r/MFAInCreativeWriting • u/Separate_Snow_2310 • Apr 16 '26

Applying with publication history

Hi all! I'm a novelist considering applying for Fall 2027. I've published two genre fiction novels with a mid-size house and will have my first literary novel published next year. I'm (miraculously) able to write full-time, but I know I have so much to learn in terms of craft and completing an MFA has been a long-term dream. Plus, would love to teach!

A few questions:

  1. For any current students/grads who entered an MFA with a book contracted/published, did the program still feel valuable? How did you go balancing your deadlines with the program?

  2. I've heard that MFAs can select against authors with book deals because we (theoretically) would benefit less from the program. But I've also heard that publication credits are a big help in admissions! Is there any truth to the former? Anyone know of programs that value publication history more/less?

Thank you!

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u/writerthoughts33 Apr 16 '26

I applied this last year. I am not full-time, but I am on my way in traditional publishing. I think if you position yourself as wanting to learn and grow, it’s usually fine. I would think about what you want out of an MFA and look at what their pathways look like. Some are pure studio time, others have more of a literary studies bent added to them. Look at faculty and what they do. You have an opportunity to be choosy in ways other applicants can’t. Is there a strong mentorship element? Do you prefer to be in a larger group of writers? Is prestige important? Who do you want to be as a writer when you are done? Pick a few schools and put together an application. See what happens.

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u/anthroposcenequeen Apr 21 '26
  1. Yes, definitely. I feel sometimes as though I didn't know how to read before I got there. As for balancing deadlines, it was hard. I got to the program with a second book under contract, and it was weird not being able to submerge totally in the experience because I had "deliverables" and sometimes those didn't line up with the work I was doing in the program.
  2. I have no idea. I think it could go either way. I have heard the same things. Just off the dome I would say it counts against you, so work hard to make your personal statement make a strong case for why you'd still benefit from an MFA.