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The Massachusetts Review 576

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About

Founded in 1959 by a group of professors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke, and Smith, The Massachusetts Review is one of the nation’s leading literary magazines, distinctive in joining the highest level of artistic concern with pressing public issues. As The New York Times observed, “It is amazing that so much significant writing on race and culture appears in one magazine.” MR was named one of the top ten literary journals in 2008 by the Boston Globe.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for electronic submissions, except for BIPOC writers.
Important: Submissions from BIPOC writers are accepted year-round with no fee.
Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1959

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 4 x per year.

Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:
Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2024* (approx. 152 days from now) through 30 April 2025. 0
Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Genres:
General General
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics.
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 8,000 words.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK Fees OK No OKText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Nonfiction Temp Closed

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.

Dates:
Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2024* (approx. 152 days from now) through 30 April 2025. 0
Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics, including: Literature/Books (General, Theory/Analysis/Criticism), Music (General, Theory/Analysis/Criticism), Performing Arts (General, Theory/Analysis/Criticism), Philosophy, Society/Culture (General, Current events), Visual Arts (General, Theory/Analysis/Criticism).
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Article ArticleNo specific word count limits known.
Essay EssayNo specific word count limits known.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK Fees OK No OKText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:
Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2024* (approx. 152 days from now) through 30 April 2025. 1
Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Genres:
General General
Poetry Forms:
Open to all/most Forms.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics.
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Poem PoemUp to 100 lines; Up to 6 pieces.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK Fees OK No OKText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

The Massachusetts Review Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 244 reports from 198 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported1 min | 79.4 mean avg | 50.0 median | 491 max days (93.7 std dev)
Responses93.03 %
Acceptances1.64 % of submissions accepted (238.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 2.02 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections91.39 % (73.9 avg. days per rejection) | 23.3 % personal, 57.9 % form, 18.8 % unspecified | 0.4 % rewrite requests | 0.4 % shortlisted
Non-Responses6.97 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded1.64 % (282.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals5.33 % (63.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending116 responses are pending (1 min | 82.4 mean avg | 42.5 median | 527 max days waiting | 94.9 std dev) from 115 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days. (7.8 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (65.4 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 99.5 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 01 May 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 Mar 2024.

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Working Titles Charges fees for some submissions

Dates

Last Updated: 30 Apr 2024
Last Audited: 23 Apr 2024 We audit each active listing twice a year.
Date Added: 13 Aug 2005

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Include a SASE with all mailed submissions, queries, and requests for guidelines, unless the editor replies via email or guidelines state otherwise.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.