- “Beta” refers to the second letter of the alphabet, and has often been used to designate the second of many things. This is another case of that particular situation. A beta is a person who proofreads fanfiction of another person's, so often they are the second person to have read that particular story.
beta
noun Zero derivation
A person who proofreads and edits fanfiction; editor.
Etymology : Addition of another use for the same root word “beta” which is the second letter of the Greek alphabet.
Source : “She acted as beta for my story, and caught a bunch of errors!” (friend, September 2011)
Last modified: 30 November 2011