BRAVE STORIES FROM THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS “SHE”

HEY READER: There are rules. 

1. Anonymity does not give you the license to hate, to be cruel, or to judge. No keyboard attackers allowed. 

2. Controversial subjects and life experiences are a given. Just because there is not a picture of a face of the person who wrote it, does not mean they are not human. RESPECT is mandatory. Differences of opinion are encouraged, and respectful disagreements are allowed, but any hate speech or attacking will get you reported. 

#raisehowl with us and read on!

MONTHLY FEATURES

mental health

May is Mental Health month. Click below to read stories by brave women on the subject.

pride + #blm

June is PRIDE month. It’s also a very important pivotal time for the black lives matter movement. Click below to read stories curated by those within, supporting, or experiencing the LGBTQ community as well as reactions to current events.

abuse

Abuse doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone. Honoring survival and sharing your experience can be especially healing.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING FEATURES + SUBJECTS:

• Sex

• Motherhood

• Loss/Grief

• I've never told anyone this

• Family Relationships

• Finding my voice

• Diversity

• Sexual Assault + Harassment

• Work + Career

• Money

• Freedom

• Politics + Activism

• Self-Discovery + Growth

• Boundaries

• Failure

• Fear

• Body Positivity

• Faith

• How I REALLY feel

• Societal Pressures

• What's Normal

• My relationship with food

• Justice

• Mindset

• My reproductive system

What are women writing about?

We have several subjects of focus and we are always open to new stories.

Upcoming TABOO subjects that we will be sharing are: 

*Are you a current contributor? Visit our password protected page made just for you.

Interested in being a contributor? Read through the guidelines below + THEN fill out this form (also at the bottom for your convenience.

CONTRIBUTOR WRITING GUIDELINES

SheWolf’s content demonstrates our commitment to equalize all female voices, to create a safe space for those that identify as “she” to heal, process, release, and connect. We exist to deepen the female conscience, individually and collectively, and challenge the status quo, the shoulds and should-nots. 

We do this by: 

1. Creating and curating original and engaging content dealing with taboo subjects, the experience of womanhood, journeys of self-discovery, freedom, identity and growth. 

2. We accept content that creates  belonging, bravery, courage, vulnerability. We look for stories that empower, reflect, grieve, challenge, and most importantly, allow us to be human. 

3. We choose and shape content that is bold, original, deep, honest. 

Types of content we publish: 

1. Personal essays

2. Blogs

3. Stories

4. First-person narratives

5. Explorations of issues

6. Rants

7. Culture pieces

8. Intellectual thought pieces

9. Poetry

10. Illustrations accompanied by thought

How long do submissions have to be?

We will publish stories, poems, articles of any length but for SEO, the ideal blog post length should be 2,100-2,400 words, according to HubSpot data. If you submit something less than 600 words, such as a poem or statement, an explanation or elaboration on the poem to accompany is preferred. 

How do I submit to SheWolf?

SheWolf’s submissions are open to all who identify as “she.” 

Send all queries to wolfpack@shewolf.co

NOTE:

• We are a staff of ONE, with one other volunteer and we do not look at submissions everyday or every hour. While we try to connect with all queries, know that we may only get back to you if we are interested in your piece.

• Include a current email address and phone number with your submission. This is for our staff only. They will not be shared with anyone else.

• Clearly identify your submissions by titling the subject line as follows: “Submission: Essay” or “Submission: Poetry” or “Submission: Blog.”

WANT TO BE ANONYMOUS?

Why + how am I kept anonymous?

WHY: Anonymity protects the author. Many of these stories are private, special, hard to relive and talk about. Many of us would not share these stories if our name was attached to protect ourselves and others. Moreso - anonymity is the great equalizer. HERE - no voice is more important than the other. It doesn’t matter how famous you are, how many followers you have, where you’re from, what you do for work, who you’re married to, etc. This is for all who identify as SHE. It’s not about self-promotion.

HOW: If you choose to be anonymous, you are anonymous from the beginning of the sign up process, you are anonymous. You assign yourself an alias and all subjects you sign up for are assigned to your alias. Your name is never used, not even with other contributors. The only individual who has your contact information and name is Jordan Lacenski, the Owner of SheWolf and the admin of the site. All submissions are given to us and we post them, so your IP address is never linked, just ours.

What else? Just as we protect your identity - we ask that any characters or people mentioned in your work are nameless as well.

Should I send a query or just send in a complete story?

Query! That is, unless you’ve already written a completed piece. In which case, send complete pieces with the subject line “SUBMISSION: READY TO PUBLISH” and we prefer if you include an image or artwork.

What should be in my query?

Send an overall topic and a paragraph describing your story or angle with the topic. Outlines are welcome. Be sure to tell us what is new or fresh about your idea. Send writing samples, if you have them. 

What if my story was published before?

We do not republish stories. Occasionally, we may accept a fresh version of a piece that has been published elsewhere. You will be responsible for sending links of any pre-published stories so we can identify if they are different enough. 

When will I find out if my work has been accepted?

SheWolf will try to respond within 48 hours to queries. Finished stories will be notified they will be posted, but we may not be able to tell you when it will be published. Your story may align with a focus for a month in the future, in which case it may not be published until that month. 

How much does SheWolf pay?

We do not currently pay for submissions. This is NOT to further your name or your business or reputation. This is for you, personally, to heal, grow, and process. It is an outlet for you to share. 

All submissions are anonymous. 

With that said, we appreciate you, your bravery, and your story. We know that all women will benefit.

Our thank you includes a promo code for 25% off to our shop after your first contributing post.

What is your fact-checking policy?

This is more about experience, emotion, than it is about research. With that said, if a piece does require historical references or research - Writers are expected to fact check their own stories and provide those sources. If you have interviewed anyone, their name will also be anonymous. Be sure they are aware of this. You are responsible for ethical writing. Do not change quotes or submit anything that is untrue. 

A Few Quick Pointers

• SheWolf stories are written for the lay reader, not for experts.

• SheWolf will publish intellectual explorations but not those written in an academic writing style.

• Shewolf likes HONESTY, that means topics can be triggering. Curse words are welcome and allowed but should be used at a minimum. Articles with foul language will be labeled as such on our site. 

• Your submission may be shared via social media, which can allow for responses and opinions. While your submission is anonymous, please be prepared to see disagreeing comments and reactions.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All contributors agree to the SheWolf code of conduct and our terms and conditions.

The Rules:

1. The Owner is the only person to have your contact information and name to verify that you are real (not a robot) and to take payment for the community. Your information will NOT be shared with anyone at anytime (unless the subject falls under safety regulations listed in item 6)

2. 18 and older only. 

3. If you identify as a she/her - you are included.

4. Any submissions that elude to an individual being a threat to themselves or others, is currently abusive or abused can be reported FOR YOUR SAFETY and the SAFETY OF OTHERS.. This may mean the individual has threatened suicide, is repeatedly harming themselves, or has threatened to harm another person. Your confidentiality and anonymity will be void at this point.

WHAT CAN I WRITE ABOUT?

You can write about anything relating to your experience as a woman, anything that ails your heart, anything that you have learned, anything that needs healing. We have a theme each month that is featured if you need some more direction:

THEMES FOR FUTURE FOCUSES + ISSUES: 

• Mental Health, which might include topics like:

  • Anxiety

  • Postpartum

  • Therapy

  • Grief

  • Depression

  • Bipolar

  • OCD

  • Control

  • Abandonment

  • Healthy habits

• Pride, which might have multiple meanings and include topics like:

  • Killing the ego

  • Identifying as a woman

  • Late transition or coming out

  • BiSexuality

  • Do I have to fit in a box?

  • Can I have my religion and my identity?

  • Gender Fluidity

  • Raising a trans child

  • My friend, family member just came out

  • Is everyone a little bit queer?

  • My coming out story

  • I'm scared to come out

• Abuse, which might include stories like this:

  • Surviving

  • Gaslighting

  • Disassociation of abuse

  • If I saw my abuser on the street...

  • I was the last person I would have thought would end up in an abusive relationship

  • Healing after abuse

• Sex

  • Masturbation

  • My first time

  • Initiating

  • Rejection

  • # of partners

  • Waiting until marriage

  • Experimenting

  • Is my vagina normal?

• Motherhood

  • Pregnancy

  • Going back to work after kids

  • Raising a feminist

  • I was disappointed when I found out my babies gender

  • Adopting

  • Sh*t they don't tell you about childbirth

And other subjects like:

• Loss/Grief

• I've never told anyone this

• Family Relationships

• Finding my voice

• Diversity

• Sexual Assault + Harassment

• Work + Career

• Money

• Freedom

• Politics + Activism

• Self-Discovery + Growth

• Boundaries

• Failure

• Fear

• Body Positivity

• Faith

• How I REALLY feel

• Societal Pressures

• What's Normal

• My relationship with food

• Justice

• Mindset

• My reproductive system

If you're interested in contributing to any of these subjects, submit a query by emailing wolfpack@shewolf.co or fill out the form to register as a potential contributor:

*Once you have signed up for a subject, you will be given the password to submit your work anonymously.

TOOLBOX FOR WRITERS: 

• CANVA for artwork creating: https://www.canva.com/

• Hemingway to make your writing bold and clear: http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

• GRAMMARLY to edit and proofread: https://www.grammarly.com/

• Got Writers block?

  • Blog idea generator:

    • https://www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator?_ga=2.131963535.1490848554.1587152616-263984672.1585239072

• Need a blog template?

  • https://offers.hubspot.com/blog-post-templates?_ga=2.131963535.1490848554.1587152616-263984672.1585239072

More content writing tools: https://www.dreamgrow.com/content-writing-tools/