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

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 Director of Content 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:
My New Perspective – Due Friday, July 26 
*theme description below

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:
December 2024 Issue: Expectations – Due Friday, September 13
*theme description below

Website and Magazine Theme Descriptions:

Website Call for Submissions:

My New Perspective
*Submissions Due: Friday, July 26

How has cancer changed your perspective on life? What are some things you view in a different light after cancer? Would you view the world differently if cancer never entered your life? How do you feel about cancer shifting your perspective?

2024 Magazine Themes:

March Issue – Friendships
*Submissions Closed

June Issue – Dear Cancer
*Submissions Closed

September Issue – The Ghosts of Cancer
*Submissions Closed

December Issue – Expectations
*Submissions Due: Friday, September 13

What are some expectations you’ve experienced surrounding cancer? Have expectations from others changed since cancer? What about those toward yourself? Do you have different expectations of others after what you have been through?

Submission Requirements:

"There is no right or wrong way to share your story. Your writing might take you in a direction you didn't expect and that's OK. Write from the heart and share what you are comfortable with. I'm excited to read your submission!"
-Rachel Mihalko, Director of Content
  • 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

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.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Which of the following best fits you?*
If you don’t want to share, no problem! Just put ‘N/A’
What is your gender?*

What is your sexual orientation?*

How do you racially identify yourself?*

Theme of article*

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.