Nonfiction

The sphere of nonfiction is vast, and we appreciate and welcome its many modes. While we are especially drawn to essays that work in hybrid, braided, and experimental forms, that are transgressive in structure and approach, what we look for above all is strength of voice and a strong narrative arc. We’re into the personal that’s critical and the critical that’s personal; we want new lenses on our spectacles, even if briefly. 

Tell us a really good story about growth and connection with something larger; get us hooked on specificities; demonstrate to us how you’ve landed in a different place by the end of the piece. Show us something we see every day, but with an unexpected perspective. Make it memorable. Make it strange.

Before submitting, please have a look at our recently published nonfiction on MAYDAY’s website to get a sense of what we publish. In your cover letter please include a short bio of 100 words or less. We prefer submissions that do not exceed 5,000 words.

Please type and double-space your submission. We prefer .doc and .docx files, but .rtf, and Open Office files are okay, too. Please do not upload .pdf files. Please only send one submission at a time.