“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” 

Yes, yes, I opened with a  famous line shouted by “the Wizard” in the Wizard of Oz, but hear me out—it applies to more than just an insecure and kind of creepy old man in the Emerald City. It applies to lit mags too. 

Behind the curtain of publications, contest winners, and even industry awards like CLMP’s Firecracker Awards are (drum roll please)....READERS. 

Readers are the “[wo]men behind the curtain” so to speak, making the literary community run (mostly as unpaid volunteers) by filtering through the hundreds and sometimes thousands of submissions that different literary publications receive. I myself am one of these cogs in the wheel as a reader for The Masters Review, Ecotone and the Firecracker Awards. 

So why be a reader? Why spend your limited and valuable time reading other people’s stories instead of writing your own?

First off, let me be clear on one thing: if you are looking for a paid writing/reading/editing job, being a reader is likely not the best choice. 

BUT if you’re looking to build your resume to qualify for those prized and elusive paid gigs, volunteering as a reader can help get you there.

For me, the top three benefits of being a reader is that it allows you to:

• Develop connections in the literary world 

• Build your instinct and eye for a good story

• Show your investment in and enthusiasm for the literary community 

Let’s dive a bit deeper into these. I’m hoping this will not only inspire you to consider a readership but also help you land this — believe it or not — coveted position!

1. Develop Connections in the Literary World

When you become a reader for a literary magazine, you are invited onto their team. You become privy to the way in which they operate, what they value in the work that they publish, what their dreams and ambitions are.

I’m lucky that my MFA program hosts the literary magazine Ecotone, and that being a reader for the magazine is offered as a course where you don’t just read for the magazine, but are also a part of selection discussions, layout planning, fact-checking, proofing and so much more. Students who are interested can apply to be a genre editor in their second and third years, a truly invaluable experience. 

And while my reading position for The Masters Review initially involved reading 15 submissions each week for many months, it has since led to me writing book reviews for their website and now serving as a guest editor (a paid position!) to give editorial feedback on submissions.

Every reading experience will be different, but your name will be on that magazine’s masthead and that editor will know your name. In a world where connections matter, this is worth a million. 

2. Build Your Instinct and Eye for a Good Piece

I wouldn’t be a reader if it didn’t also improve my own writing (I’m selfish that way). Good news is that it does!

When you are reading submissions and have to decide “yes” or “no” on a piece, whether to move it forward to an editor or a contest judge, you begin to really analyze the piece for the things that matter most: How is the writing on a line level? What questions are being raised, and do they need to be answered in order for this piece to work? Is the piece exciting and engaging, with well-developed scenes and dialogue or images and metaphors?

This then becomes the same lens with which you edit and critique your own work. Just like most things in life, being a good reader and editor requires practice—and that is true even when you are reading and editing your own work. Being a reader helps you build those muscles. 

3. Show Your Investment In and Enthusiasm For The Literary Community 

This one can feel less tangible, but I promise you that it is important. So much of the literary world—the act of writing, of editing, of publishing—requires heart and dedication.

When it comes to applying to jobs in the industry or even applying to MFA programs, this investment and enthusiasm for the literary community goes a long way. It shows that you are invested in the importance and power of writing.

As ONLY POEMS looks to add its first round of readers to the team, I can tell you that this enthusiasm and excitement is one of the main things we will be looking for (and, of course, an eye for good poetry). Why? Because it means that you will show up as an engaged team member. It shows that you care, and that this work of writing matters to you. 

All this to say, being a reader for a lit mag won’t guarantee you a paid job in the literary world or a promotion, but from personal experience I can confidently say it will increase your chances.

Just be sure that if you do commit to being a reader, you have the time and capacity to follow through on that commitment. It’s usually not much—a few hours of your time a week, at most—but there is nothing worse than bringing someone onto your team and then having them fail to do their part. 

And one last point: The Masters Review did an amazing job in their reader “orientation” by having all their new readers complete a diversity and implicit bias training.

From readers on up to editors, agents and publishers, those in the “publishing” space carry power in determining which stories, identities and voices get heard. Being a reader demands a responsibility to uphold a commitment to publishing diverse voices, experiences, and identities, and challenging one’s own implicit biases and assumptions. This requires some internal work and reflection, but I cannot undermine its importance: be ready to do the work if you become a reader. 

So for those wanna-be folks behind the curtain, here are a few tips for landing a reading position:

• Subscribe to your favorite lit mag’s newsletters or Substacks, if you haven’t already. Calls for readers are often sent through these avenues because, hey, if you read their stuff you probably already have a sense of what they like. 

• CLMP’s “Jobs with Publishers” tab occasionally posts open reader positions, as well as other opportunities for paid and unpaid work within the literary community

• Do you have a favorite magazine(s)? Reach out to them—see if they are looking for readers, and if not, let them know that you are interested if and when they are. 

• Conduct a good ole’ Google search and stalk some litmag websites. Nothing that new or exciting about this last one, but sometimes it takes effort and initiative to find what you’re looking for. 

More magazines looking for readers right now!

Electric Literature wants new readers for The Commuter, Recommended Reading as well as to read original creative nonfiction pieces.

Crab Creek Review has an open call for fiction readers, closing on January 21.

Palette and Frontier are seeking readers for poetry.

Lucky Jefferson is on the hunt for readers and all sorts of volunteer positions where you’ll learn heaps!

Portrait of New England seeks poetry, fiction, and nonfiction editors who can read and vet submissions.

Fantastic Other is looking for a new submission reader.

Four Way Review seeks fiction readers.

The Adroit Journal still needs more prose readers.

Ploughshares will send you a reader application if you reach out.

Geist is currently open for reader internships on a voluntary basis.

Story Society is still on the hunt for slush readers.

Uncharted has an open call for new readers.

Best of luck in your lit mag reader journey! 

And for those looking to start off in a paid gig, don’t worry—we aren’t leaving you hanging! Stay tuned for a post on the  scary underbelly of writing for MONEY (a miracle, right?)…from ghostwriting to grant writing, we’ll explore it all.