Submissions
Authors should submit their manuscripts using MLA style for citations and notes. Please use parenthetical citations that reference a works cited list; notes and works cited should appear at the end of the text. Submissions to the reviews section do not need a works cited list.
We take electronic submissions in Microsoft Word format. These should be set in 12 point Times, double spaced, and use superscript for footnote numbers rather than the footnote function. Please clear all identifiers from electronic submissions, including the author and company fields in “Properties” under the “File” menu. The link to our Submittable site is at the bottom of this page under the button “Submit to MLS.” Any submissions sent directly to mls@susqu.edu must be accompanied by a cover message that includes the author’s relevant affiliations and a U.S. or international postal address.
NeMLA membership is not required to submit to MLS; however, membership is required for publication.
Submission Guidelines &
Editorial Section Information
MLS appears twice a year, in the summer and winter, is divided into a number of sections:
Articles (6,000-10,000 words): Articles should speak to the broad interests of the MLS subscribers. We are particularly interested in, and welcome submissions of, unpublished letters; annotated writers' notebooks or other primary documents of literary historical interest; edited and annotated translations of poems, short stories, and plays by writers in literatures of the modern languages; and interviews with writers and artists.
Creative Writing: We publish fiction, poetry, narrative nonfiction and autotheory, graphic narratives, hybrid-form work, multimodal/multimedia work, creative audio projects, and blended genres. For the creative writing section only, we welcome simultaneous submissions, but we ask that you withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted for publication elsewhere. While we have no length restrictions on creative work, long-form poems and novella-length fiction between 10,000 and 50,000 words will only be considered for serial publication in our MLS Serials feature. See our Submittable page for further guidelines.
Profession & Pedagogy (4,000-7,000 words): Essays may address pedagogical theory, practical teaching strategies, faculty/student collaboration, curriculum development, information technology, small college/research university dynamics, interdisciplinary work, institutional politics, graduate and faculty unionization, part-time faculty, tenure and promotion, and other related topics. Creative non-fiction that explores and dramatizes similar terrain, and that observes and articulates what is at stake in these issues for people and communities, is also welcome.
Reviews (2,000-5,000 words): We welcome reviews of any book (or books) pertinent to the discipline, but we are especially interested in receiving reviews that center on free speech, censorship, and academic freedom. We are open to a variety of perspectives, so long as the review meets high standards of scholarly rigor. In the interest of full disclosure, if you are acquainted with the author of the book you intend to review, you need to acknowledge as much. Please contact Randy Robertson at robertson@susqu.edu before submitting your review.
Summary of Ethical Practices
MLS editors and staff will maintain the confidentiality of all submissions, treat all contributors and potential contributors with respect, and adhere to the highest professional standards throughout the editorial process.
Authors will ensure that their submissions are entirely their own work, and they are responsible for obtaining any necessary copyright permissions.
Reviewers will commit to giving constructive, well-considered evaluations in a timely manner, treat all submissions with respect, maintain the confidentiality of submitted material, and inform the editor of any identified concerns.