The old (new) list of people willing to beta is getting unwieldy, and may well be outdated.  So, I'm officially calling this the "new" new beta list and asking everyone who is interested or willing to beta to put their names out there.  Not that there's anything wrong with the old thread - it has some excellent discussions and advice for both betas and authors on it - but the names and contact info are probably out of date.  Here's what we'd like to see:

name and contact info (duh!)
strengths/weaknesses/preferences and nonos
probable turn-around time
anything else you think might be relevant

What we don't want to see - anything else. OT comments will be deleted. You can use the old forum thread for anything not consisting of your name, etc.  If your information changes, please modify your post rather than making a new entry. That should help us keep it concise and make it easy for writers to find someone.

Writers, please remember that doing beta work for someone else is an excellent way to improve your own writing. You become aware of things in your own writing that may not have occurred to you before.

Readers, here is a way you can give back if you don't read or do art work, but love fandom.  Offer your discerning eye to your favorite author. Or to a newbie who you think has talent and could use a helping hand.

Betas, please be honest about what you can do. If you're great at spotting plot issues, have a good eye for dialogue and characterization, but suck at punctuation and grammar - say so.  Many of the best authors have more than one beta. Often three or more. Different readers bring different skill sets to the table and there's no shame in being more skilled at one aspect than another. Be honest about how much time you can devote to being a beta. Don't overextend yourself to the point that you are not able to meet your obligations in a timely fashion. I know the temptation to help out someone pleading for help is strong - but if you already have several authors counting on you, one more may be one too many.

Authors, remember to present your prospective betas with an honest picture of what sort of help you need and expect. If all you want are your typos flagged, say so.  If you expect the beta to be involved in everything from sounding out the original plot idea to helping you do rewrites, say so. If you're going to need (initially) a lot of help with punctuation and grammar, say so. The more in sync the author and beta are, the more rewarding the relationship will be.

So, let's get this new thread rolling - if you're willing and able to beta, get your name on the list.:)

ETA - how about if we try to limit this list to the names of the betas, and keep discussions of other beta stuff (advice, information, links to other threads, etc) on the already long threads?  (see above for what will happen to OT posts)

Abby, obviously, here and at a few other archives.  At Live Journal I'm abelina (the link is in my profile).

I'm not available to be anyone's long-term beta, but I can fill in short-term on a case-by-case basis when a regular beta is unavailable or for the occasional shorter piece.  Turn-around time depends on what my work schedule looks like but most often it will not be same-day.

Generally I could be useful for whatever you needed - whether it's grammar and spelling, improving the flow of a sentence or paragraph, catching over-used words or phrases, or assistance with plot and characters and such.  I do have experience with working with non-native English speakers.  I am a registered nurse, so I can assist with the authenticity of healthcare related subject matter.  I will work with stories of any rating, but really, really dark 'fic isn't something I enjoy.  I will be honest if I think something needs to be redone and I will tell you why I feel that way.

I have a bit of a blind spot for commas (I use them far too much) and I have a fondness for the passive voice which most people do not share.  Wordiness is another vice of mine, but if you tell me you want help paring down your prose, it shouldn't be a problem.

Bump
ETA okay, trying this again. Don't know why the site didn't want to talk to me the first time. *sigh* Anyway, I'm putting my name on the list, but with certain restrictions:
I will do one chapter for any author who needs to know what skill sets they should look for in a beta.  I will do all your mechanics (typos, spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure) and tell you the rule being violated if it is a consistent mistake.  I will also comment upon the plot, summary, characterizations and dialogue.  My hope is this will help authors and betas find good matches.
If I fall in love with your fic, I may offer to be the beta for it, but mostly this will be a one-shot thing just to help you know where you need the most help.
I'm Slaymesoftly and you can reach me through the verse, or at pattific@hotmail.com

I'm SeaPeaLSH on LJ

Email is SeaPeaLSH@aol.com

I'm pretty good on grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.  I will let you know if I think something should be worded differently.  I'll beta anything but prefer to stay away from NC17.   Turnaround time, if I'm not on vacation, would be 24-48 hours.  I'm a hospital microbiologist so I could be of some help on hospital related plot points. 

Dawnofme

Dawnofme @ gmail.com

I prefer Spuffy.  Fluffy, full of angst or very dark, it’s all good.  Authors must be able to work with track changes in MS Word or the free Open Office Writer.  I prefer to work with upbeat and positive writers.  I wouldn’t want to beta All Human, blatant character bashing, or smut without plot (PWP).  Sending chapters that have not been run through a spell check is a big no-no.

I’m decent with research, grammar, punctuation, style issues and dialogue.  I’m a good listener if you need someone to bounce ideas off of.  I write with proper tenses, but don’t catch all tense mistakes when I beta for someone else.  

I can have chapters returned to you from 24 to 72 hours.  Sometimes longer if I have many chapters to do.

tjbw @ rpbyrd3@yahoo.com

My grammatical skills are quite strong and I can certainly provide contructive feedback on story flow, plot strength and characterization.
48 hrs or less turn around; if I need longer, I will be upfront about it.
Please let me know exactly what you expect my level of involvement to be.

Caidence@web.de

Since I'm not a native speaker, I'm no help with grammar and that stuff. But I'd love to help out with plot stuff, characterizations etc.

Buffyfan32578@hotmail.com

I've got a pretty good eye for catching grammatical errors, spelling errors and hitches in sentence flow. I will always offer feedback on characterization and plot when asked. I have no problem beta-ing for angsty fics, fluffy fics, PWP's etc. I am a bit uncomfortable with slash and things such as rape, torture and the like. However, I won't turn down a fic based on that alone and will offer my best opinion. I am an avid reader of the season eight comics, and believe I can help answer any questions as far as that goes.

I would expect the turnaround date to be anywhere from same-day to two days, depending on work and school. I am constantly checking my e-mail from my phone, so as soon as I see it I'll jump right on it. :-)

LisFayte@aol.com

I do very well with plot holes, spelling, characterization and flow.

I will do pretty much any rating, but I'm not a fan of all human or slash, though I will sometimes make exceptions.

I usually have a very fast turn around, I can have it back to you within 24 to 48 hours, sometimes within the same day.

I will work with you as much or as little as you like.

My strongest asset is in plotting.

I am very familiar with all seasons of BtVS and AtS, but not the comics.

The new betalist is up and working now, so I don't think we really need this thread anymore.

I was thinking the same thing. Should we delete it? or just make it dead?  Have all these people had time to notice and update the actual beta list?