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MFA/MFYou
At MFA/MFYou we aim to showcase the best work from new writers, whether they are Creative Writing students or not. Our sole goal is to publish the sort of work that we, the editors, would want to read. To that end, we don’t put any restrictions on genre; as long as it’s skillfully written and engaging, we’re interested.
Fiction
In our experience, most of the stories that get submitted to literary journals are quite good, so in order to actually get in to any journal, even a small nonpaying online one like ours, you’ve got to do something better than good. We want stories that keep us riveted from beginning to end, writing that makes us sigh and read the lines aloud to anyone willing to listen, ideas that make us nod our heads in agreement and wonder at how we never came to look at this issue in that way before. The best fiction out there masters three fundamentals: plot, meaning, and above all else, beautifully crafted sentences. We do not publish stories longer than 4,500 words and we do not publish segments of larger pieces unless they stand on their own.
Writing About Writing
We prefer poems that are grounded in the concrete. Abstract poems that make us scratch our heads and wonder what the heck it is about will not be accepted. Don’t like it? Start your own journal. This is ours and we want to publish the sort of writing we enjoy reading. This is not to say that no abstract language is allowed, but the foundation of your poems should be concrete and you can build from there in whatever way you feel best. We can’t be moved (or even care) if we can’t figure out what you’re talking about to begin with. Send 1-3 of your best poems.
We’re interested in providing a platform for writers to write and read about writing. To that end, you can submit articles and interviews that explore writing topics and the writing life. While we’re certainly interested in publishing pieces that explicitly discuss MFA or non-MFA issues, we are willing to consider any writing relevant articles and interviews.
All Pieces
All work submitted must follow all of the following guidelines or we will not even read it. As competitive as the publishing world is, we think it’s important to be professional and follow guidelines and so we will not even consider your work if you can’t do these simple things:
Submit your work via e-mail to: submissions@mfamfyou.com
Your subject should be “Submission/Genre (Fiction/Poetry/Writing)/Your Last Name.”
Please begin your e-mail with a cover letter addressed to Damien (poetry) or Ashley (fiction/writing about writing) Cowger.
The cover letter MUST include whether you are or have been enrolled in an MFA program, and we are interested in knowing which one. MA in Creative Writing programs are, as far as we can tell, not much different from MFA programs, so you’ll be counted in the MFA category if you’re one of those folks.
The cover letter MUST include the word count for fiction pieces, and the number of poems included for poetry submissions.
Beneath the cover letter, paste the text of your submission into the e-mail itself. We are paranoid and will not open attachments. Ever. We do accept simultaneous submissions but please let us know in your cover letter and contact us immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.
All work submitted must be original and unpublished. By submitting the piece you are stating that it is yours and you are legally responsible if it turns out to be plagiarized. We want the right to publish your piece and we want the right to archive it, but other rights revert back to you. As this online journal is provided free, we cannot pay authors for published pieces.
