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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 can take a few 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 many months in advance.

Current Website/Perkatory Submission Theme:

When the World Moves On
*Submissions due Friday, October 9th, 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. All submissions not selected for a magazine will be published to our website.

Current Magazine Submission Theme:

Living Alongside Uncertainty (December Magazine)
*Submissions due Friday, September 11th

Website and Magazine Theme Descriptions:

Website Calls for Submissions:

When the World Moves On (Perkatory Event)

*Submissions due Friday, October 9th

  • Describe a moment when you felt like the world around you kept moving but you didn’t. What was that like? Reflect on feelings of isolation, stagnation, or disconnect.
  • How has cancer shaped who you are, in ways that others might not see or understand? Explore identity shifts that might feel invisible to the outside world.
  • What does it feel like when you watch others move forward with their lives? Explore emotions like jealousy, sadness, hope, or determination.
  • How has cancer changed your relationship with time? Have your expectations for yourself or for others evolved? 
  • For the Caregivers: As a caregiver, reflect on moments when it felt like life around you –friends, work, or society – kept moving while you were caught up in cancer care. How did/does that affect you emotionally, and how did/do you navigate feeling out of sync with the world?

The Perception of Cancer

*Submissions due Friday, October 30th

  • What’s an assumption people make about you because you have (or had) cancer? Reflect on how that has (or hasn’t) shaped your experience?
  • Have you ever felt misunderstood or misrepresented by the way society portrays cancer—through media, fundraising, or everyday conversations? Write about a moment that stands out.
  • How do cultural, religious, or generational perspectives influence the way others respond to your diagnosis?
  • Do you ever feel invisible in the cancer narrative (too young, too healthy-looking, too rare)? Tell that story.
  • Imagine writing a letter to society titled “This is what you get wrong about cancer.” What would you say?
  • For the Caregivers: As a caregiver, reflect on how others perceive your loved one’s cancer experience. What assumptions, stereotypes, or societal narratives have you noticed people applying to them–or to you? How have these perceptions affected the way you care, advocate, or interact with the world?

Magazine Calls for Submissions:

December Issue – Living Alongside Uncertainty

*Submissions due Friday, September 11th

  • Write about things that people don’t understand about living with uncertainty. Give voice to the invisible mental load that young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers carry.
  • What does uncertainty feel like to you — in your body, in your emotions, and in your thoughts? How do you notice it showing up day to day?
  • Finish this sentence: “I wish I knew…” What are the unanswered questions that keep returning?
  • How do you make plans when nothing feels certain? Explore how cancer has changed your approach to the future– short term or long term.
  • What helps you feel grounded when everything feels up in the air? Describe something or someone that made you feel certain or safe, even just for a moment.
  • Write a letter to your past self. What would you say about the unknown ahead?
  • For the caregivers: Reflect on the uncertainty you face while supporting your loved one (uncertainty about their health, the future, or your role) How does this uncertainty affect you emotionally and practically? What strategies or insights help you carry this weight day to day?

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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Theme of article*