For decades, Coping® with Cancer magazine and its digital counterpart, copingmag.com, have served as a vital sanctuary for those navigating the complex, often turbulent journey of a cancer diagnosis. By providing a platform where patients, caregivers, survivors, and healthcare professionals can share their personal narratives, the publication fosters a community of shared knowledge, hope, and resilience.
Whether you are a survivor looking to inspire others through your personal history, a medical professional aiming to share clinical insights, or a poet finding catharsis through verse, Coping® offers a global stage for your voice. This guide outlines the essential protocols, editorial standards, and legal requirements for contributing to this long-standing institution in the oncology community.
Main Facts: The Mission of Coping®
At its core, Coping® with Cancer is dedicated to the human experience of illness. The editorial philosophy centers on the belief that storytelling is not merely a therapeutic exercise but a public service that bridges the gap between clinical care and emotional survival.
Submissions are accepted across several categories:
- Survivor Stories: Personal accounts of diagnosis, treatment, and life beyond cancer.
- Professional Advice: Evidence-based insights or expert perspectives from oncologists, nurses, social workers, and counselors.
- Reflections: Personal essays focusing on the emotional and psychological shifts caused by the cancer experience.
- Poems: Creative expressions of the cancer journey.
- Support Organizations: Information for groups and entities dedicated to patient advocacy.
All submissions should be directed to the editorial team at [email protected]. It is important to note that while the magazine encourages a wide range of voices, publication is not guaranteed, and all submitted materials are considered gratuitous.
Chronology: The Submission and Editorial Lifecycle
Understanding the journey of a manuscript from submission to publication is essential for contributors. The process is designed to ensure quality, accuracy, and legal compliance.
- Drafting: Authors prepare their work, ensuring it aligns with the specific editorial guidelines for their chosen category.
- Submission: The author emails the content to the designated editorial address. By doing so, the author initiates the Consent and Release Agreement.
- Editorial Review: The Coping® team evaluates the submission for relevance, tone, clarity, and alignment with the magazine’s mission. During this phase, professional editors may perform "light" or "heavy" edits to improve readability or structure.
- Copyright and Derivative Rights: Once an article is edited, the resulting version is considered a derivative work, and the copyright for that specific version resides with Media America, Inc. (MAI).
- Final Approval and Publication: If selected, the piece is scheduled for either the digital platform or the print edition.
- Post-Publication: Authors may request the return of physical materials, though the publisher assumes no liability for loss or damage during transit or storage.
Supporting Data: Editorial Standards for Diverse Formats
To ensure a consistent and professional voice, Coping® has established specific criteria for different types of submissions.
Survivor Stories
Survivor stories should prioritize authenticity. The narrative should focus on the transition from the "before" state to the "after" state. Editors look for stories that provide actionable hope or relatable challenges. Avoid overly clinical jargon; instead, focus on the emotional truth of the experience.
Professional Advice
For medical and mental health professionals, the focus must be on accessibility. While the content must be accurate and grounded in expertise, it must remain understandable for a lay audience. Citations should be clear, and the advice should be framed within the context of the patient-provider relationship.
Reflections and Poetry
These formats are inherently subjective. Reflections should maintain a coherent theme—perhaps focusing on a singular aspect of caregiving or the existential questions prompted by a diagnosis. Poetry should avoid clichés and focus on imagery that captures the unique texture of the cancer experience.
Support Organizations
Organizations seeking to highlight their services should focus on their impact. Provide clear, concise information about the services offered, who is eligible, and how patients can make contact.
Official Responses: The Consent and Release Agreement
A critical component of contributing to Coping® is the formal legal agreement between the author and the publisher, Media America, Inc. (MAI). This agreement is designed to protect both the publisher and the contributor.
The Legal Framework
By submitting material, the author grants MAI a comprehensive license to publish, distribute, and promote the work across all media, including print, the internet, and promotional materials. This includes the right for MAI to authorize third parties to reprint or distribute the content.
Indemnification and Liability
The author warrants that the submitted content is original and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party. This includes copyright, trademark, and rights of privacy or publicity. By submitting, the author agrees to hold MAI and its affiliates harmless against any legal claims—including libel or invasion of privacy—that may arise from the publication of the material. This is a standard industry protection, ensuring that the publisher is not held liable for the personal history or anecdotal claims made by contributors.
The "Edited Version" Clause
One of the most important aspects of the agreement is the status of edited work. Because MAI invests time in refining submissions, the copyright for the "edited" version is held by MAI. This prevents authors from taking a heavily edited, branded, or formatted version of their story and submitting it to other publications without express permission. Authors remain free to use their original unedited draft elsewhere, but the specific iteration produced by Coping® is their proprietary work.
Implications: Why Your Story Matters
The decision to share a cancer story is a courageous act. Beyond the legalities and the editorial guidelines, the primary implication of contributing to Coping® is the potential for profound impact on a reader’s life.
The Power of Shared Experience
Cancer is an isolating experience. Patients often report feeling like they are speaking a different language than their friends and family. By reading stories from others who have navigated the same chemotherapy regimens, the same scan-xiety, and the same emotional shifts, patients feel less alone. Your story serves as a beacon for those in the middle of their journey.
The Professional-Patient Bridge
For healthcare providers, the magazine serves as an educational tool. When doctors and nurses read the firsthand accounts of their patients, it humanizes the data. It encourages a more empathetic approach to care, reinforcing the idea that treating cancer is not just about biological intervention but about supporting the human spirit.
Legacy and Advocacy
For many, writing about their illness is a way to leave a legacy. It allows the contributor to define their experience on their own terms, rather than letting the illness define them. Furthermore, by contributing to a national platform like Coping®, you are engaging in advocacy. You are helping to normalize the conversation around cancer, reducing stigma, and pushing for better support systems for the entire oncology community.
Conclusion: Final Steps to Submission
If you are ready to contribute, start by reviewing your manuscript for clarity, tone, and emotional resonance. Ensure that you are comfortable with the terms of the Consent and Release Agreement. Remember that your work is a gift to the community—a way to turn personal pain into collective healing.
- Refine your draft.
- Ensure you are over 18 (or that you have parental consent if writing on behalf of a minor).
- Send your submission to [email protected].
- Wait for feedback. The editorial team reviews thousands of submissions and seeks to curate a balance of voices that best serves their readership.
By contributing to Coping® with Cancer, you are joining a network of thousands who have found that even in the face of the most difficult diagnosis, there is power in being heard, strength in being understood, and infinite value in the stories we leave behind. Your voice could be the very thing that provides someone else with the courage they need to face their next day.
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