MissMosquito
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Everything posted by MissMosquito
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Thank you so much! I’m at work right now, but will check it out on my next off day.
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Has anyone head a peep yet from Brown, Notre Dame, VA Tech, University of Colorado--Boulder, or U. of Virginia?
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Thanks for the perspective. And I am a part of MDP's chain. I started workshopping one short story so far, but I'm a slow reader, and not used to offering feedback on fiction. As a poet, I feel a bit outnumbered in that group, but I'm open to mixing up a workshop for some new perspectives, as long as y'all fiction & CNF writers don't mind feedback coming from the perspective of a poet!
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Ooh! I hadn't heard of this resource. Is it just for fiction, or does it include helpful info for poets as well?
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I did that with Vanderbilt! I feel your pain!
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Yeah, a lot of people found their rejection email for Michigan in their spam folder, myself included.
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Residencies are usually for more established writers with an MFA degree and a significant publication track--it's to give those writers time and space to complete a book for publication. I would suggest checking out summer workshops or festivals with workshops. If you pick up a Poets and Writers Magazine, summer workshops are always listed at the back of the magazine with application deadlines and who will be heading the workshops.
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Hi RosA-R, Welcome! When I first started out on my publishing journey, I paid for a Duotrope subscription. They send out a monthly email listing those literary magazines that recently opened their reading period for unsolicited submissions. The list is categorized by those lit mags that pay for publication and those that don't. Hyper-links are included to info about the lit mag such as acceptance rate, what kind of literature they publish, and how long they've been around. I would try submitting to new lit mags that haven't gained much of a readership and notoriety yet. They're likely to be less selective and name driven with their publication process. On the flip side, they also likely won't give you much of an edge on a CV, because of that lack of notoriety, but you've gotta start somewhere. It's rare that someone publishes in a top tier magazine right off the bat. When or if it does happen, I wonder if they have some kind nepotism or big-name professor rec in their back pocket. My advice is to start with the small, nascent lit mags first, and then work your way up. After you've published enough in tier one to feel confident, I'd encourage you to try your hand at submitting to more established, or what I call tier 2 literary magazines. That's where I'm at right now. I can say from experience that without an MFA program to back me up, it's been difficult to break into this level of publication. You might ask, "How do I know which journals would be considered a tier 2 publication?" Well, I used the same glass ceiling I've come across from experience, the MFA program, as my criteria--all the publications attached to a university creative writing program. While I've only garnered one publication so far from this tier level, I find the process of submission to be helpful for subsequent MFA applications, because as I research journals, I'm learning what aesthetic they publish, and likely what aesthetic the related institution looks for when accepting prospective MFA candidates. Don't worry about tier 3 at this point. This level publishes the elite 1% of the writing community. These literary magazines both university press and independently run that are so famous they've infiltrated the collective consciousness of the general public, i.e. Tin House, Paris Review, New Yorker, etc. As a result, they are mostly unattainable even for those writers with an MFA degree on their CV. FYI: the tier system, is just something I've worked out in my head from my experience with submitting. It's my opinion, not a hard and fast rule by any means, so take it with a grain of biased salt. Some newer publications I've had success with that I'm proud to shout out about are Cathexis Northwest Press, The Conglomerate, Francis House, and Gris-Gris. Other tips: When you're first starting off, don't submit anywhere that charges a Submittable fee. That's also a hint that the publication is likely more selective. They're charging a fee because they have established themselves enough to have a staff they need to pay with those fees. It is worth it to pay for both Duotrope and a Submittable subscriptions. Most publications, even the new ones, use Submittable for their submission process. You can also search for publication opportunities on the Submittable website. I like to search for those publications that are about to close their reading period. In addition to searching by deadline, you can also search by genre, whether they charge for submission, and some other options that I can't remember off the top of my head. Hope this info helps, and best of luck with publications in the coming year!
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Ouch! I'm sorry it looks like this is how it's shaking down this time around. At least, the irony of your situation is a sign of just how arbitrary and subjective the admission process is. The adcoms who make the first cut I imagine are hired or volunteer to do the bulk of the reading and likely aren't the ones making the subsequent cuts to the final decision. If my assumption is true, all applicants decision outcome depends on a single reader's judgement of probably just page one of their writing sample! It looks like the grad app process is just as much a numbers game as the publication rigamarole. We just gotta keep writing, keep submitting, keep racking up the number of rejections, till we get to the next acceptance, and it will come! I promise!
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Thanks for the invite! I'll DM you shortly.
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Thanks for the suggestion! If anyone knows of any more under-the-radar, higher-acceptance-rate programs, let us (likely) 2022 rejects know!
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Congrats on the acceptance! I've heard Montana is beautiful if you love the outdoors!
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It’s looking like I’m in the same boat day by day. I applied to 15 schools, and with the radio silence along with 5 official rejections, at this point, I estimate I’m 0 for 9. I know I have 5 more to hear back from, but I think I might need to stop checking altogether to save my sanity. Sheesh, I am not a fun person to be around right now. I’ve been thinking about—what next? What about a post grad app workshop? I didn’t major in English, so I don’t have a community of writers where I’m at. If anything, COVID and the advent of Zoom taught us that community knows no geographical boundaries. Any poet on here who is interested in starting a virtual workshop to kick off the dust, after this fall, and motivate each other to get right back up and keep writing, feel free to reach out and DM me. This is just one setback in a long trajectory of our growth as writers!
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If they haven’t, they’re missing an untapped hostage market. Unknown number—must answer!
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I've never answered unknown calls before now! I received a call from a 512- number today (nothing out of the blue as I live in Austin), but, womp womp, it was the Mazda dealership. Also, since my dad is a faculty member, I know for a fact that any call from UT will likely come from a 512-471-XXXX number, unless adcoms make acceptance calls from their personal cell phone.
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I keep saying that all MFA creative writing programs should choose one day to announce all acceptances, waitlists, and rejections, much like NFL draft day. Applicants can make sure to take the day off to receive acceptance calls if they're lucky enough, or if one of the unlucky majority, have the day off to freely wallow over the rejection emails in bed, box of tissues in one hand, and a pint of Ben & Jerry's in the other. This way, applicants don't suffer the slow suffocation that is waiting in limbo from the end of January to mid-March!
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Did they call or email the acceptance?
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Thankfully, after furiously checking all my other SOPs, I only made the mistake with my Vanderbilt app. If it turns out, I'm submitting Round 2 apps another year, there are a number of things I would do differently: 1) I'd pay someone to review and proof read my application materials to avoid humiliating errors like naming the wrong school in an SOP! As a Dyslexic writer, I've never been great at catching typos. : / 2) I'd do more research on the prospective schools I choose so that my SOPs are more personalized. 3) I wouldn't limit my program list exclusively to fully-funded schools. Another forum member was nice enough to suggest another school in the Austin area--Texas State. I didn't consider this school because it's not listed as fully-funded, but a lot of schools that aren't fully-funded still offer generous financial packages based on need or merit. Even without funding or an offer of fellowship/TA positions, Texas State's tuition is pretty affordable. I think I've spent more per year on individual creative writing courses online! 4) I'd include schools that have an acceptance rate higher than 3%! Anyone have any suggestions for good MFA programs with higher acceptance rates?
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Fingers crossed for you MDP! I'm rooting for you!
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Sorry! I'll try my best to avoid submitting anymore heart-attack-inducing comments in the future.
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So I did that thing where I start obsessing over my grad applications when there are no more new posts on here to read, no new stats on the results page, no more obsessive cleaning to do in the house. Naturally, I start scanning my remaining grad school apps to programs that have yet to submit decisions...bad idea. I noticed a fatal flaw in one of my SOPs--it mentions the wrong program! There's nothing like writing a love letter to Johnny, only to address it to your other lover Gerald! Or worse, moaning your ex's name during sex. (That's never happened to me!) I planned on avoiding this mistake by tailoring each program app SOP from a template where no school was specifically named, but I guess I got sloppy toward the end. I'm mortified. First time applicant nightmare has come to fruition! Welp, my bet is I don't get into Vanderbilt! Has anyone else ever done this?
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Since checking here as been spotty for me, forgive me if this was discussed already, but if I haven't heard anything from Iowa for poetry, should I assume it's a rejection?
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Yeah, it was pretty confusing for my recommenders. I wonder how much overlap there is with the adcoms between the two programs.
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@maybenot14 & nicolette7766 Contrats to you both! Hope you nail your interview!
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Please make that a line of soft-core, Brokeback romance poetry! I'd pick that up from a CVS rack, scan, purchase and walk out proud without a bag. I'm assuming you're applying for poetry. Did you apply to both NWP and MCW, or just MCW?
