We’re writing a book…with YOU!
We v PMDD: Wisdom for Warriors from Warriors
*First Drafts are due July 1, 2019
Following in the spirit of the Me v PMDD Warrior blog, We v PMDD will be a collection of your stories, essays, and poems about living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, the fight to survive and the journey to find hope and healing.
Every day, we see the impact that sharing our personal stories about PMDD can have on someone going through similar struggles in their own life. It’s validation in action. It’s “You are not alone.” It’s inspiration to keep going, even when it feels like you can’t. It’s the reason We v PMDD needs to be written by all of us.
If you currently live with or have a history of PMDD, you are welcome to share your story with us to be included in the We v PMDD book. We are looking for personal stories, essays, and poems on all aspects of the PMDD experience. Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:
- Your fight for the right diagnosis
- Your treatment pathway
- Seeing your struggle with PMDD in a new light
- Why you choose to raise awareness of PMDD
- Stories that touch on:
- Hope
- Empowerment
- Strength
- Perseverance
- Forgiveness
- Resilience
- Self-care
- Loving yourself
- And more!
- Managing PMDD and other aspects of life (work, family, relationships, education)
- What helps you to keep going
- How you survived your worst times with PMDD
- Choosing not to give up
- Managing/coping with specific symptoms of PMDD (depression, anxiety, rage, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, etc.)
- An ode to someone who has been instrumental in helping you through PMDD
- Silver linings that you have discovered
- The unexpected benefits of challenges
Guidelines for Submission
- Your piece should be written in the first person
- Write from the heart
- Let your personal voice shine through
- Close with a punch of emotion and perspective that will leave readers feeling more hopeful, empowered, connected, and inspired to keep fighting
- Pieces may be 500-4000 words (give or take)
- You may share a personal story, essay, or poem
- Poems may be less than 500 words
- You may submit as many pieces as you wish
- You may submit a piece that has previously been published. Please let us know if this is your case.
How to Submit
Email all submissions to [email protected]. You may attach your piece as a document (.doc, .docx, or other Word Document File) or copy/paste it into the body of the email. Contact us via email if you have any questions.
Important Dates
First Drafts are due July 1, 2019
Final Drafts are due August 1, 2019
After you submit
- Please be patient for our editor to contact you within 1 week of submitting your piece
- Some pieces may not be selected if they don’t quite fit with the theme of this book
- If your piece is selected, we will work with you to edit, refine, and format your piece as needed into a Final Draft for publishing
If your piece is published
- You will be credited as the author of your piece and are welcome to submit a brief bio and a photo of yourself which will be included in the About the Warriors section of the book. You may also use a pen name if you wish.
- You will receive a Me v PMDD t-shirt, 3 free copies of the book, and will be entitled to purchase additional We v PMDD books at a special discounted price for writers.
- You will be asked to sign our writer’s agreement to grant us non-exclusive rights to publish your story. This means that you retain ownership of your story, essay, or poem but you grant us the rights to publish it and use it again in any Me v PMDD publication or product.