What does it take to get a story published by a top speculative fiction magazine? That’s a question I’ve been trying to answer for a couple of years. I’ve tried several times, and after having stories included in a variety of free or token-paying markets, I’ve wondered on how to take the next step and get published in a pro-paying market. Last summer, I started a volunteer position with Uncharted Magazine—an online speculative fiction magazine—as a First Reader, i.e. some