Okay, ouch, but also so needed 🤣...any advice for writers who want to benefit from fellowships and residencies but don't have their MFA and haven't yet published a thing? That's always my hangup when it comes time to apply; will they even consider me since I didn't pursue higher education?
I'm also open to the idea that while I should, in fact, apply for the damn thing, perhaps I should start with submissions and simply getting my work out there. Any and all advice welcome, from anyone reading this comment!
You don't need an MFA to do anything, ever. I guess it depends on what you're applying for, but you may not even need publications. However-- maybe for you it's time to send more of your work out to journals for a while. But really, truly, anything for which you meet the criteria, just go ahead and put your name in. At the very least you're getting in the habit of applying for things and in the long run that will pay off.
This is marvelous! 😂 Legit the most helpful thing I have read this week. Will definitely be coming back to this article whenever I need to give myself a talking-to on the issue.
This is a great addendum to last week's essay, which was a perfect entry in a genre I love (artists sharing the nitty-gritty of how they make it all work). Had no idea about the co-op in Brooklyn and I really enjoyed your NYT about it.
I have a specific question. I write short stories and have published some. I've put together a manuscript of my best stories. I want to enter it in the Iowa Short Fiction Awards because, as you say very inspirationally above, why not?
The contest guidelines say no cover letter is necessary, but that I can include one if I want. Should I? Separately I've working on a "statement of work" that includes a summary of the work + my themes and interests for a workshop I'm going to apply to (because again — why not?) and I'm wondering if I should use that or a version of it.
Or just use the bio I use when submitting individual stories, which is short and goes like "Katherine's a writer, living in Spain, published in X, Y, Z, won this award," where X Y and Z are nice indie journals but nothing in the top ten (yet)?
Or send nothing and let the manuscript stand on its own?
I feel like there's a best practices I don't know about here and I'm afraid to either say too much and appear cocky or say too little and not give my work its best shot of getting out of the first-pass reader pile.
Long question, any guidance appreciated, thank you for writing this and the encouragement!
Brief cover letters, imo, are just a very human hello to whomever is on the other side of the application. No cover letter is totally fine, too, (perhaps a little mysterious) but I think the worst is a cover letter that just goes on and on. I'm a fan of human context in all things, so a little "Dear Selection Committee, Hi, I'm Katherine, Thank you for reading this, Goodbye" is always nice.
Please yell at me more about this whenever you feel the urge
ALEX! Be a friend to your friends and apply for all the things, sir! Please!
💖💖💖
Catherine Lacey calling me an idiot got me to apply to MacDowell today, extremely good stuff, thank you!
Congratulations on applying!
Okay, ouch, but also so needed 🤣...any advice for writers who want to benefit from fellowships and residencies but don't have their MFA and haven't yet published a thing? That's always my hangup when it comes time to apply; will they even consider me since I didn't pursue higher education?
I'm also open to the idea that while I should, in fact, apply for the damn thing, perhaps I should start with submissions and simply getting my work out there. Any and all advice welcome, from anyone reading this comment!
You don't need an MFA to do anything, ever. I guess it depends on what you're applying for, but you may not even need publications. However-- maybe for you it's time to send more of your work out to journals for a while. But really, truly, anything for which you meet the criteria, just go ahead and put your name in. At the very least you're getting in the habit of applying for things and in the long run that will pay off.
This is gold.
You got my attention....Pre-rejecting yourself is idiot behavior! Thank you for sharing.
The absolute best thing to arrive in the inbox today. Thank you!
😘😘😘
✊
I love this post. So much truth! Thank you!
best timing to read this article! thx :)
This is marvelous! 😂 Legit the most helpful thing I have read this week. Will definitely be coming back to this article whenever I need to give myself a talking-to on the issue.
Wow, did I need this. Thank you thank you!
This is a great addendum to last week's essay, which was a perfect entry in a genre I love (artists sharing the nitty-gritty of how they make it all work). Had no idea about the co-op in Brooklyn and I really enjoyed your NYT about it.
I have a specific question. I write short stories and have published some. I've put together a manuscript of my best stories. I want to enter it in the Iowa Short Fiction Awards because, as you say very inspirationally above, why not?
The contest guidelines say no cover letter is necessary, but that I can include one if I want. Should I? Separately I've working on a "statement of work" that includes a summary of the work + my themes and interests for a workshop I'm going to apply to (because again — why not?) and I'm wondering if I should use that or a version of it.
Or just use the bio I use when submitting individual stories, which is short and goes like "Katherine's a writer, living in Spain, published in X, Y, Z, won this award," where X Y and Z are nice indie journals but nothing in the top ten (yet)?
Or send nothing and let the manuscript stand on its own?
I feel like there's a best practices I don't know about here and I'm afraid to either say too much and appear cocky or say too little and not give my work its best shot of getting out of the first-pass reader pile.
Long question, any guidance appreciated, thank you for writing this and the encouragement!
Brief cover letters, imo, are just a very human hello to whomever is on the other side of the application. No cover letter is totally fine, too, (perhaps a little mysterious) but I think the worst is a cover letter that just goes on and on. I'm a fan of human context in all things, so a little "Dear Selection Committee, Hi, I'm Katherine, Thank you for reading this, Goodbye" is always nice.