Giving a reading can be incredibly daunting, especially if you’re not a fan of public speaking, which most people aren’t. But your work deserves to be heard, and you can give an amazing reading, even if you’ve never done one before.
Proper formatting will not only make your work look more professional, but it will also make it easier to read for editors and readers who are reviewing your work.
Don’t be the person who reads it on their phone. Too many things can go wrong, and it’s distracting to watch someone repeatedly unlock the screen when it goes dark or constantly zoom in when they can’t see the tiny print.
A lot of the work of revision comes in the process of evaluating the rhythm of the sentences themselves, but if you’re reading the words out loud as you compose them, you’ll hear the false notes right away.
It's frustrating and alienating for readers to feel like they should know what's going on but don't. They want to be grounded in a character, in a place, in a context.
Sometimes we’re so focused on producing those great works of art (or the weather is so foul) that we neglect the inspiration side of things. If your muse is uncooperative, she might just need a change of scene.
