Pre-orders directly support the creation of this unique crowdsourced book. Since we believe sharing your stories have the potential to be so uplifting and meaningful, the eBook will be available for digital download completely free as a public service.

Scroll down for full story submission guidelines and the submission form. You don't need to pre-order the book for your story to be considered.

• Jump to Submission Guidelines

ABOUT THE BOOK

By Fans, For Fans

Chapters Led by Amanda
With candid honesty, Amanda delves into a spectrum of topics encompassing self-confidence, friendship, anxiety, and self-reflection. Through her personal stories, she illuminates the common humanity we all share.

Stories from Special Guests
We will bring in highly relevant special celebrity guests to contribute their personal stories relating to a particular perspective or issue.

Call for Your Stories - Now Open
Most importantly, we want stories to hear stories from you. We will be asking over a dozen questions throughout the next 5 months. Read the questions carefully and watch the videos we release to help you structure your story.

Submission Guidlines

Our Current Prompts

Watch the Playlist above to hear us discuss each topic or review the prompts below. The submission form is further down.1. How has fandom saved/changed/affected your life?2. Describe yourself in one word, and do it 10 times. (e.g. Brave, Shy, Strong, Scared, etc.) We'd love to create cool graph or word cloud out of it. And if you'd like, ask yourself, "Why?" Why did these words come to mind?3. Jack O’Neill goes throughout the entire series unable to forgive. He’s unable to forgive his friend Cromwell and their friendship deteriorates. He’s unable to forgive himself over his son’s Charlie’s death even when he believed his wife Sara had. (You can include yourself) Write a letter of forgiveness to someone who has caused you pain.4. At The Companion, we've talked about glimmers before. Glimmers are the small moments that make us feel a sense of calm, connection, and happiness. We'd love for you to submit photos of these glimmers to share with everyone (or pet photos!) and feel free to add a caption.5. Characters like Sam Carter can inspire our love of science, math, or build up our confidence. We've had a story published about how Daniel Jackson helped them understand their own ADHD and autism. What has a character taught you about YOU?6. What is your comfort song, comfort show, or comfort movie?7. Over the last few years, many of us have shared stories of grief over loved ones. What would you say to that person if you could say anything to them one last time?8. We were told that life had a certain path. You go to school, you get good grades, you get that job, and you buy that house...and so on, and so on, and so on. The reality is, that doesn't work for everyone, it might not even work for anyone. We want a chapter filled with the weird and wonderful winding paths that people have taken.9. There's this little asshole voice that lives inside Amanda's head, and it sometimes holds her back. What's holding your back? Or what are you holding onto that prevents you from moving forward?10. In a book about mental health, many of the stories are serious (as they should be). On the flip side, mental health is also about positivity and laughter. We'd love a chapter that can get people laughing out loud the whole time. Amanda is going to tell us a story about Don S. Davis and we want you to tell us your funny fandom story!11. What is your biggest fear? (One word or give us a little story to it)12. How has the love for a character, actor, or fandom inspire you or focus you? How has fandom affected your career?13. Many of you have taken time out to care for loved ones, including aging parents. It can feel like you put a pause on your career or your life becomes so overwhelming, but it can also be a gift. Share your story.14. Have you ever bonded over a show with your loved ones? Maybe your dad introduced you to Stargate or your mom introduced you to sci-fi. Tell us about how these shows, films, and games helped bring together your friends and families.15. Fandom communities have a way of coming together, being generous, and being kind for each other. Share a heartwarming story of something you've seen or experienced!16. If you've ever miscarried or had any other infertility issues, write a letter to a child that you've lost or are waiting for.17. Let's talk about Self Worth. What are some reminders that you're valuable, wonderful, and lovely? What are some stories that make it hard for you to believe.18. If you ever felt like you were the weird kid, the sick kid, or the broken kid while growing up, what would you say to the younger version of yourself or to other younger people feeling that now?Please select the question you are answering in the drop-down on the submission form below. More questions will be released every week. You may submit to more than one question.

What We're Looking For

• Fandom Focused: This project is focused on fans, friends, and families coming together through any fandom. We know not every story can be fandom related, but we encourage you to keep the focus there where possible.• Authenticity and Emotion: Share your personal experiences. Don’t hold back—let your emotions shine through. We want stories that evoke feelings of connection, hope, and inspiration.• Vivid Descriptions: Use vivid imagery and sensory details to paint a picture. Make your reader feel like they’re right there with you.• Engaging Narrative: Start your story in the midst of the action. Skip the introductions and conclusions that tell what you’re going to say or what you just said—let the story speak for itself.• Memorable Moments: Highlight specific moments and people that made a difference in your life. Acts of love, courage, and kindness are especially impactful.• Keep It Concise: You can be as short as you'd like. Some short answer questions can be 1 word. If you're submitting a story, it must be 1,200 words or less. Tight, well-edited stories have the most impact.

What We're Not Looking For

• Fiction: There's a wonderful place for fiction, but this isn't the book for it.• Dry essays, academic essays, sermons, or political rants.• Third-party articles or testimonials: If you're writing the book on behalf of a friend, family member, or someone else, please write it as first person.• Previously published work, unless it was in a small, local publication or your own blog.• A note on Poetry: We like poetry and you can definitely submit poems. Poetry is a wonderful way to tell a story. It can be a wonderful way to describe how fandom makes you feel. However, it needs to fit within the context of our fandom book or it will unlikely be considered.

Tips for a Strong Submission

• Be Yourself: Write in your own voice. Authenticity is more powerful than perfection.• Focus on Impact: Think about how your story can help others. What lessons can be learned? What emotions can be shared?• Stay on Topic: Ensure your submission relates to fandom and mental health. Keep it relevant to the themes we’re exploring and the questions we’ve asked.• Submit to Short Answer Questions: If you're unable to write a longer story, we encourage you to contribute to our short answer questions such as: Describe Yourself in 10 Words.IMPORTANT: Submitting does not guarantee placement into the book. Your likelihood of acceptance into the book is improved by keeping the suggestions above in mind, making sure your submission is free of errors (including typos and grammatical errors), and your adherence to the questions asked (these are the basis of our chapter structure). You aren't required to buy the book for your story to be considered.

Submit Below

There are two ways to submit: 1) Online and 2) By Mail. In both cases, you must fill out the form below.The submissions deadline is January 6th 2025, subject to change.

If your submission could benefit from us seeing the actual physical copy, please send it to the PO box listed below. NOTE: We are not responsible for returning your submissions. If you would like your item returned please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your submission. We will try to return what you sent, but that can't be guaranteed.Mailing Address:
The Companion
c/o Welles Davis
PO Box 1185
Greenville, SC 29602
USA

Timeline

About The Companion

What is Amanda Tapping's Embracing Mental Health as a Fandom?