Aurilly

It is time once again to organize beta readers for Yuletide! Beta readers can check your fic for style, language issues, canon compliance, specialized knowledge of various kinds, and making sure the whole thing makes sense. Being a beta reader yourself is a fun way to contribute to Yuletide--even if you're not writing a story!

If you're interested in beta reading somebody else's story, fill out the form HERE It will ask about what fandoms you are willing to beta for, as well as other kinds of expertise you're willing to offer. Note that you will need to enter an email address, which will be visible to other users, but we will hide this information after Yuletide 2025 is over. After you've filled out the form, you'll get an email containing your responses and a link you can use to edit your answers.

If you need a beta, check the spreadsheet HERE. All responses will be visible in the tab "Form Responses." We’ll be copy-pasting information from there into the other tabs as we’re able to make them easier to find. Find someone offering the kind of help you need (make sure it's not your recipient!) and contact them directly. If no one is offering what you need, you can also comment anonymously on this post to see if someone can help, or you can sign onto the Yuletide Discord and contact a hippo.

If you’re asking for a beta, it can often be helpful to be clear about what types of feedback would be helpful to you. Examples could be that you’re looking for thoughts on characterization and story structure; or you'd particularly like feedback on whether your story successfully avoids topics your recipient doesn't want; or maybe you specify that you would like a check of spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPAG) but are specifically not interested in feedback on wording choices.

It’s also courteous to ask your beta reader if they would like to be credited when you post your fic, and if so, how. Some people appreciate public thanks in an author’s note, while others may prefer not to be named.

If you have any questions, comment on this post or email the mods at yuletideadmin@gmail.com. (The beta post is an unofficial aspect of Yuletide. Mods had time to put it up this year, but we don’t mean to take it over, so we hope a non-mod participant can put it up in 2026.)

Whether you're volunteering as a beta, or considering future coordination, we appreciate you a lot! Thank you for helping out.

Also please feel free to share any tips you may have about what makes a good beta experience (either as a beta or when seeking a beta's help).