Apex Magazine is excited to present SNAP JUDGMENT Episode 9 of our rapid-fire, live-streaming critique series.

Every quarter, industry professionals Lesley Conner, Rebecca E Treasure, and a special guest offer live feedback on the first page (up to 250 words) of genre short stories or novels. These first pages are read aloud by our talented host and narrator, Aly Grauer.

We are pleased to announce that our special guest editor for this event is author and editor Brent Lambert!

Brent Lambert is a Black, queer man who heavily believes in the transformative power of speculative fiction. He resides in San Diego but spent a lot of time moving around as a military brat. Currently, he manages the social media for FIYAH Literary Magazine and just had an anthology produced with Tor.com titled Breathe FIYAH. He can be found on Twitter @brentclambert talking about the weird and the fantastic.

Snap Judgment episode 9 will be livestreamed on Thursday Jan 25 at 1 p.m. ET (12 pm PT / 10 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. UTC).

HOW IT WORKS

Our host reads the title, genre, and text of the submission aloud without identifying the author. If at any point our panelists feel they would stop reading and reject the piece from their slush pile, they raise their hand. If all three hands are raised, our narrator stops reading.

Each panelist then gives their feedback on the opening: what works for them, what doesn’t, and what could be done to improve it. Don’t expect our panelists to be a mean group, but do expect them to be honest when it comes to assessing the work.

HOW TO WATCH THE EVENT

The event is available for anyone to watch. We’ll be streaming it live via two outlets:

• Apex Magazine Patreon (Note: The link will be live on the day of the event and afterward. Prior to that, it will take you to the homepage.)
• Apex Magazine YouTube

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR STORIES

Submissions are limited to our backers (Patreon supporters, magazine subscribers, and Kickstarter backers) until the final week before close. It should be only the first 250 words (approximately) of your novel or short story.

To submit…

1. Please make the subject of your email “Snap Judgment Episode 9” and the title of your story.
2. In the body of your email, include the title of your story again, the genre, and whether it’s a short story, novella, or novel, etc.
3. Copy-paste your first 250 words directly below that.
4. Please include either your backer/subscriber email address or receipt of your subscription/support (not required if submitting in the last week open period)
5. Send your submission to ApexSnapJudgment@gmail.com.

In case of a final sentence taking your submission over 250 words, please cut the last line. All entries will be read anonymously and our panelists will not be given any identifying information before, during, or after the event.

Submissions are open to supporters (subscribers, patrons, Kickstarter backers, and Reach Your Apex students) from Wednesday Dec 13 and to the general public from Jan 03. Submissions close midnight Jan 10.

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Host & Narrator – Alyson Grauer

Aly Grauer (she/her) is a professional renaissance woman. As a writer, her short fiction has been published in The Deeps, Apparition Lit, Cast of Wonders, Tales from the Archives, and in various anthologies. Her first novel, On the Isle of Sound and Wonder, is a steampunk retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Her voice and audio editing can be found on a number of podcasts and she can often be found performing at renaissance faires and cosplaying. Find out more at dreamstobecome.com or check out her cosplays on Instagram @dreamstobecome.