Submitting Work to the MLA International Bibliography

Authors, editors, and publishers of scholarly books, articles, and websites not currently included in the MLA International Bibliography are invited to submit their publications for inclusion. Please review our submission guidelines below for details about the types of publications and subject matter included in the bibliography.

Materials for inclusion can be submitted by mail or online. Please feel free to contact us with questions.

Email: bibliography@mla.org
Phone: 646 576-5061
Mail: MLA International Bibliography, 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004

Print and electronic journals and book series not yet included in the bibliography should be submitted to the MLA Directory of Periodicals.

For inclusion criteria, including subject matter and types of material indexed in the MLA International Bibliography, visit the Content page.

Books and Articles

Submitting Books and Articles Online

Books and articles may be submitted to the bibliography by email to bibliography@mla.org. Please include a PDF containing publishing information, the table of contents, and the full text of the article or book (see below for exceptions).

Abstracts and suggested keywords may also be submitted but are not required.

Submitting Books and Articles by Mail

Books and articles may be submitted to the bibliography by mail. Originals, offprints, and photocopies are accepted. Only one copy is necessary.

If sending an offprint or photocopy, please include the following:

title of book, article, journal, and/or series
name(s) of author(s) and/or editor(s)
publisher
year and place of publication
page range of book and/or article, including Roman and Arabic numerals (e.g. xiii, 295; 27–56)
copy of pages with publishing information, table of contents, and the full text of the article or book (see below for exceptions)

Please address all mailings to:
MLA International Bibliography
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

Exceptions to Full Text Requirement for Submitted Books

Some books can be submitted without the full text. These requirements are the same for online and mail submissions. Details as follows:

Books by a single author (or multiple authors writing collaboratively) may be submitted with just the publishing information, table of contents, and the introduction. The full text is not required.
Critical editions and translations of literary works should include the full text of any critical apparatus published with the primary text, such as the introduction, foreword, afterword, or notes.

However, books with articles by multiple authors should be submitted with the full text so that each article may be indexed individually.

E-Books

The MLA International Bibliography includes monographs and essay collections published online. To be included, they must meet the following criteria:

Be examined by an indexer
Relate to language and literature
Identify the author, editor, and/or editorial board
Have a stated editorial scope (including format, update frequency, date of publication, schedule of updates)
Identify the publisher and/or sponsoring organization (cannot be self-published)
Provide for archiving (i.e., provide for continuing access)

Scholarly Websites

The MLA International Bibliography includes scholarly websites. To be included, they must meet the following criteria:

Be published only online. Sites also available in print will be indexed as such with an additional note regarding site information.
Identify the editor, publisher, or scholarly organization with contact information. Scholars’ credentials should also be listed.
Contain original scholarly content or scholarly apparatus, including tools that add utility to a text.
Be examined by an indexer who, after applying current print criteria when appropriate, designates the site as within the scope of the bibliography.

Personal or academic departmental websites, blogs, or search engines will not be indexed. Relevant articles from e-journals continue to be regularly indexed in the bibliography, and listings for e-journals are also included in the Directory of Periodicals.

To bring websites to our attention for inclusion in the bibliography, please send an email that includes the URL to bibliography@mla.org.

Online Bibliographies

The MLA International Bibliography includes online bibliographies. To be included, they must meet the following criteria:

Be examined by an indexer
Relate to language and literature
Include a stated editorial scope (including range of material, classification scheme, methodology, procedure)
Identify the publisher and/or sponsoring organization (cannot be self-published)
Provide for archiving (i.e., provide for continuing access)