Beta-Reader Match-Making: A Fan Fiction Contest

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Just a reminder that even if you missed Phase One, you can still jump in and participate as an editor for Phase Two! Just comment or note me and I'll randomly assign you a story to edit!


My tenure as Community Volunteer of Fan Fiction ends tomorrow, and I want to go out with a bang. So here's one more competition with prizes so you'll all remember me fondly!

A writer's best friend is another writer. Sometimes you just cannot objectively look over your own work and fix all your mistakes. You need a fresh pair of eyes to help you, and who better than someone else who understands the labors of love you're undertaking? That is where editors come in. But for many people, finding a literary helpmate can be difficult.

What's this about?


This is a two-part contest for writers of fan fiction. Phase One: Write a fan fiction but don't bother to proofread it. Post it in its raw, unedited first draft (just make sure it's still legible--correct your typos, at the very least). Phase Two: We play musical chairs with the stories and assign each of you another entry to edit. Entries will be judged by two categories: Best Diamond in the Rough (premise of the story) and Best Revision (improvement over the original draft).

So how extensively can I rewrite?

Fix typos, add new sentences, tweak dialogue, rearrange paragraph structure... Do whatever it takes to make the story better, but stay true to the original draft.

What else should I know?

:bulletgreen: Entries must be fan fiction, newly-written specifically for this contest.

:bulletgreen: Maximum 3K word count for first drafts. Revisions can go over by a little, if necessary.

:bulletgreen: When you post your revision, don't forget to credit the original author.

:bulletgreen: Fancharacters are welcome, but canon characters must still be the focus of the story. If the beta reader isn't familiar with the canon, it should still be accessible to them.

:bulletgreen: All of deviantART's submission rules still apply. No graphic porn, etc.

:bulletgreen: Submissions must be entered into the "Contests > Beta Match-Making" gallery.

What are the Deadlines?

Phase One runs from June 11 - July 11. Submit your first-draft entries here.

Phase Two runs from July 13 - August 13, once I assign stories for you to edit. Submit your revised pieces here.

What's in it for me?

Winners of each category (Best Diamond in the Rough and Best Revision) will receive:

First Place

A One-Year Premium Membership

A Medium Art Print of their choice ($50 maximum value)

Second Place

A Six-Month Premium Membership

A Small Art Print of their choice ($25 maximum value)

Third Place

A Three-Month Premium Membership

Who shall sit in judgement over me?

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:iconjzlobo: :iconneurotype-on-discord: :iconvalasedai:

:new: Contestants, check your notes! You've all been sent your entries to revise. And remember, no taksies-backsies!



© 2013 - 2024 JZLobo
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Metarex12's avatar
Totally forget to submit my edit. :facepalm: I thought I had more time to submit it. :shrug: Oh well. I wonder how many people actually submitted an edit.  There so much non-contest submissions in there that I can tell which ones are which.