Since 1995, Inkwell has been a vital part of the American literary ecosystem. A publication of The MFA Program in Creative Writing at Manhattanville Univerity, we publish new poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid genre work, craft essays, and interviews.
At Inkwell, we don’t subscribe to any single school of literature. For us, the only rule to literature is “make it good.” In keeping with this and the genre-fluid nature of our MFA Program, we are interested in seeing work in a variety of forms, both experimental and traditional, from a variety of authors, from established to emerging. Literary diversity and representing the wide range of voices currently writing in America is particularly important to us. We are drawn to work that balances the head and the heart (but if you err, err on the side of pulling at our heartstrings rather than on the side of awing us with your cleverness). If you’re writing about the personal, we’ll wonder about connections to the broader social or political landscape. If you’re writing about politics or social issues, we’ll wonder about the personal impact or complications involved. No matter the form or content, if the work moves us, makes us want immediately to re-read it, leaves us with a minor grief at having finished it, it will find a home in our pages.
Please see genre-specific submission guidelines listed below. If you have questions about your submission or the journal, email us at inkwell [at] mville.edu.
Poets may submit up to 5 poems for consideration, totaling no more than 8 single-spaced pages. Please submit poems in one compiled file. Use a standard font such as Times New Roman, and include a page break between individual poems. In the "Title" field, include all poem titles, separated by semicolons.
- Include last name and page number on every page.
- Please attach only Microsoft Word (.docx) files.
- Please write a cover letter for your submission that includes the title(s) of your work, your contact information (email and phone), and a short bio telling us what we need to know about you and how you identify so that we can meet your work on its own terms.
- Work must be previously unpublished in print or online, including on social media, on personal blogs, or elsewhere on the Internet. Once your work is accepted, we retain first North American serial rights; publication rights revert to you upon publication.
- We welcome simultaneous submissions, as long as you notify us immediately when work has been accepted elsewhere.
- Current Manhattanville students and employees are not eligible to be published in the magazine. Manhattanville MFA Program alum must wait 4 years from their graduation date before submitting work to the journal.
- Please allow 3-6 months for response while we open-heartedly consider your work and determine its fit for the journal. During this time period, please do not query the editors about your submission.
- Authors who were published in Issue 40 are not eligible to have their submissions considered for Issue 41.
- We can only accept submissions from authors who are above 18 years of age.
- To attract the broadest possible range of literary voices, we do not currently charge a submission fee. We do hope that you’ll consider contributing $3 to our Tip Jar. Submittable ain’t free.
- · If you have questions about your submission or the journal, email us at inkwell [at] mville.edu.
Thank you for sending your work our way!
Authors may submit up to three pieces of short fiction (flash fiction or short story), keeping the total submission under 3,000 words. We are open to viewing works of any genre within fiction
- Total submission not exceed 3,000 words.
- Include last name and page number on every page.
- All pieces should be in Times New Roman, 12pt font, and 2.0 spaced. However, we are open to accepting different font if it is crucial to the piece you are submitting.
- Please attach only Microsoft Word (docx) files. Please submit your short stories and flash fiction pieces in separate files.
- Please make sure your contact information in Submittable is correct so that we can communicate with you; and please help us out by using at least part of your title in your file name!
- Please write a cover letter for your submission that includes the title(s) of your work, your contact information (email and phone), and a short bio telling us what we need to know about you and how you identify so that we can meet your work on its own terms.
- Work must be previously unpublished in print or online, including on social media, on personal blogs, or elsewhere on the Internet. Once your work is accepted, we retain first North American serial rights; publication rights revert to you upon publication.
- We welcome simultaneous submissions, as long as you notify us immediately when work has been accepted elsewhere.
- Current Manhattanville students and employees are not eligible to be published in the magazine. Manhattanville MFA Program alum must wait 4 years from their graduation date before submitting work to the journal.
- Authors who were published in Issue 40 are not eligible to have their submissions considered for Issue 41.
- We can only accept submission from authors who are above 18 years of age.
- Please allow 3-6 months for response while we open-heartedly consider your work and determine its fit for the journal. During this time period, please do not query the editors about your submission.
- To attract the broadest possible range of literary voices, we do not currently charge a submission fee. We do hope that you’ll consider contributing $3 to our Tip Jar. Submittable ain’t free.
- If you have questions about your submission or the journal, email us at inkwell [at] mville.edu
Thank you for sending your work our way!
The main criterion for selection of creative nonfiction is the quality of your work. Send your best work that explores, questions and challenges the form, the writer, the reader and the world--whether it’s traditional, experimental, or something else. We encourage creative nonfiction submissions from diverse voices.
- Send one story or one essay per submission, up to 3,500 words, all in one document. Please double-space and use one-inch margins. Please don't feel pressured to achieve a certain word count. We give equal attention to submissions of any length up to 3500 words.
- We do accept flash nonfiction, up to 1,000 words. You may submit up to three flash pieces in one document. Please double-space and use one-inch margins.
- Include last name and page number on every page.
- Please attach only Microsoft Word (.docx) files.
- Please write a cover letter for your submission that includes the title(s) of your work, your contact information (email and phone), and a short bio telling us what we need to know about you and how you identify so that we can meet your work on its own terms.
- Work must be previously unpublished in print or online, including on social media, on personal blogs, or elsewhere on the Internet. Once your work is accepted, we retain first North American serial rights; publication rights revert to you upon publication.
- We welcome simultaneous submissions, as long as you notify us immediately when work has been accepted elsewhere.
- Current Manhattanville students and employees are not eligible to be published in the magazine. Manhattanville MFA Program alum must wait 4 years from their graduation date before submitting work to the journal.
- Authors who were published in Issue 39 are not eligible to have their submissions considered for Issue 40.
- We can only accept submission from authors who are above 18 years of age.
- Please allow 3-6 months for response while we open-heartedly consider your work and determine its fit for the journal. During this time period, please do not query the editors about your submission.
- To attract the broadest possible range of literary voices, we do not currently charge a submission fee. We do hope that you’ll consider contributing $3 to our Tip Jar. Submittable ain’t free.
- If you have questions about your submission or the journal, email us at inkwell [at] mville.edu.
Thank you for sending your work our way!