AS YOU WERE: THE MILITARY REVIEW is a biannual, digital magazine that is published every Memorial Day and Veterans Day. 

It is published by Military Experience and the Arts (MEA) a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose primary mission is to work with veterans, their families, and civilians to publish military-themed creative prose, poetry, and artwork in our digital periodicals. Our editors are both civilian and military and are based all over. They include college professors, published authors, veterans’ advocates, and clinicians. As such our services are provided through email and online writing workshops. All editing, consultations, and workshops are free of charge.


You have a couple of options when submitting a piece to us, either of which will allow you to be considered for publication in one of our volumes:  

  • If you are willing to revise your story or poem, one of our staff will provide you with one-on-one consultation as you work through several drafts. The editors assigned to you are professional writers, educators, and published authors who have volunteered to help veterans learn the craft of writing. MEA’s primary mission is to help veterans and family members build their skills in creative expression, and we strongly encourage you to take us up on our offer. 
  • We also understand that not everyone is willing to revise their work for one reason or another, and would just like to have their piece considered for publication. We give you the option of having our editors consider your submission for publication on the basis of simple acceptance or rejection.


GUIDELINES

  • Each period, you can submit one nonfiction story and one fiction story and three poems. In other words, one for each genre. 
  • Fiction and nonfiction stories must be 3,500 words or fewer 
  • We will not consider previously published works, even if it is self-published 
  •  We will consider simultaneous submissions, just make note of it in the submission form. We would prefer that pieces submitted elsewhere be considered on an accept/decline basis. 
  • First-time writers with us must be prioritized for editing. If you've been edited by us for previous editions, we will likely work with first-time writers first, then circle back to you if we're able to. (We want everyone to have a chance to be edited)
  • Double-spaced, Times New Roman is preferred. For artwork, please include all of the information prompted on the submissions form for that genre
  • For artwork, please include all of the information prompted on the submissions form for that genre.
  •  In the past we have tried to workshop everything that’s been submitted. The average number of submissions received each period has increased well beyond our capacity, however. Beginning July 2020, we will be implementing a submissions cap per each genre that applies to those pieces seeking editorial guidance. It will be commensurate with editorial staffing in a given submission period. This will ensure that those writers with whom we can work will receive quality mentoring. We will work with as many writers as we can, but we will not be able to work with everyone. Thank you for your understanding. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Editor-in-Chief at president@militaryexperience.org  


SCHEDULE FOR SUBMISSION PERIODS


Fiction - Open July 15, 2024 to July 30, 2024

Nonfiction - Open July 15, 2024 to July 30, 2024

Poetry - Open July 15, 2024 to July 30, 2024

Artwork - Open July 15, 2024 to July 30, 2024



Ends on

MEA invites artwork from military veterans, veteran family members, and members of military communities (DOD civilians, contractors, correspondence) for publication in its annual and quarterly anthologies. We invite all artwork of all types and mediums, especially experimental works.

To be considered, artists must submit high resolution image files (please submit the highest resolution that you can and ensure that it is free from glare) of each work of art. In addition, you must include the following information in your cover letter:

1. Title of the work(s)
2. Name of the artist(s)
3. Size of the work(s)
4. Medium of the work(s)
5. Two to four sentences about the inspiration behind the piece or its meaning. Your words about the piece you are submitting are important.


Please review the MEA's copyright policy at: http://militaryexperience.org/copyright-and-privacy/


Should you have any questions, please email the Editor-in-Chief at president@militaryexperience.org



Ends on

MEA publishes work by military veterans and family members who are interested in transforming their experiences into literary poetry.

You have a couple of options when submitting a piece to us:  

If you are willing to revise your work, one of our staff will provide you with one-on-one consultation as you work through several drafts. The editors assigned to you are professional writers, educators, and published authors who have volunteered to help veterans learn the craft of writing. MEA’s primary mission is to help veterans and family members build their skills in creative expression, and we strongly encourage you to take us up on our offer. 

 

We also understand that not everyone is willing to revise their work, and would just like to have their piece considered for publication "as is." We will give you the option of having our editors consider your submission for publication on the basis of simple acceptance or rejection. 

Please note the following:

  • Please submit NO MORE THAN THREE (3) poems for consideration. Please submit all poems in ONE FILE.
  • Please submit ONLY NEW, UNPUBLISHED WORKS. We are not able to consider material has previously been presented to the public either in print or on-line.
  • SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS are OK, but please notify our editors if a poem is selected to be published elsewhere. You may do this either by "withdrawing" your entire submission in Submittable, or by attaching a note in Submittable updating the status of one or more poems in your submission.

In the past we have tried to workshop everything that’s been submitted. The average number of submissions received each period has increased well beyond our capacity, however. Beginning July 2020, we will be implementing a submissions cap per each genre that applies to those pieces seeking editorial guidance. It will be commensurate with editorial staffing in a given submission period. This will ensure that those writers with whom we can work will receive quality mentoring. We will work with as many writers as we can, but we will not be able to work with everyone. Thank you for your understanding.

Please review our copyright and privacy policy online at http://militaryexperience.org/copyright-and-privacy/

If you have any questions about the submissions process, please feel free to email the Editor-in-Chief at president@militaryexperience.org 

Ends on

MEA seeks submissions for its digital magazines throughout the year. We publish military veteran writers or family members who are interested in writing military-themed literary fiction.
You have a couple of options when submitting a piece to us, either of which will allow you to be considered for publication:  

  • If you are willing to revise your work, one of our staff will provide you with one-on-one consultation and guidance as you work through drafts. Their goal is to help you draft a polished, publishable piece. The editors assigned to you are professional writers, educators, and published authors who have volunteered to help veterans and families learn the craft of writing. MEA’s primary mission is to help veterans and family members build their skills in creative expression, and we strongly encourage you to take us up on our offer. 
  • We also understand that not everyone is willing to revise their work for one reason or another, and would just like to have their piece considered for publication. You have the option of having our editors consider your submission on the basis of simple acceptance or rejection. 

 
**Please note the following**

  • One submission per writer
  • Maximum 3,500 words  
  • Please double space the document and use 12pt font 
  • Stories must be military-themed
  • Submitting and/or working with an editor does not guarantee publication. Though all work will be considered, and every writer given an opportunity to learn and revise, we simply can't publish everything submitted to us. Editors reserve the right to reject pieces that are inappropriate, out of genre, not military themed, etc. 
  • We will not, under any circumstances, consider work that has been previously published elsewhere. 
  • If you are writing outside of your personal experience, please conduct the research required to render a piece in your  piece credibly. Our editors are here to assist you in the craft of writing, not to serve as technical advisers for technical and historical details.
  •  In the past we have tried to workshop everything that’s been submitted. The average number of submissions received each period has increased well beyond our capacity, however. Beginning July 2020, we will be implementing a submissions cap per each genre that applies to those pieces seeking editorial guidance. It will be commensurate with editorial staffing in a given submission period. This will ensure that those writers with whom we can work will receive quality mentoring. We will work with as many writers as we can, but we will not be able to work with everyone. Thank you for your understanding. 



-Please review our copyright and privacy policy at http://militaryexperience.org/copyright-and-privacy/
-Here are some specific guidelines from our editors for your reference: https://militaryexperience.org/meas-guide-to-short-fiction-and-nonfiction/


If you have any questions, please email the Editor-in-Chief at president@militaryexperience.org

Ends on

Creative nonfiction incorporates tools of fiction–narrative, scene building, dialogue, character development—to describe events. MEA strives to maintain a strict genre boundary between nonfiction and fiction, so that readers will know that a story is relaying actual happenings, as near as the writer can recollect and convey, and is not based on interpretations and substantive adjustments or imagined scenes and dialogue.

 Remembered events are of course fallible and very specific to the person, influenced by an individual’s past experiences, perspective on the moment, follow on events and so many other things. But there is real value in trying to convey events as they’re remembered, being true to events as the writer understands them to be. These recollections can always be rounded out or complimented by talking to others who were there and including their perspectives.

There may be at times be a need to change a name or detail to protect someone’s identity or not to violate OPSEC, but that’s a narrow band. Writers are asked to be forthright when working with editors about any alternations made.

 

You have a couple of options when submitting a piece to us, either of which will allow you to be considered for publication:  

  •  If you are willing to revise your work, one of our staff will provide you with one-on-one consultation and guidance as you work through several drafts. Their goal is to help you draft a polished, publishable piece. The editors assigned to you are professional writers, educators, and published authors who have volunteered to help veterans and families learn the craft of writing. MEA’s primary mission is to help veterans and family members build their skills in creative expression, and we strongly encourage you to take us up on our offer.  
  • We also understand that not everyone is willing to revise their work for one reason or another, and would just like to have their piece considered for publication. We give you the option of having our editors consider your submission on the basis of simple acceptance or rejection.

***Please note the following***

  • One submission per writer
  • Maximum 3,500 words or less
  •  Submitting and/or working with an editor does not guarantee publication. Though all work will be considered, and every writer given an opportunity to learn and revise, we simply can't publish everything submitted to us. Editors reserve the right to reject pieces that are inappropriate, out of genre, not military themed, etc.  
  • We will not, under any circumstances, consider work that has been previously published elsewhere, including self-publication
  •   In the past we have tried to workshop everything that’s been submitted. The average number of submissions received each period has increased well beyond our capacity, however. Beginning July 2020, we will be implementing a submissions cap per each genre that applies to those pieces seeking editorial guidance. It will be commensurate with editorial staffing in a given submission period. This will ensure that those writers with whom we can work will receive quality mentoring. We will work with as many writers as we can, but we will not be able to work with everyone. Thank you for your understanding. 

  

-Please review our copyright and privacy policy at http://militaryexperience.org/copyright-and-privacy/

-Here are some conventions of the genre to which editors will adhere: https://militaryexperience.org/meas-guide-to-short-fiction-and-nonfiction/ 

 If you have any questions about the submissions process, please feel free to email the Editor-in-Chief at president@militaryexperience.org  


Military Experience and the Arts