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.
Thank you for candidly sharing your experiences as a reader, Belinda. The way literary journals work their readers can vary significantly, and it's helpful for folks who are considering becoming a reader to be aware of that.
Thanks for sharing. Can you elaborate on what the workload was like eg number of stories you needed to read through? And did they provide some initial training on what they expected or were looking out for?
Hello James. In my experience, the workload varied. There were periods during which submissions trickled in and others when we'd be overwhelmed. During the latter, I often felt I was sacrificing my own creative time and energy in order to keep up with the onslaught.
As for training, we were vetted somewhat beforehand to be sure we were up to the task, so we received only minimal training as to necessary processes and procedures.
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.
Thank you for candidly sharing your experiences as a reader, Belinda. The way literary journals work their readers can vary significantly, and it's helpful for folks who are considering becoming a reader to be aware of that.
Thanks for sharing. Can you elaborate on what the workload was like eg number of stories you needed to read through? And did they provide some initial training on what they expected or were looking out for?
Hello James. In my experience, the workload varied. There were periods during which submissions trickled in and others when we'd be overwhelmed. During the latter, I often felt I was sacrificing my own creative time and energy in order to keep up with the onslaught.
As for training, we were vetted somewhat beforehand to be sure we were up to the task, so we received only minimal training as to necessary processes and procedures.
I hope that answers your questions.
Thanks so much, Belinda. It was helpful and answered exactly what I was wondering about.
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.