PARENT FAQs
My child doesn't quite fit the grade range of 5-9. Can they submit? Our guidelines are limited to these select grade levels for a few reasons, including content appropriateness, and keeping a manageable number of submissions for our hardworking students in Master Class II. There are many good places for the younger and older student author to submit. Check out some literary magazines HERE. My child just finished a CTY course (or has just been accepted to CTY), but they aren't currently enrolled in a course. Can they submit? Many of our students are seasonal; certain months (like the summer months) allow time for a CTY course, and other months are full. If a student was enrolled in a CTY course within the last couple of years, they are eligible to submit. If a student has been accepted into CTY, but hasn't begun their course yet, they may submit--we just require a CTY student ID. My child is enrolled in a math (or other non-writing) course at CTY. Can they submit? Yes--any CTY course makes a student eligible. Can my child share the piece with a teacher or other adult, and receive feedback before submitting? Yes! Good writing goes through the writing process, which includes workshopping and revising. Of course, all of the writing should be done by the author. STUDENT FAQs What are the length limitations for writing? Our maximum word count is 1000. What types of pieces do you accept? We have review committees for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. We love all types of writing, even the pieces that don't fit perfectly into these categories, like script/screenplay or experimental works (a series of text messages, for example). Within a category like nonfiction, we see academic essays, personal essays, journal articles, epistolary, travelogs, and more. Diversity in the art category is just as important--in issue 1, we published the underrepresented styles of glassblowing and comic strips. Whatever style it is, we ask that artwork is submitted in a digital file. What are you REALLY looking for? We receive fewer nonfiction pieces than anything else. Give us a nonfiction piece that opens our eyes to a new understanding or perspective. For poetry and fiction, let us witness something that stirs a complex emotion. Dazzle us with language, whether it's vivid action or sublime meditation. Be original, be bold. Revise, polish. Send your absolute best. What types of pieces do you NOT accept? We DON'T accept hateful pieces, or pieces where violence or sexuality go beyond middle school appropriateness. We DON'T usually accept pieces that are didactic or heavy-handed with a religious or political message. That doesn't mean these topics are taboo--it means that we seek pieces that are inclusive of a large cross-section of readers (age, culture, life experience, geography, etc). For instance, writing a personal essay about a religious household isn't going to exclude readers like a rant against the unvaccinated would. For politics and religion, it's more about tone than topic. |