Share your story!
Let's write a book!
You can share your story anonymously!
What is an anthology?
A book compiled of several stories by various authors is called an anthology. Our team consists of a published author, an experienced (and over-qualified) Christian editor, and a ghostwriter (among others).
What is a ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author.
Inexperienced writer? No problem!
Here’s how you can share your story depending on your experience as a writer.
I've never written anything, I don't read, I don't know anyone who is a writer.
You can choose to get interviewed by a ghostwriter we’re working with. The ghostwriting fee is $50.00 USD and should be paid by the participant.
I've never written anything and I don't read, but my friend writes.
You can ask your friend to help you write your story.
I write occasionally, I think I'll manage.
You can write the story and we’ll give you feedback.
I'm an experienced writer.
You can write the story.
The purpose of this anthology:
The sole purpose of this book is to have as many people read it as possible so we can bring awareness to a relatively unknown cult.
Please note: publishing this anthology will be very costly, it will be an investment that I will cover myself. Any proceedings from book sales will be used to cover the initial investment and cover any publication and marketing expenses in the future. This book is not expected to make a profit, making money is not the purpose of this book.
Deadline
The deadline for submissions closes on January 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
The extended deadline for submissions closes on February 14, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Guidelines and rules
Story submissions are open to everyone, however, it is important to sign up so we know whether you’re participating or not. If you changed your mind and do not wish to share your story, be sure to let us know as well.
The deadline for submissions closes on January 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Entries will be judged by a member of our team, who will be in contact with you during your writing process.
The desired word count for your submission is 5,000 words. (stories with a much lower word count may not be selected but can still be published on our website)
Entries should be submitted via e-mail in a Word file in the attachment.
Writers should send full contact information in their signup & submission e-mails, however, your entry can be shared completely anonymously (you can choose your own pseudonym).
Participating does not automatically mean your entry will be published, we have room for 15 entries and in order to make our case, only the best will be selected. Others may be shared to our blog instead.
Once winning entries have been selected, writers will receive contracts via e-mail. Once all contracts are signed, we will continue to the publication process.
Authors who participated in writing this anthology will be compensated with a free copy of the finished anthology.
Participants should not share their finished entries anywhere. The entry is for publication in the anthology alone.
Examples
These books are anthologies much like the one we’ll be making. Want to know what makes a good story for the anthology? Buy and read these books.
Writing style example:
It was a cold winter afternoon when I heard a knock on the window. There was a blizzard outside, and I wondered who would possibly go through the trouble of coming to my door. Was it someone I knew? Why didn’t they call? I folded my newspaper and put it on the coffee table as I got up from my lounge chair and set a course for the front door. As I opened the door and a cold wind blew in my face, I saw a man I hadn’t seen before. He looked in distress. “My car broke down down the road.” He began. “Is there any chance I can use your phone?” I ushered him inside and pointed him to my phone. As I set him a cup of coffee, I overheard him talking on the phone. I had expected him to call his wife, or friend, but he called the person he was speaking to his pastor. After he hung up the phone, and sipped his coffee, he enthusiastically told me about the church he was attending. Something about the way he spoke about his church and pastor resonated with me.
Possible questions to answer in your story:
- Where were you when you first encountered the church? Who introduced you to the church? What was the weather like, what time of day was it (morning, afternoon, etc…), what did so-and-so look like?
- Why did you decide to become a member? If you were born into it, what were the things you liked?
- Was there anything that made you feel as though you were different? How did that make you feel? How did people make you feel different? What did they do to treat you differently?
- What things led up to your decision to leave the church? And what was the main reason why you decided to leave?
- Was there something in the preaching you didn’t like? Why didn’t you like it?
- What made this church different? How did they make you believe the things you believed? What absurd things did you hear your pastor or fellow church members say?
- When did you leave? Did you leave on your own accord? Were you ostracized / excommunicated? Did your friends stop talking to you? Did they consider you to be outside of the will of God?
- Did you have nightmares when you were a member of the church? Did those nightmares stop once you left? Or did you get nightmares after leaving?
- How was your healing process after you left the church? Are you still healing? Do you have PTSD?
- Are you still a Christian? If you’re no longer a Christian, is that because of your experience with the church?
- How is your life now that you left? Do you regret it? Or would you recommend others to leave?
Note: this is a story about your experiences, this isn’t your testimony. No need to end the story with: if you’re a current member of this church, I recommend you to leave.
This story is meant as a short story where you are the main character.
How many signups do we have?
How many signups do we have room for?
IMPORTANT: The number of signups may exceed the number of signups we have room for, if we receive more than 15 submissions, we will either…
- …only select 15 submissions;
- …include more than 15 submissions;
- …or publish a second volume at a later date.
Participating in this anthology does not guarantee your story will be published. It depends on the quality and content of your submission. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about this.
Ready to start?
You can sign up or send us your entry via this contact form. We will be in touch with you shortly.
Receive a notification when we launch the book, simply click the button below and you will be notified via Messenger.
Other ways to share your story
I want to write a book
Writing your own book can be very costly, you have to pay for editing, cover design, book formatting, and (if you decide to let someone else do the writing) ghostwriting. In the anthology, we will cover most these costs (except the ghostwriting). If you do decide you don’t want to participate in an anthology, but do want to write a book, let us know. We know ghostwriters, editors, and authors who can help you realize your goal.
I want to film a documentary
If you have experience in filmmaking, video editing (i.e. Premiere Pro), music production, graphic design, and voice acting, let us know so we can establish a team.
Other ways to share your story
There’ve been several former members who have started sharing their stories. Some have started podcasts, others shared their experiences on YouTube and TikTok, and a few have created websites. (all links available on our resources page)