I was a reader for a well-established literary journal for a couple of years. No matter how good or poor the piece (and there were many of the latter), I felt obligated to thoroughly read and evaluate each submission as I would hope a reader would do for my work. Everything was done online, so there was little interaction between the readers and no real sense of shared purpose. While it did offer me some understanding of the editorial/submission process, it was time-consuming and draining, to my mind, wasn't worth the time and effort required.
I'm a reader at a lit mag accepting long form and flash fiction and have read for another that accepted only flash.
At one venue, readers grade assigned pieces and summarize what works or doesn't work. Writing summaries is tough, but it's invaluable to my understanding of what I (and other readers) like and don't like. How attention-grabbing is an opening line? Do I stay immersed in the story or edit as I read? Do my eyes glaze over? Am I offended?
At the flash-only venue, I simply filled out a form for each story, entering scores for overall effectiveness, plot, structure, pace, dialogue, imagery, etc., which gave me insights to the components of my work.
For the first venue, we're also a community on Slack. For the second, I never knew if I was a story's first or fifth or penultimate reader, and I didn't have access to anyone else's scores or comments. I never knew if anyone read my comments or found them helpful. At both venues, I learn from the practice of explaining my scores.
Yes, working as a reader as considerate as Belinda is time-consuming and too often draining. An online community connecting over Slack can't replace in-person table talk. The commitment needed isn't for everyone, for any number of sound reasons. And it's volunteer work for most. But luckily, fitting the commitment into my life rewards my efforts. It's my chance to repay the time and consideration given to my submissions, and believe me, some of my babies have been time and consideration wasters! Yikes!
If you're in a place to read, I encourage you to do so—at a venue you value and can feel valued.
I was a reader for a well-established literary journal for a couple of years. No matter how good or poor the piece (and there were many of the latter), I felt obligated to thoroughly read and evaluate each submission as I would hope a reader would do for my work. Everything was done online, so there was little interaction between the readers and no real sense of shared purpose. While it did offer me some understanding of the editorial/submission process, it was time-consuming and draining, to my mind, wasn't worth the time and effort required.
I'm a reader at a lit mag accepting long form and flash fiction and have read for another that accepted only flash.
At one venue, readers grade assigned pieces and summarize what works or doesn't work. Writing summaries is tough, but it's invaluable to my understanding of what I (and other readers) like and don't like. How attention-grabbing is an opening line? Do I stay immersed in the story or edit as I read? Do my eyes glaze over? Am I offended?
At the flash-only venue, I simply filled out a form for each story, entering scores for overall effectiveness, plot, structure, pace, dialogue, imagery, etc., which gave me insights to the components of my work.
For the first venue, we're also a community on Slack. For the second, I never knew if I was a story's first or fifth or penultimate reader, and I didn't have access to anyone else's scores or comments. I never knew if anyone read my comments or found them helpful. At both venues, I learn from the practice of explaining my scores.
Yes, working as a reader as considerate as Belinda is time-consuming and too often draining. An online community connecting over Slack can't replace in-person table talk. The commitment needed isn't for everyone, for any number of sound reasons. And it's volunteer work for most. But luckily, fitting the commitment into my life rewards my efforts. It's my chance to repay the time and consideration given to my submissions, and believe me, some of my babies have been time and consideration wasters! Yikes!
If you're in a place to read, I encourage you to do so—at a venue you value and can feel valued.