Write for Us
Write for Neurodiversified
Our submission guidelines
This article:
- Who We Are
- Submission Guidelines
- How to Apply
- If Accepted
- Writing Prompts
- Submit a Draft
- What We Don’t Publish
We are a new publication, so we cannot promise you big numbers, reads, or claps (yet). Our goal is quality over quantity.
The benefit of a smaller publication is that your work won’t be drowned out by dozens of other stories published on the same day. What we can promise is that we will not publish more than 10 stories per day. This ensures your story will remain on the front page for at least 24 hours, providing more opportunity for your work to be read and appreciated.
Who, What, and Why?
I’m Jillian, founder of Neurodiversity Manitoba. I work as a Child Advocate, Autism & ADHD Coach, and now Medium Blogger. I have a diploma in Child and Youth Work and a BA in Psychology.
The focus of Neurodiversified is informative and well-written articles about ADHD, Autism, twice exceptionality, neurodiversity, parenting, advocacy, mental health, and education.
We enjoy reading and writing about mental health, disability, inclusion, equality, social issues, psychology, and social sciences. (I could go on, but you probably get the idea).
My goal is to provide support, information, and a sense of community. I strive to educate people who want to learn about neurodiversity — both the strengths and the struggles — as well as commiserate and celebrate as we share our lived experiences with fellow neurodivergent writers and readers.
Neurodiversified is about enlightening people, about helping them take on another perspective, or teaching them something new. We are here to support each other. We will absolutely not tolerate any racism, ableism, nor submissions that tout a “cure” for any disability.
We suggest writers stick to topics about which they are well-informed. If you wish to learn more about the Neurodiversity movement:
A Safe Space
We are here to support each other. We will absolutely not tolerate any racism, ableism, nor submissions that refer to“curing” disability. We are a LGBTQIA+ safe space and welcome writers from diverse backgrounds of any and all kinds. We welcome stories from underrepresented groups from all walks of life.
Submitting to Neurodiversified
Last updated October 18, 2021
- As always, you must follow Medium’s rules and guidelines.
- You must be knowledgable on the topic about which you write. This knowledge can come from academic, professional, or personal experience.
- Your story must relate to our subject matter in some way.
Whether you are the parent of a neurodiverse child, an educator or school staff supporting neurodiverse learners, or are neurodiverse yourself: Your story must relate to neurodiversity, parenting, advocacy, or education.
- Your story must be well-written, well-researched, and include proper references or reputable links for any statements of fact.
- Your story can absolutely be about personal experiences (some of the best stories are), as long as personal stories are written from the first-person perspective.
- Yes, you may write anonymously, but please submit all stories under the same alias or pen name.
- No blatant selling, self-promotion, or advertising. Medium does not allow ads, and neither do we, however well-disguised. You may include one link to your website or social media at the end of your story, but no product placement or clickbait.
- We are writers and publishers, not proof-readers. Please check your article for formatting, grammar, spelling, and general flow before submitting. Ask a friend to proof-read for you, use a grammar and spell check app, read your story out loud to hear how it sounds. Search Medium for stories about common writing mistakes people make so that you can avoid them.
- Story length should be approximately 5-7 minutes. Aim for that ideal 5–7 minute read time, which is between 1,200 to 1,500 words. We will absolutely accept shorter or longer pieces if the content is solid. There is no need to add filler just to get to a minimum number of words, or cut exceptional content just to fit everything in.
- We’ll generally accept stories between 3–10 minutes, or 750–2,500 words if they are really strong submissions.
- Give credit where credit is due. Include proper attribution under your photos, cite your sources, and obviously don’t plagiarize somebody else’s work.
- Yes, we will accept recent previously published works, provided that they were published within the past 24 hours, and have not already been accepted into another publication.
- Please edit your SEO settings and tags prior to submitting your draft.
Apply to Become a Writer
If you have read all of the above and this sounds like a good fit for you, please submit a draft piece for consideration using this form to apply to become a writer for Neurodiversified. We aim to respond within 2-3 business days.
If You Are Accepted
If your application is accepted, you will be added as a writer. This does not guarantee that your work will be published, but it allows you to submit your current and future drafts for consideration.
Once you have submitted your draft, please allow 1–2 business days for publication. I work to respond as quickly as possible, please allow time for proofreading and editing.
Thank you and happy writing!
Looking for some inspiration?
We have compiled a collection of our writing prompts to inspire you:
How to Submit a Draft
If you’ve been accepted as a writer and don’t know how to submit your draft for review, the steps are as follows:
- Write a fantastic piece that relates to our subject matter.
- Proofread and edit your piece. (Don’t expect me to do that part for you, I’ve got my own writing to work on!)
- Click the three dots (…) beside the green “publish” button.
4. Select Neurodiversified from the list of publications.
5. Please be patient and I will work to respond as quickly as possible.
- Please allow 1–2 business days and keep time zone differences in mind.
What We Don’t Publish:
- Poetry and fiction.
- Anything hateful, bigoted, or that in any way makes our publication a less welcoming, safe place for anyone and everyone.
- Stories that are trying to sell a “cure”, or sell a product or service to the reader.
- Stories that are overtly religious in tone. We welcome people of all faiths, spiritualities, or none of the above, but we don’t push our beliefs onto anyone, and we ask our writers to refrain from doing so.
