Braver Collective is dedicated to helping survivors of sexual trauma find their unique pathways to healing.
We curate a library of Survivor Stories to show the infinite shapes and possibilities of healing. Survivor Stories are personal narratives and reflections of an individual survivor’s path to healing. These Stories help us slow down and make meaning of our own experiences. They might just move us to raise our voices, to reach toward each other, and create lasting change in the world together.
Calls for submission are reviewed on a rolling basis. When we receive your submission, you will receive an automated response, and our team will review your work. During this process, all identifying information will be kept confidential. All Braver Collective team members who review submissions are trusted and trained. The review process is informed by the submission guidelines below and the Braver Collective Code of Conduct.
Our team will be in touch with each and every survivor who submits their work, regardless of whether or not a piece moves to publication.
Once stories are selected for publication, Braver Collective staff will reach out to you about next steps. You will always be in control of what information is shared with your piece. If at any point you wish to remove your submission, just let us know. We look forward to receiving your work!
Braver Collective is dedicated to creating welcoming, accessible online spaces by, with and for survivors of sexual abuse and trauma.
There are as many paths to healing as there are people walking them. We publish stories that show us these unique paths.
We do not need happy endings or resolution.
We don’t insist you tell us the lesson.
We just want to know what healing has been like for you.
Show us your path. Let us hear your voice.
Storytelling comes in many forms. Submissions can be:
- Poetry
- Prose
- Visual art
- Video
- Audio Recording
- Photography
- Short Story
- Essay
- Memoir
- Flash fiction
- Have another suggestion? / Other
Written submissions should be no longer than 700 words.
At Braver Collective, we share a community responsibility to maintain a safe and affirming space for one another. We ask that submissions containing detailed depictions of violence include content warnings and/or an artist statement to help editors and viewers better understand the context of the piece.
Curious about what we publish? Click here to explore our Survivor Story library.
All submissions must adhere to the Braver Collective Code of Conduct.
College students: Your voice matters here.
The college years can be particularly complex for survivors. You're navigating independence, academic pressure, social dynamics, and perhaps living away from support systems—all while processing trauma that may be recent or from your past. Whether your experience happened before college, during your time on campus, or both, your story has the power to help other student survivors feel less alone.
We seek stories from student survivors that explore topics like:
Balancing healing with academic demands
Navigating campus resources and support systems
Managing triggers in dorm life, classrooms, or social settings
Finding your voice in a new environment
Dealing with disclosure decisions with roommates, friends, or partners
The intersection of trauma and this unique life stage
Your story doesn't need to be about overcoming—it can be about surviving, coping, learning, or simply being where you are right now. Maybe you're thriving, maybe you're struggling, maybe you're somewhere in between. All of these experiences matter. Your story could be the one another student survivor needs to read to feel less alone. We see you, we believe you, and we want to amplify your voice.
Submission Guidelines:
There are as many paths to healing as there are people walking them. We publish stories that show these unique paths.
We do not need happy endings or resolution.
We don’t insist you tell us the lesson.
We just want to know what healing has been like for you.
Show us your path. Let us hear your voice.
Storytelling comes in many forms. Submissions can be:
- Poetry
- Prose
- Visual art
- Video
- Audio Recording
- Photography
- Short Story
- Essay
- Memoir
- Flash fiction
- Have another suggestion? / Other
Written submissions should be no longer than 700 words.
At Braver Collective, we share a community responsibility to maintain a safe and affirming space for one another. We ask that submissions containing detailed depictions of violence include content warnings and/or an artist statement to help editors and viewers better understand the context of the piece.
Curious about what we publish? Click here to explore our Survivor Story library.
All submissions must adhere to the Braver Collective Code of Conduct.