What is a First Line Reader?

What is a First Line Reader?  FLRs are given access to the DreamForge Submissions System, where you will be able to download, read, rate, and comment on all the incoming stories submitted for publication.

Working together with the DreamForge Editorial Team, you will help select outstanding stories for future issues.

Your Minimum Commitment

At a minimum, we would like you to read and review 25 unrated stories in 35 days. That is about the equivalent of reading a magazine or an anthology in a month. Of course, you don’t have to read every story all the way through, but we do need you to rate and briefly comment on each story you check out.

You can, of course, read and rate as many stories as you want beyond the minimum, and you can keep reading if we’re not done in 35 days, but that’s up to you.

Each commitment is for a single reading period. Every reading period, we’ll check with our FLRs to see if they want to participate again or open their FLR positions to someone new.

If you sign up and cannot meet your commitment, just let us know. We have a limited number of positions, and we’ll offer the opportunity to someone new. If you haven’t rated a story in 20 days after the start of a reading period, we will assume you can no longer fulfill your commitment and open your position to someone new.

Rewards

We can’t offer pay, but for helping us out you get a free online/digital subscription (if you already have one, you can gift this one to a friend), and we’ll be giving everyone who fulfills their commitment a FREE DreamForge T-Shirt from the selection on this merch page of our website: https://dreamforgemagazine.com/product-category/merch/tshirts/

Dos and Don’ts

PLEASE DO

  • Understand the DreamForge Theme
  • Rate Stories using our Star System and provide a comment or two for each story.
    • 1 Star: Not Recommended | Not Engaging, Does Not Follow DF Theme.
    • 2 Stars: Not Recommended | A fair effort and shows promise, but not at DF quality level.
    • 3 Stars: Publishable | May or may not be DreamForge; worthy of “second eyes” read.
    • 4 Stars: Recommended | You believe this one is right for DreamForge.
    • 5 Stars: Highly Recommended | You are willing to argue for this story as right for DreamForge.
  • Speak up for the stories and authors you come to appreciate.

PLEASE DON’T

  • Don’t feel obligated to read every story all the way through. As you gain practice, read just far enough to make a decision. The best stories will pull you through to the end.
  • Never be cruel in your comments, even though they are internal system notes. The worst story was submitted on wings of high hopes.
  • Please be respectful of other FLRs (especially if they have submitted their own stories). Everyone is not going to agree. Everyone is not from the same background, stage of life, or belief systems. Be kind.
  • NEVER (this is a big one), please never share these stories or your comments on Social Media, the web, or with friends who are not DreamForge FLRs. The authors do have Copyright to these stories, and posting or sharing them without permission could lose the author a sale and expose you to possible civil legal action. Certainly, it will get you booted out of the FLR corps.

How Do You Apply to be a DreamForge FLR?

Introduce yourself and tell us why you would be a great First Line Reader for DreamForge Magazine. Compose your request in an email sent to FLR@DreamForgeMagazine.com.  We do have a limited number of positions available, so apply early!

How Do You Access Stories to Read Them?

Once you are a DreamForge FLR, visit our First Line Readers’ Instruction Page.

Star Field Rules of Fiction

By Outer Space