Grief (August 2025)

Ends on

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. 

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.
Create Your Account Have An Account? Sign In