by chasingwyler
The Bodyguard by sundressesandmimosas
Let Woegones Be Bygones by sundressesandmimosas
Numbers series by sundressesandmimosas
From Silent Dreams We Never Wake by hellhoundtheory
How many projects do you juggle at the same time? Between the two fandoms, I think I have about 10-14 authors that I work with at any given time. They all work at different frequencies. Some I hear from every day or two for brainstorming purposes, some I don’t hear from for months at a time. I’d say I’m usually beta-ing 2-5 chapters from different authors every week.
What does a normal editing session look like? This depends on the work (how long it is, subject matter, triggers, etc.), but typically I’ll read through a chapter once, maybe twice when it’s sent to me and I make changes as I go. If something doesn’t land right to me, I make note and will often go back to double check. If the program allows me to, I try to live react to things as I read to break up the corrections.
How much time does it take you to edit a chapter? (Let’s say 3000 words). It depends on the chapter and what it needs, and therefore changes depending on an author’s familiarity with English grammar rules, how focused they were on writing, and how much editing they did themselves. But usually, 30-45 minutes?
Does it bother you when an author gives you a fic to edit and it has a bunch of typos and errors? NO!!!!!!! I get this comment from authors all the time and it drives me crazy. It is literally my job to help you fix typos and errors. I want to fix them. Your fic with a bunch of typos and errors is “my precious” and helping to polish your work brings me joy, so let me do it.
