SUBMIT TO MER!
PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES, AND THEN SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO SUBMIT.
MER - Mom Egg Review publishes literary work on mothers, mothering, and motherhood.
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Submissions Guidelines
MER will open from April 23, 2025 to July 15, 2025 for literary submissions to our annual print issue and to MER Online Quarterly.
Early Bird (free) submissions 4/23-4/30, or until we reach our Submittable limit. (Note: as of 4/26 we have reached our submittable limit on Early Bird Poetry submissions and that category has closed. Other Early Bird genres still open, as well as all Regular submissions). CURRENTLY CLOSED.
Regular Submissions ($3 fee or free with subscription purchase) 4/23-7/15. OPEN NOW!
We will respond by November 2025. The issue will be published in April 2026.
What to submit
We publish literary work on mothers, mothering, and motherhood.
MER 24 will be a themed issue. The theme is:
MER 24: Mother & Family
Often, as mothers, we are the nuclei of families—of the legacies, obligations, and stories that orbit around us. Family of heritage, family of birth, family of choice, our greater human family: our families can be sources of support, of exhaustion, of love, of pain. Our families can pass down to us lore or trauma. For MER 24, we are exploring poems, fiction, and creative prose works that address our role as mother in these unwieldy units, how we embroider with and untangle these familial threads that can heal or hinder. Send us your poems, your family recipes, your generational myths, your memories that you’ve borne, your visions for the future.
Please read our print journal and online quarterly: http://merliterary.com
We publish poetry (up to 3 poems, no more than 5 pages), and fiction, creative prose/nonfiction, and hybrid works (up to 1000 words) on mothering or motherhood. We also seek mother-themed art. You need not be a mother to submit. Our calendar conforms to Eastern Time.
Submit work that has not been previously published online or in print. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please let us know promptly if your submission is accepted elsewhere, by using your Submittable.com account to add a note to your submission telling us which titles are no longer available for consideration.
Submissions will be considered for the print issue and for MER Online on our website unless you specify that you are only submitting for one or the other. If you have previously submitted to MER online or print, we request that you submit work other than that previously submitted.
PLEASE NOTE: If your work was included in the Mom Egg Review Vol. 23, please wait until next year to submit in the same genre to our print issue. You may submit in a different genre. If you submit work in the genre previously published, it will be considered for online publication only.
How to submit
We use Submittable for online submissions, and do not accept paper or email submissions.
Early Bird Submissions: One free "Early Bird" submission per submitter. We will accept Early Bird submissions 4/23 – 4/30, or until we reach our Submittable limits. Select Genre, “Early Bird” when submitting.
Regular Submissions: from April 23- July 15, 2025. There is a $3 fee for each poetry submission (of up to 3 poems), nonfiction/creative prose submission, art, and fiction or cross-genre submission (up to 1000 words total—can be several short pieces that total under 1000 words).
Submit free if you subscribe to the upcoming issue for a special price of $15. When in Submittable, select the option you prefer.
Cover letter: Please include the title(s) of each individual work in the submission and a brief (50-75 word) third person bio.
Submit your work in one document named "Last name, First name, Genre." We strongly prefer .doc, docx, .txt, or .rtf. If your work requires a pdf, please email us at mersubmissions@gmail.com and attach the pdf.
Poetry: Please submit up to 3 poems in a single word or text document of no more than 6 pages with the file name Last name, First name, Poetry. Please number your pages and start each poem on a separate page. Important: Please left justify your poem without indenting and single space your poem unless indenting or extra spacing is an integral part of the poem.
Creative Prose, Fiction, Cross-genre: Please submit one piece up to 1000 words, or several short-short pieces that total fewer than 1000 words in all, in a single word or text document with the file name Last name, First name, Genre. Please double space, number your pages, and put title of the submission (but not your name) on top of each page.
Visual Art: Please submit up to four works of art (drawings, paintings, photos, etc.) that relate to mothers or motherhood, in a .jpg file at 300 dpi. (MER cover is color; interior art is black and white. If your art is selected, we will request a larger file.
Scholarship Submissions: We have a limited number of submission scholarships available. If the submissions fee is a hardship, you may submit during the "Early Bird" period or email us at MERsubmissions @gmail.com with your submission, cover letter and bio. Please put “Scholarship Application” as subject line.
Contact: MERsubmissions@gmail.com (Please be sure to add this address to your email program so that you can receive correspondence from us). We will add all submitters to our mailing list (we send a bimonthly newsletter) but you may unsubscribe if you wish.
Terms of publication
You represent that you created the piece, you own the rights to the piece, and allow us to publish it. If you collaborated with anyone or thing (eg. AI) in creating the piece, you must note that on the page. MER acquires first-time publication rights to the piece. We also reserve the right to republish it in a future electronic and/or print collections. Back issues are archived indefinitely. Rights return to the authors after publication; after the contributions have appeared in MER, the authors may republish their pieces in any manner they wish but it is requested they acknowledge prior publication in MER.
We are a volunteer organization, and are unable to pay for pieces at this time. A complimentary PDF contributor copy of the complete issue will be emailed to contributors prior to the launch date. You will also have the opportunity to purchase hard copies at reduced contributor rates if you wish.
Thanks for submitting to MER. We look forward to reading your work.
Poetry
Please name your file Last name_First name_Poetry.
Please submit up to 3 poems in a single word or text document of no more than 5 pages total. If a poem continues on to another page, please put the poem's title (con'd.) above the continuation.
Please number your pages but do not put your name on the pages.
Please justify to the left margin (without indenting) and single space (unless indent or spacing is an integral part of the poem).
Creative Prose
Please name your file and title your submission Last Name First Name CP.
Please submit one piece of 1000 words or fewer, or several short-short pieces that total fewer than 1000 words in all, in a single word or text document.
Please double space, number your pages, and put title of the submission (but not your name) on top of each page.
Fiction or Cross Genre
Please name your file Last Name First Name Fiction
Please submit one piece of 1000 words or fewer, or several short-short pieces that total fewer than 1000 words in all, in a single word or text document .
Please double space, number your pages, and put title of the submission (but not your name) on top of each page.
Visual Art
Please submit up to five works of art (drawings, paintings, photos, etc.) that relate to motherhood or women's lives in a .jpg file at 300 dpi. (Mom Egg Review's cover is color; interior art is black and white). Please list the titles of your submissions in your cover letter. If your art is selected, we will request a larger file.