Promoting Yorkshire Authors

Overview: Promoting Yorkshire Authors (PYA) Beta Buddies Scheme

Date: October 26, 2023
Subject: Review of the PYA Beta Buddies Scheme Documentation

Introduction:

This document summarises the key themes and concepts presented in the PYA Beta Buddies Briefing Document. The document details the implementation of a beta reading scheme for members of Promoting Yorkshire Authors (PYA), designed to improve the quality of their work through collaborative peer review.

Main Themes & Key Ideas:

• Objective: Collaborative Improvement: The primary objective of the PYA Beta Buddies scheme is to facilitate constructive feedback and collaborative improvement among PYA authors. The scheme provides a safe and trusted environment where authors can exchange reviews and learn from the process. As the document states, the aim is "to help authors to improve the quality of their work by informal collaboration between PYA members (beta buddies) so that they can read and review each other’s work to provide constructive advice on how to improve it."
• Reciprocal, Trust-Based System: The scheme operates on a principle of reciprocity, where members offer their reviewing services freely in exchange for receiving feedback on their own work. This requires a high degree of trust between participants. "The PYA Beta Buddies scheme will work only if each buddy gives their services freely, in exchange only for others offering to reciprocally examine their own work. It very much relies on trust between two parties so we urge writers to research potential buddies before reviewing commences."
• Private Facebook Group: A private, invite-only Facebook group, "PYA Beta Buddies," serves as the central platform for connecting authors and facilitating review requests. This ensures a closed and moderated environment for PYA members. Access is controlled via requests to the group admin.
• Author Responsibility: While PYA provides the platform, the responsibility for managing the review process and relationships with beta readers lies with the individual authors. PYA's role is primarily administrative and to address any instances of unacceptable behaviour. "PYA isn’t involved in the review process, nor the interaction between author and beta reader and you’ll be expected to handle the relationship between you."
• Framework Options: Informal vs. Clinical: The document outlines two framework options for conducting reviews: an "Informal Approach" based on open-ended questions and a "Clinical Approach" that uses a structured scoring system. Authors are free to agree on the most suitable method for their needs. "We’re offering two frameworks as guidance to kick-start the Beta Buddies scheme but you’re not obliged to follow either of them – agree between yourselves how the reviewing will be performed and the outcome."
• Subjectivity of Reading: The document acknowledges the inherently subjective nature of reading and literary taste. The Helen Johnson quote highlights this: "'Quality is in the eye of the beholder – and, in the case of a book, in the eye of the reader. A book exists as a relationship between two people: the writer and the reader. And, as each reader is a unique, every reader’s reaction is also unique.'"

Informal Approach Details:

This approach uses a question-based framework focused on the reviewer's overall impression and engagement with the story. Example questions include:

• "What was your overall impression of the story?"
• "What did you like about it most?"
• "Did the story grab you from the beginning? If not, why not?"
• "Was the story easy to follow and without plot holes? If not, why not?"

Clinical Approach Details:

This approach employs a structured proforma with scoring categories to provide a more objective assessment. The key categories assessed are:

• Editing: Grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc., with a scoring range from 1 (poor) to 5 (exceptionally well edited).
• Characters: Well-rounded, backstory, relatable, consistency, with a scoring range from 1 (one-dimensional) to 5 (finely written protagonists).
• Scenes/Plots/Story-line: Consistency, imagination, originality, with a scoring range from 1 (failure to engage) to 5 (original and imaginative).
• Dialogue: Realistic, character-specific, convincing, with a scoring range from 1 (inconsistent, unbelievable) to 5 (realistic and immersive).
• Pace: Consistency, engagement, build-up, with a scoring range from 1 (drags or races) to 5 (engaging and consistent).
• Illustrations (where applicable): How well the illustrations complement the text, with a scoring range from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

Each scoring level within these categories provides a detailed description to guide the reviewer's assessment.

Conclusion:

The PYA Beta Buddies scheme aims to foster a supportive and collaborative writing community within the PYA. By offering a structured platform and framework options, the scheme intends to improve the quality of members' work while acknowledging the inherent subjectivity of literary criticism. The success of the scheme will rely heavily on the trust, reciprocity, and constructive engagement of its participants.