What kinds of writing are you looking for?

We seek a balance between established writers and promising new ones. We're interested in material of variety and vitality relevant to the intellectual and aesthetic questions of our time. We aspire to have a broad appeal; our commitment, in part regional, is not provincial.

"Inspired pages are not written to fill space, but for inevitable utterance; and to such our Journal is freely and solicitously open." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Articles and Essays of breadth and depth are considered, as well as discussions of leading writers; of art, music, and drama; analyses of trends in literature, science, philosophy, and public affairs. Please include your name and contact information on the first page and we encourage page numbers.

Fiction: We consider one short story per submission, a maximum of 30 pages or 8000 words. Please include your name and contact information on the first page, we encourage page numbers.

Poetry: A poetry submission may consist of up to 6 poems. There are no restrictions for length, but generally our poems are less than 100 lines. Please include your name and contact on every page.

Please note: Essays, fiction and poetry manuscripts should be submitted separately. No mixed submissions please.

Are there any genres or topics that you do not consider?

We no longer consider plays for publication or book reviews.

What is your reading period?

Fiction submissions are not accepted from May 2 to September 30 using either our mail or electronic submission process. The electronic submission database will reset on May 2, and any Fiction submitted within the subsequent reading period will require an account reactivation.

Non-fiction and Poetry are read year-round. The electronic submission database will reset on May 2, and any Non-fiction or Poetry submission after that date will require an account reactivation.

Do you accept simultaneous submissions?

Reluctantly.
It is the author's responsibility to notify editors immediately once a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

Do you accept multiple submissions?

No.

Prose manuscripts are limited to one submission at a time. Poetry submissions cannot exceed six poems per submission. Authors must await decision notification before submiting again in the same reading period.

Do you pay for contributions?

At the time of publication we pay fifty cents per line for poetry ($25 minimum per poem); and $50 for an essay or work of fiction. Authors also receive two complimentary contributor's copies.

I'm mailing my submisson,
how should I submit work?

All prose manuscripts should be typed and double spaced.

Fiction and Non-fiction submissions should include name and address on the first page of the manuscript with page numbers. Poetry should include name and contact information before each title of a poem.

The Massachusetts Review is a non-profit journal, and it is impossible for us to acknowledge receipt of manuscripts unless a self-addressed stamped postcard is enclosed with your submission. No manuscript can be returned or query answered unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Click here for a cost estimate of our mailing via USPS.

Please read a copy of MR before submitting work. We cannot offer free sample copies, but you may order the current issue for $9 and back issues for only $8. Visit our order page for an order form.

Mail to:

The Massachusetts Review
South College
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003

We do not accept manuscripts via fax.

I'm submitting elctronically,
how should I submit work?

Electronic Submissions will be accepted October 1, 2007.
Read this first!

ALL submissions should include name and contact information on every page of the manuscript. A suggestion is to include this information in the header or footer.

All prose manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced. We strongly encourage Fiction and Non-fiction to include page numbers.

All poems, a maximum of six per submission, should start on a new page and be included in one document.

Only files with the extension ".doc" or ".rtf" will be accepted.

Do not include images of any size.

Multiple submissions will not be accepted.

All submissions sent as attachments to any MR email address will be deleted.

Please read a copy of MR before submitting work. We cannot offer free sample copies, but you may order the current issue for $9 and back issues for only $8. Visit our order page for an order form.

Please note that there is a $3.00 fee to submit electronicaly per reading period. In addition to maintaining the database, the fee was designed with the intention of diminishing your submission costs. The process will require a one time account set-up per reading period. We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover, or payment can be made via PayPal.

The electronic submission provides continuous access to check on the status of your submission and/or withdrawl of your submission. Should you chose to withdrawl your submission for any reason no refund is provided.

You will receive a one time account set-up confirmation e-mail, a submission receipt confirmation e-mail every time you submit, and, once our editors read your submission, a notification of decision e-mail.

Click here to begin the electronic submission process.