Readers

Some people have expressed interest in becoming readers.  We are accepting applications for the position of first reader — those people who will initially read submissions, leave comments, rate stories, and work with the editors.
We want to make sure our staff members are responsible, competent, and respectful of other writers’ work.  We are looking for people who:

• Have a sufficient level of writing ability to be able to evaluate story submissions
• Have enough of an established presence online and/or in print that we can be sure they are reliable and can be trusted to have access to the unpublished work of other writers
• Will read and use the critiquing suggestions found at Critters — http://www.critters.org/c/diplomacy.ht and the other articles linked at the bottom of that page under ‘See also’.
• Will keep our writer’s guidelines in mind when evaluating stories
• Understand that the stories they read are the property of the authors who submitted them, and are not to be discussed or shared with anyone else.
• Will not share login information with anyone!
• Readers can submit stories but cannot rate or comment on their own stories
• Understand that stories they submit will not receive any preferential treatment

We give all our writers feedback, whether we accept or reject their stories.  That way they aren’t left wondering ‘Why…?’  They may or may not agree with our feedback, but at least they will know why their story didn’t work for us.

As a reader you would read stories, rate them from one to ten, and leave your critique for the editor to see.  Anything you rate eight to ten the editor would read first.  Stories rated five to seven would read and consider next.  Stories you rate one to four the editor will almost definitely decline, looking over the story and your comments first, then passing your comments and any they add on to the writer.  When you first start, an editor will look more closely at the stories you rate low and the comments you leave, to make sure we are all ‘on the same page’.  We always start with at least one positive comment, then in a constructive way list briefly what doesn’t work for us.

We are looking for stories we love to read.  Allowing for personal taste and genre preferences, if you don’t get caught up in the story, our readers probably won’t either.

Submissions are in several  genre.  Most will be science fiction or fantasy, but there will also be some under “Myths, Legends, and Fairy Tales”, “Eldritch” (uncanny, eerie, Twilight Zone type stories). or “Young People of All Ages”.   If you especially like one genre, we can probably assign you to that one.

You can apply to be a reader through the submissions manager we have set up for writers to submit stories.  It’s at the bottom of the Writers’ Guidelines page.  We will contact you to ask for online addresses where we can read your stories, blogs, articles, etc.

Thanks for your interest!