Everyone experiences loneliness. But somedays it feels like you are the only one. That everyone else is being social and you are the only one who feels alone. During the month of December we are collecting stories about being lonely. How do you deal with it? Do you embrace it? What has your loneliness taught you?

** HerStry is always happy to share stories anonymously—if your story is selected for publication, simply let your editor know you would not like your name shared **

THE RULES: 

• All stories must be true and about you.
• Stories must follow the theme in some way, interpretations can be wide.
• Stories must stay around 3,000 words.
• Documents should be double spaced, 12Pt font with 1 inch margins and in an easy to read font. Submissions not following these guidelines are subject to disqualification. Our editors read a lot of work, please have mercy on our eyes. 
• Submissions must be in .doc or .docx form—we do not accept PDFs.
• Stories are read blind. Please DO NOT put any identifying material on your manuscript. Manuscripts that don’t follow this rule will be automatically disqualified without being read. We realize personal essays may contain your name; a first name is fine.
• Please include a third person bio. Cover letters are fine, but not necessary (we don’t read them, we’re more interested in what you’ve written).
• Please submit only once per theme.
• We do not accept previously published stories.

HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. We’re looking for work from bigender/polygender persons, cisgender women, intergender persons/intersex persons, nonbinary persons/gender non-conforming persons, transgender women/transfeminine persons, two spirit. In other words, if you are a cis man, please refrain from submitting. 

 WANT PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK?

You can now receive helpful feedback by selecting the “personalized critique” option on our submissions page. While getting your work critiqued does not guarantee publication, we can help make it great for your next submissions, whether it’s to us or someone else.

$3 submission fee goes toward keeping HerStry sustainable and paying our staff. All accepted pieces receive $20 payment. 

 DUE NOVEMBER 1ST

Whether you are away at camp, starting college for the first time, or a grown adult simply missing the way things used to be, we’ve all felt homesick at one time or another. Tell us your stories of home. You can write about nostalgic summer days, but also about wishing for a home you never had. Or the home you want to make. Home is a complicated subject, let’s dig in.

 ** HerStry is always happy to share stories anonymously—if your story is selected for publication, simply let your editor know you would not like your name shared **

THE RULES: 

• All stories must be true and about you.
• Stories must follow the theme in some way, interpretations can be wide.
• Stories must stay around 3,000 words.
• Documents should be double spaced, 12Pt font with 1 inch margins and in an easy to read font. Submissions not following these guidelines are subject to disqualification. Our editors read a lot of work, please have mercy on our eyes. 
• Submissions must be in .doc or .docx form—we do not accept PDFs.
• Stories are read blind. Please DO NOT put any identifying material on your manuscript. Manuscripts that don’t follow this rule will be automatically disqualified without being read. We realize personal essays may contain your name; a first name is fine.
• Please include a third person bio. Cover letters are fine, but not necessary (we don’t read them, we’re more interested in what you’ve written).
• Please submit only once per theme.
• We do not accept previously published stories.

HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. We’re looking for work from bigender/polygender persons, cisgender women, intergender persons/intersex persons, nonbinary persons/gender non-conforming persons, transgender women/transfeminine persons, two spirit. In other words, if you are a cis man, please refrain from submitting. 

 WANT PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK?

You can now receive helpful feedback by selecting the “personalized critique” option on our submissions page. While getting your work critiqued does not guarantee publication, we can help make it great for your next submissions, whether it’s to us or someone else.

$3 submission fee goes toward keeping HerStry sustainable and paying our staff. All accepted pieces receive $20 payment. 

 DUE SEPTEMBER 1ST

Sharpen those number two pencils, we’re headed back to class! In the month of September we want to hear about your school stories. Maybe these are childhood memories or maybe as a parent you have a new perspective on what it means to be a student these days. Or, maybe you are a teacher with some serious stories to share. These back to school stories need not be about the actual first day of school, but school life in general. 

** HerStry is always happy to share stories anonymously—if your story is selected for publication, simply let your editor know you would not like your name shared **

THE RULES: 

All stories must be true and about you.

• Stories must follow the theme in some way, interpretations can be wide.
• Stories must stay around 3,000 words.
• Documents should be double spaced, 12Pt font with 1 inch margins and in an easy to read font. Submissions not following these guidelines are subject to disqualification. Our editors read a lot of work, please have mercy on our eyes. 
• Submissions must be in .doc or .docx form—we do not accept PDFs.
• Stories are read blind. Please DO NOT put any identifying material on your manuscript. Manuscripts that don’t follow this rule will be automatically disqualified without being read. We realize personal essays may contain your name; a first name is fine.
• Please include a third person bio. Cover letters are fine, but not necessary (we don’t read them, we’re more interested in what you’ve written).
• Please submit only once per theme.
• We do not accept previously published stories.
  
  HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. We’re looking for work from bigender/polygender persons, cisgender women, intergender persons/intersex persons, nonbinary persons/gender non-conforming persons, transgender women/transfeminine persons, two spirit. In other words, if you are a cis man, please refrain from submitting.
  

 WANT PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK?

You can now receive helpful feedback by selecting the “personalized critique” option on our submissions page. While getting your work critiqued does not guarantee publication, we can help make it great for your next submissions, whether it’s to us or someone else.

$3 submission fee goes toward keeping HerStry sustainable. All accepted pieces receive $20 payment. 

 DUE AUGUST 1ST

We're steeped in grief. Especially now, in this (post?) COVID world, when so many of us have lost so much. But this isn't a theme about COVID grief (though you can certainly write about that); this is a theme about the grief that is with us now, the grief that was with us long ago, and the grief that grows with us. Don't be afraid to bring us broken, heavy stories. We can handle it.

** HerStry is always happy to share stories anonymously—if your story is selected for publication, simply let your editor know you would not like your name shared **

THE RULES: 

• All stories must be true and about you.
• Stories must follow the theme in some way, interpretations can be wide.
• Stories must stay around 3,000 words.
• Documents should be double spaced, 12Pt font with 1 inch margins and in an easy to read font. Submissions not following these guidelines are subject to disqualification. Our editors read a lot of work, please have mercy on our eyes. 
• Submissions must be in .doc or .docx form—we do not accept PDFs.
• Stories are read blind. Please DO NOT put any identifying material on your manuscript. Manuscripts that don’t follow this rule will be automatically disqualified without being read. We realize personal essays may contain your name; a first name is fine.
• Please include a third person bio. Cover letters are fine, but not necessary (we don’t read them, we’re more interested in what you’ve written).
• Please submit only once per theme.
• We do not accept previously published stories.

HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. We’re looking for work from bigender/polygender persons, cisgender women, intergender persons/intersex persons, nonbinary persons/gender non-conforming persons, transgender women/transfeminine persons, two spirit. In other words, if you are a cis man, please refrain from submitting. 

 WANT PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK?

You can now receive helpful feedback by selecting the “personalized critique” option on our submissions page. While getting your work critiqued does not guarantee publication, we can help make it great for your next submissions, whether it’s to us or someone else.

$3 submission fee goes toward keeping HerStry sustainable. All accepted pieces receive $20 payment. 

In July we’re thinking about radical forgiveness. For ourselves and for others. How have you found redemption in this world? Come back from the edge after nearly losing it all? How have you made up with someone you thought you could never forgive? Or maybe you are still seeking redemption. Maybe you can’t let the person who hurt you back into your life. Maybe your redemption has actually come in the form of letting go. 

** HerStry is always happy to share stories anonymously—if your story is selected for publication, simply let your editor know you would not like your name shared **

THE RULES: 

• All stories must be true and about you.
• Stories must follow the theme in some way, interpretations can be wide.
• Stories must stay around 3,000 words.
• Documents should be double spaced, 12Pt font with 1 inch margins and in an easy to read font. Submissions not following these guidelines are subject to disqualification. Our editors read a lot of work, please have mercy on our eyes. 
• Submissions must be in .doc or .docx form—we do not accept PDFs.
• Stories are read blind. Please DO NOT put any identifying material on your manuscript. Manuscripts that don’t follow this rule will be automatically disqualified without being read. We realize personal essays may contain your name; a first name is fine.
• Please include a third person bio. Cover letters are fine, but not necessary (we don’t read them, we’re more interested in what you’ve written).
• Please submit only once per theme.
• We do not accept previously published stories.

HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. We’re looking for work from bigender/polygender persons, cisgender women, intergender persons/intersex persons, nonbinary persons/gender non-conforming persons, transgender women/transfeminine persons, two spirit. In other words, if you are a cis man, please refrain from submitting. 

 WANT PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK?

You can now receive helpful feedback by selecting the “personalized critique” option on our submissions page. While getting your work critiqued does not guarantee publication, we can help make it great for your next submissions, whether it’s to us or someone else.

$3 submission fee goes toward keeping HerStry sustainable and paying our staff. All accepted pieces receive $20 payment. 

 DUE JUNE 1ST