Redacted is an anonymous publication showcasing the stories of divorced women.
The Redacted weekly Substack column will feature anonymous personal essays about the author's experience with divorce as well as shorter form stories. A selection of longer form anonymous stories will be published as a print and digital anthology in 2026.
Writers can submit a personal essay to be considered for the Redacted Substack column and/or a forthcoming anthology, a one-sentence reflection for "Tiny Truths," or 300-word micro-essays for "Divorce Dispatches: Revelations and Reckonings."
Submission guidelines:
Subject matter: Any topic related to your personal experience with divorce
Submissions close July 31st, 2025
Anonymous personal essays for Substack column: 750-2000 words
Anonymous personal essays for print/digital anthology: 1000-3000 words
300-word micro-essays for Divorce Dispatches
1-sentence submissions for Tiny Truths
WRITERS MAY SUBMIT THE SAME ESSAY FOR CONSIDERATION IN BOTH SUBSTACK AND THE PRINT ANTHOLOGY, and are welcome to submit to more than one category at once.
Tell us about the day you left. Tell us about your mediation over Zoom, what it cost you to move or stay, how it feels to co-parent with your ex-husband, how you threw his toothbrush into the trash. Write about the moment you knew; write about the first anniversary; write about the audacity of his attorney or the passive aggressiveness of his mother. Tell us about his affair, or yours. Write about what it feels like to have "50/50" custody when you are parenting project manager. Tell us the secrets you have been carrying. Pour onto the page your rage, your shame, your grief, your glee, your ambivalence. Your story might be heartbreaking or hilarious or shocking or relatable. You might make us cringe or gasp or weep or burn with rage or nod our heads or write our senators. Write the story that has been weighing on you, and release what you have been holding. Tell us the truth, and know that none of your story will be redacted.
This publication welcomes perspectives from women, non-binary, transgender, and gender-diverse writers, excluding cis-gender men. Redacted will showcase unique voices, writing styles, and points of view—writers of all ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and other diverse lived experiences are encouraged to submit.
Considerations before submitting:
As stated in the call for submissions, while Redacted is a safe space to process and share stories, submissions that are primarily a "rant" will not be selected. Essays should contain components of a fantastic story, including: A clear inner and outer story (what happened in the story, and how did you change?)
- A narrative arc—a clear beginning, middle, and end
- A combination of showing and telling
- A clear theme
- A strong narrative voice
Payment + Optional Reading Fee
Essays that are selected for publication in the anthology will be paid. Writers will receive $125 for their essays after publication.
It is my intention to eventually compensate ALL essay writers for the Substack column. As the project gains momentum, I will be able to pay writers regularly, but in the beginning, I am asking writers to indicate whether they would consider essay publication without payment. I understand this is not an option for all writers, but if you are in a position to waive payment for your Subtack essay, please indicate that on the form.
**Tiny Truths and Divorce Dispatches are unpaid publication opportunities.
Learn more about the origin of this project and subscribe for updates here.
Submit your work here.
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