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The Massachusetts Review

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About

1,220 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

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. The fee is USD $3.
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 2025* (approx. 133 days from now) through 30 April 2026. 2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:
Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette7,500 - 8,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

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 to Professional payment. Details: USD $100.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form. Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


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 2025* (approx. 133 days from now) through 30 April 2026. 0

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
ArticleNo specific word count limits known.
EssayNo specific word count limits known.
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.

Payment:

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 to Professional payment. Details: USD $100.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form. Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2025* (approx. 133 days from now) through 30 April 2026. 2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:
PoemUp to 100 lines; Up to 6 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $100.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form. Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


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.
AccuracyWe have received 287 reports from 228 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported0 min | 102.8 mean avg | 93.0 median | 464 max days (206.6 std dev)
Responses93.72 %
Acceptances1.39 % of submissions accepted (117.5 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.75 % 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.
Rejections92.33 % (93.5 avg. days per rejection) | 25.3 % personal, 60.8 % form, 14.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses6.27 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded1.39 % (293.5 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals4.88 % (38.7 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending88 responses are pending (20 min | 89.4 mean avg | 66.0 median | 413 max days waiting | 210.3 std dev) from 88 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. (15.3 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (60.2 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 97.6 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 20 May 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 28 Apr 2025.

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Your Submissions

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Working Titles DNQ Charges fees for some submissions

Dates

Last Updated: 30 Apr 2025
Last Audited: 23 Mar 2025. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 13 Aug 2005

Before Submitting

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