Email all submissions to: offcenter@mtsu.edu

Formal Submission Guidelines for Manuscripts and Artwork:

• All manuscripts must be double-spaced for fiction and nonfiction. Poetry may be single spaced.
• Submission limitations: Up to 20 pages total; no more than 2 prose and 5 poems
• All manuscripts should be formatted in a readable (12 point) font with at least 1-inch margins
• Please include your full name on the manuscript
• For artwork, please include the title of the piece and the medium of composition (e.g. “Photo”/Watercolor)
• All submissions and commentaries (see below) should be emailed to offcenter@mtsu.edu

All Submissions: 

Regardless of medium submitted, your submission should include a composer’s commentary of up to 500 words. Things you could discuss include but are not limited to:

• What are your writing inspirations? 
• What inspired you to create this piece, specifically?
• What were some influences which guided you?
• What was your writing process for this work? Did you go through multiple drafts?
• Did you have a way of composing the piece, like a storyboard or an outline?
• Did you learn anything from this experience about yourself as a writer?

Questions about commentaries? Email us.

For the Written Word: 

We welcome content across a variety of genres, including essays, personal writing, creative nonfiction, all kinds of fiction, and poetry.

Alternate Media: 

Any video or sound project should be submitted as a link.

Who can Submit:

We welcome submissions from all members of the MTSU community: students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Applicants do need have to a MTSU email address to apply to our journal. Please email us your submission to offcenter@mtsu.edu from your MTSU email.

A Note on Copyright, Creativity, and Integrity: 

It goes without saying (but we will anyway), that you should be the original creator of your art—be it written or otherwise. Additionally, content must be unpublished elsewhere.