BarryDairy

It read to me (through a screen and without knowing the person) like it might not have been a top choice for the person. Like a sort of whatever attitude.

Reached a new level of the waiting process: I'm now getting targeted ads on TV for Iowa lol if only those could translate into an acceptance.

Welcome! I get this feeling soooo much. It must be really discouraging. I'm sorry you haven't gotten any yeses yet. Hopefully you'll hear some good news soon! It's really silly and my friends make fun of me for it but I have a huge dry erase board that I've had for like 7 years that has the words 'I AM A WRITER' written across it. It's a constant reminder that no matter what rejections I face or jobs I lose, I'll always be a writer and that's not something anyone can take from me. I want to say Austin Kleon has also mentioned doing similar things as an artist to keep the world of rejection, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt at bay.

Hey! I've had a bit of success submitting and get commissions from mags and anthologies often enough and also have been a fiction and poetry magazine editor for a few years now. The biggest tip when it comes to submitting is to analyze the markets=magazines/journals/publications. Go beyond simply reading a couple back issues but learn the editorial lean of the magazine. I like using a spreadsheet with the magazines I want to publish with and gather this data: editors, readership, specific genres they publish a lot (queer diaspora horror), forms/structures, and submission windows. When it comes to getting a yes from an editor, aim for an emotional connection. Really learning the mags I want to publish in and working on my ability to convey the desired emotions of the piece in a way that the reader can feel is how I started getting more acceptances. And idk I found way more success with targeted submitting over blanket submitting. When I used to make sure I always had 20 pieces out on submission at a time, I did not have any luck (but I did get my name out there). Then I slowed down and spent more time reading the magazines out there and picking the ones that I truly wanted to publish in and work with the editors. I started getting more personalized rejections and slowly those became acceptances. I still get rejected but it's like 2 out of 5 ttimes. That being said, when I first started submitting it felt less like I was trying to get a yes through skill and more through just sheer luck. I love helping other writers with figuring out the publishing landscape, so if you have other questions, let me know or DM me (if Gradcafe allows that).

Hey, welcome! I also only applied to 2 schools this year. I didn't want to spend hundreds on application fees and so focused on just the 2 that called to me and I (thought) I had a good chance with getting in. I am a tad envious of the people who were able to apply to 7+ schools. That's so impressive! Good luck on your application cycle!

Not a terrible decision! I am also a speculative fiction writer and editor! I got in to a school that wasn't one of the spec fic friendly ones and all my samples are spec fic of varying genres (horror, fantasy, science fiction). Not a mistake whatsoever to submit within the genre you write, especially if it's the genre you write well in. Fingers crossed you get good news soon! I have noticed an interesting thing with grad candidates who do write speculative fiction in their programs, they tend to not call it spec fic and will often give it a more 'appealing' lofty genre title to avoid being lumped into spec fic. It works well enough in the grad program and not so well when they try to publish outside their program or school mags.

I am really hoping they start sending out fiction acceptances this week. I reached out to them about a deferment issue, wondering on eta when they'd have responses out with no luck. I do have a lot of trust in my work, recommenders, and publishing background that I think I have a good chance of getting in, but I know if I don't hear from them by the 25th that I need to say yes to the dress with another school that has already accepted me instead of losing my spot holding out for a chance.

OOofff I feel this and I even got into a place. This whole process is VERY exhausting. I feel for you, Southron! I'll hold out hope for you if it helps. Getting to a second round is huge, so congrats on that!

It's great you got into a program! Congrats! What you can accomplish in the program is totally up to you. From my writing friends who have both been published and went to grad school for writing, they have also echoed the same sentiment. Some programs do have a publishing track, courses to help you navigate the world of publishing, and networking events that will help you meet industry professionals, but at the end of the day, your writing is the only determinant of whether you'll be published. From friends who haven't been published but went through an MFA, they tended to focus less on craft learning and workshopping. Most who did not go on to publish specifically just used their MFA time as space to write.

This is a more unusual case of choosing a deferred enrollment. The program, Bennington, is asking for all people who choose a deferred start last fall to make final decisions by March 1 so they know the slots they have available to offer the people who are applying during their current period. So it's not a pressure but an ask.

Congrats to everyone who's been accepted or waitlisted somewhere! Question for the pack, I've gotten an email from the school I've been accepted to letting me know I have till March 1st to let them know if I'll be attending. I am tempted to reach out to the other school I'm waiting to hear from to let them know of my decision deadline, but am afraid it may be in bad form or something. Idk maybe I'm over thinking this lol 😅🤷🏿‍♀️ Has anyone nudged a school in order to meet another's decision deadline? What's the etiquette here??

So sorry to hear that! Echoing what @branchsaid: it's a whole new pool of applicants and readers, so what resonated for someone last year may not have done so this year.

Thank you for asking! Anyone else get followed by Iowa faculty on their socials?? It's an adjunct professor so I'm guessing a first reader. I want to read into it soooooo bad. I had a couple people from Iowa checking out my LinkedIn page a few weeks back and it also got me excited.

I'm currently reading Dazzling by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ. Africanfabulism about two teen girls in Nigeria and the spirits/legacies that plague them. The story is nonlinear and features multiple POVs with different patois, so it's a book that makes you participate in the telling, which has been a great distraction and a wonderful read. Highly recommend!

I honestly would have done the same and it shows that you care for your community and respect other people. Good on you for taking responsibility for a mistake and not letting anxiety or whatever-emotion stop you from correcting it.