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The Elephant in the Room is Cancer. Tea is the Relief Conversation Provides.

January, 18th 2025: Join us for food, drinks, dancing, and author sharing — all to support our mission. Learn more here!

Submitting Your Story

We appreciate your interest in sharing your story with the Elephants and Tea AYA (adolescent and young adult) cancer community!

Please read the guidelines below before submitting using the form at the bottom of this page.

Our Brand Director will reach out to you once your submission has been reviewed. Because of the influx of submissions we receive, this will take a minimum of two weeks.

Most articles submitted will be shared only on our website, as we post three articles a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Due to the amount of submissions we receive, articles are scheduled up to three months in advance.

Current Website Submission Theme:

The Lessons I’ve Learned
*Submissions due Friday, January 30th, 2026

We have four quarterly print magazines that come out in March, June, September, and December. Each magazine issue adheres to a specific theme, and only submissions on those themes will be considered for the magazine. While we would love to include every submission in one of our magazines, we unfortunately are unable to do so. See below for the full list of magazine themes for the year.

Current Magazine Submission Theme:

What Gets Us Through (June Magazine)
*Submissions due Friday, February 13th

Website and Magazine Theme Descriptions:

Website Calls for Submissions:

  

The Lessons I’ve Learned

*Submissions due Friday, January 30th, 2026

  • What is one lesson cancer taught you that you never expected to learn so young?
  • Write about a moment when you thought you had reached your breaking point but discovered something new about your strength.
  • What has cancer taught you about control – or about the things you can’t control?
  • If you could share one thing you have learned with someone newly diagnosed, what would it be?
  • Write about a lesson that came from an unexpected place– maybe a stranger, a medical professional, etc.
  • For the Caregivers: As a caregiver, what lessons did you learn about love, limits, or resilience through supporting someone else?

2026 Magazine Themes:

March Issue – My Body, My Story

*Submissions closed


Cancer & Finances (Special Edition)

*Submissions closed

 

June Issue – What Gets Us Through

*Submission due Friday, February 13th

  • What has helped you cope during the hardest moments – and why? Think about music, journaling, pets, faith, gaming, friends, TV shows, humor, etc.
  • What routines, rituals, or distractions have become your lifelines during treatment, recovery, survivorship and beyond? 
  • Describe a moment when something unexpected helped you get through a tough day/week/year.
  • Moving forward or continuing to get through can be hard and we see you. In the moments that feel hardest, how have you shown yourself compassion or gentleness?
  • Write a thank you note to someone or something that helped get you through. This could be a real letter or a creative homage to a person, pet, book, playlist, place, etc.
  • When words failed, what still worked to show love or support? What nonverbal acts of care, presence, or shared silence held/holds meaning for you?
  • For the Caregivers: Reflect on the people, routines, beliefs, or small moments that help you keep going while supporting your loved one. What sustains you during the hardest days, and how do these sources of strength shape your caregiving experience?

 

September Issue – COMING SOON

COMING SOON

December Issue – COMING SOON

COMING SOON

Submission Requirements:

  • Suggested website submission word count: 500 – 1000 words
  • Suggested magazine submission word count: 1200 – 1500 words
  • Suggested Perkatory submissions word count: 1000 – 1200 words 
  • Poetry submissions of any word count are encouraged
Any questions? Click here to email Lisa Orr at content@elephantsandtea.org

Elephants and Tea is committed to representing the stories and experiences of all members of our herd. The following information is optional and collected only to inform the organization about who our audience is. Your responses to the following questions will not have any impact on your submission.

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Name*
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What is your gender?*

What is your sexual orientation?*
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What is your sexual orientation? (old)*

How do you racially identify yourself?*

Have you written for Elephants and Tea before?*
Theme of article*