Share Your Voice With The World

Humanity explores the human condition and what it means to be alive in today’s world. Sometimes, this can be practical, lived politics as they impact our lives and how we seek to change the world around us, or a distillation of those experiences we have yet to fully unearth, in the gaps and fringes of ourselves.

We accept stories on a rolling basis.

We are looking for original, uplifting, and transformational storytelling that reflects your unique point of view and can inspire or interest others.

• You must show a unique experience together with your unique opinion (not op-eds).
• Why are you the person to write this piece and not a thousand others?
• Why can only you write this piece?

The Humanity Section at The Sentinel by Yuvoice publishes transformational stories carved out of the personal experiences of people from diverse backgrounds, many of them unrepresented as their voices and the issues that matter to them fall through the cracks, unheard.

WE WANT UNIQUELY PERSONAL STORIES

Our Humanity section is seeking personal stories set against the backdrop of your world. We are looking for uplifting, original and transformational storytelling that reflects your personality and voice, and inspires others. We publish narrative-driven political stories on various topics, including race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, health, culture, and the environment. Your voice matters, and by sharing the realities of our lives with others who have not or cannot experience the intricacies, struggles, and joys of our experience, we can begin to change peoples’ minds, perhaps even the world.

CHOOSE ONE OF FOUR SUBSECTIONS WITHIN THE HUMANITY SECTION

Activism: For us, politics is about real people, raw stories, and uncovering the heart of the events that shape our collective human existence. Politics is about the voice of the minority, the struggles of the under-represented and the challenges affecting our lives daily. We want to hear your voices about what matters to you.

Indigenous stories: As Indigenous/Native peoples, we have a multitude of stories that collectively tie us to our ancestors, this planet, and to each other. Our stories span lifetimes and will continue to live for generations. If you identify as Indigenous/Native and have stories to share about your race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, health, culture, and the environment, this section is for you.

Race, class, and the social world: This section aims to highlight and center diverse stories and perspectives about race, class, and the social world. Share and publish stories about how they have impacted your day-to-day life, your education, your relationships, and more.

Migration: Experiencing migration is one of the biggest upheavals of our lives; uprooting livelihoods, leaving behind loved ones and starting anew in an often unfamiliar environment. The stress of navigating borders, immigration laws, offices and officers is a unique experience for each of us, shaped by our identity and the destination country’s view of us. If you have experienced migration, we want to hear your stories.

CHOOSE ONE OF TWO STANDARD FORMATS

Time-sensitive breaking stories. 500-800 words: Articles of this length offer quick insights into your personal experience of breaking news from the ground. For instance, these are articles about time-sensitive events that come and go, a flash flood, a political event that sparked a response, the beginnings of a social movement.

Exposition of personal experience. 800-1500 words: Exposition articles have more time to explore personal experiences within context. In these exposition pieces, we want to understand the broader context in which your experience is situated and how it impacts your life and community.

OR GENERATE AN ALTERNATIVE FORMAT

Not everyone with a story to tell is a writer. In addition to the traditional written article, we are interested in any form of written, audio, video, image, or format that helps tell your story. We want to hear your voice in whichever way you voice it.

START WITH A SHORT PROPOSAL

Before spending the time to write an article or a piece in another medium, you might like to submit a short abstract of up to 250 words. If the proposed piece meets our goals, the editor will guide you to reach the specific audience and clarify your intent and story.

SUBMISSION PREPARATION CHECKLIST

• Ensure that your submission is already spell-checked with few grammatical errors.
• Committing to inclusive publishing, we invite you to share your demographic information, including country/ies ethnicity, identity, pronouns, etc. We understand that in some cases, due to the sensitivity of your material or location, you would prefer to publish anonymously (We will credit you as “Global Citizen”,) or under your first name only — though you will still need to share your name privately with our editors. If so, leave a note for our editors with your submission.
• You may optionally include a social media or external link where readers can find out more about you or your work.

IMPORTANT

• We’ll review your submitted story and update you if your story is accepted for editing.
• Facts are important. When setting the context, please hyperlink to relevant external sources.
• You may submit different pieces, but not the same piece to different sections of The DG Sentinel.
• Check for plagiarism, spelling, grammar, and syntax, using the following websites: paperrater.com/free_paper_grader or grammarly.com.

Lifestyle provides an inside peek into the varied ways we shape our own lives and experiences. How we choose to live, breathe, and navigate our everyday lives is exhilarating to explore.

Accepting manuscripts on a rolling basis.

We are looking for original, uplifting, and transformational storytelling that reflects your unique point of view and can inspire or interest others.

• You must show a unique experience together with your unique opinion (not op-eds).
• Why are you the person to write this piece and not a thousand others?
• Why can only you write this piece?

Must read before submission:

When you are ready to submit, please include your article along with an up to 250 word bio written in third person. Given our commitment to inclusive publishing, we invite you to share as much as you wish about yourself, including your preferred name, cultural background, geographic location, career trajectory, advocacy experiences, languages, identity, pronouns, etc.

Both components should be in the same document. Along with your article and author bio be sure to:

1. Specify the submission you are submitting to (e.g. relationships, love, lifestyle, etc.)
2. Be sure to choose a compelling title that encapsulates your work.
3. The submitted piece should be an original work of the writer and must not have been published before.

The recommended word count is 800-1500.

The Sentinel by Yuvoice understands that in some cases, due to the sensitivity of the material, or the location of the writer, you will prefer to publish anonymously (in which case the article will be credited to “Global citizen”) or under your first name only or a pen name, although you will still need to share your name with our editors. If so, please leave a note for our editors with your submission.

Multiple submissions are allowed but do not submit the same article to different sections of The Sentinel by Yuvoice.

What we’re looking for:

We are looking for uplifting, original and transformational storytelling that reflects your unique point of view and can inspire or interest others.

This is a chance to give your personal take on lifestyle and health choices and choices as they affect you in your daily life. By everything from unique memories and moments to your cross-generational experience. This is also the place to share your life’s milestones and also your new learnings. You could include features, lifestyle personal essays, and interviews.

Travel and culture

Whenever you travel, you’re bound to come across the cultures of native people. We’re seeking your personal story of travelling to a new place (often to a different country or region) and the places, people, and experiences that strike a chord. Think of stories as your homebase, perhaps on the beauty that even local people sometimes overlook.

Whatever it is, in your content, you should include unique features (historical stories, landmarks, traditions, plays, art.) that set them apart from other cultures while describing how they struck you and the feelings you’ve been having or have had since. It might even be about how your move to a different country changed your ideas on cultural differences and how they are coping with that.

Beauty and fashion

We want to hear your thoughts on innovative and local beauty and fashion trends from different parts of the world. What’s your take on them and how have you integrated them into your life? Do they adequately celebrate differences and tradition?

For instance, the centuries-old and popular cosmetic trend in Myanmar is “thanaka,” a paste made from ground bark, which is the country’s traditional natural beauty product. Styles from centuries-old Japanese kimono patterns have seen a distinct resurgence in fashion and are now finding a home in contemporary styles as a distinct registered trademark.

As for fashion, traditionally and currently, Burmese “Longyi” (a type of sarong variety) remains fashionable for women and men in Myanmar but outside borders it is a more emerging/unknown look in many other countries too.

Submission checklist

Please include the following information on submitting your piece(s):

The submission, regardless of topic, is based on personal experience and illustrates a personal angle.

• The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for acceptance.
• If the submission includes mature content such as themes of violence, sexual content, or traumatic events, a trigger warning is included in the headline.
• The submission is in a google docs format and includes a writer biography (50-250 words; third person) is included in the same document.
• Given our commitment to inclusive publishing, we invite you to share your demographic information. The Sentinel by Yuvoice understands that in some cases, due to the sensitivity of the material, or the location of the writer, you will prefer to publish anonymously (in which case the article will be credited to “Global Citizen”) or under your first name only or a pen name, although you will still need to share your name with our editors. If so, please leave a note for our editors with your submission.

Content we do not accept:

• Articles that advocate discrimination against race, gender, class, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc.
• Articles that promote religion or encourage readers to join a religious affiliation.
• Stories about abuse and/or violence without a plot or central theme/message.
• Articles that promote a specific treatment.
• Plagiarized articles or pieces that have been published elsewhere.

In our Mental Health pieces, individuals may be recounting unexpected diagnoses, combating upon symptoms impacting daily life, and engaging (and reengaging) with coping mechanisms. Are you brave enough to delve into the facets of your own mental health journey?

We accept stories on a rolling basis.

We are looking for original, uplifting, and transformational storytelling that reflects your unique point of view and can inspire or interest others.

• You must show a unique experience together with your unique opinion (not op-eds).
• Why are you the person to write this piece and not a thousand others?
• Why can only you write this piece?

Our Mental Health section covers topics ranging from gritty mental health personal stories to passionate accounts from people living through war and disaster. In particular we’d love to hear for stories, struggles, challenges, and even triumphs.

We understand that mental health is health and that the challenges we face are as numerous and unique as there are people in the world, and that’s exactly what we wish to bring from you. We want to uplift your personal story to be a catalyst for change in the way that we think about mental health globally.

The Sentinel by Yuvoice Mental Health section aims:

• To highlight personal narratives that prioritise and celebrate mental health and its effects on our people and society.
• To serve LGBTQ+/BIPOC/BAME communities, connecting them with a safe space for their personal journey through storytelling.
• To assist, improve, and advocate for the well-being of our diverse LGBTQ+, BIPOC, & BAME communities, giving them an opportunity to share their stories with the world.
• To contribute to the development of a health-positive neurodiversity community.
• To promote emerging writers/journalists with the opportunity to be a part of a community, by providing mentoring and editorial support within the field.

PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR FORMATS TO SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE:

1. Personal narratives (up to 1500 words): We welcome first person essays that discuss mental health from your own lived experience. We especially want to highlight narratives that provide authentic and celebrate mental health in all of its forms. Feel free to incorporate photographs, saved texts, images, or any type of visual or written references that enhance your narrative.

2. #ILiveOn: Personal stories about mental health struggles (800-1000 words): This section aims to highlight personal struggles with mental health issues, and how you’ve come out the other side in this powerful submission type. It also accepts: audio/video (3-5 min) and image formats.

3. Resilience — Poetry section: We are open to all poetry forms, including narrative poetry, sonnets, free verse, haikus, limericks, odes, villanelles, ballads, etc. We are looking for poets who have direct experience with mental health issues. No more than 2 entries per author.

4. Intersections of mental health and diversity (up to 1500 words): We welcome essays exploring how mental health intersects with identity, culture, and community.

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

• Check for plagiarism, spelling, grammar, and syntax.
• Please include content or trigger warnings as necessary and ensure that any sources, if used, are cited, using in-text parenthetical citations in AP style.
• Committed to inclusive publishing, we invite you to share your demographic information, such as country, ethnicity, educational experiences, languages, identity, pronouns, etc.
• We reserve the right to not publish pieces that advocate or promote discrimination against sex, gender, class, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.

Thank you for sharing your journey with us.

Fiction provides the opportunity to explore your deepest thoughts and enriches our understanding of how the world could be. From daring adventures to lovelorn dramas, please enjoy short stories regarding the fantastic and the fearful, the hopeful and the heartbreaking, and abandon yourself to your imagination!

Poetry is a window into one’s personal experiences, both internal and external. The sights, sounds, and pulses of life can be immortalized in verses that stir the soul and instill hope, happiness, and sorrow. Remember that words heal as well as hurt.

Accepting fiction manuscripts, poetry, and unproduced screenplays on a rolling basis.

We are looking for original, uplifting, and transformational storytelling that reflects your unique point of view and can inspire or interest others.

• You must show a unique experience together with your unique opinion (not op-eds).
• Why are you the person to write this piece and not a thousand others?
• Why can only you write this piece?

Guidelines:

• All submissions must be an original work written in English by the applicant.
• The Literature section is primarily looking for standalone stories and poems.
• All submissions should be owned solely by the applicant, and submissions should have never previously been published in any commercial medium, print or digital, audio, or translated from a foreign language unless they’ve only been published on a private blog owned by the author.
• We accept short stories, poetry and unproduced screenplays. Pieces can include attached media, for example images or music, if the author holds the copyright.
• Fiction stories should be 1,500 words maximum, around 5 to 10 minute reads. Screenplays should be 10 to 20 pages. There is no minimum word count for poetry.
• Multiple submissions are allowed but do not submit the same piece to different sections of The Sentinel by Yuvoice. If you have been unsuccessful, please do not resubmit unless the content has been significantly altered.
• We accept stories intended for a mature audience or that contain mature themes and subject matter. Such stories, however, should include a note about a possible trigger warning in the headline.

Content we do not accept:

• Plagiarism.
• Glorification of violence, abuse or discrimination of any kind.

Supporting materials:

• Please include a biography (250 words maximum). Given our commitment to inclusive publishing, we invite you to share as much as you wish about yourself. However we understand that in some cases, due to the sensitivity of the material, or the location of the writer, you will prefer to publish anonymously (in which case the article will be credited to “Global Citizen”,) or under your first name only or a pen name, although you will still need to share your name with our editors. If so, please leave a note for our editors with your submission.
• You may include one social media or external link where readers can find out more about you or your work.

Submission response timetable:

• As we are dealing with a large amount of submissions we are at times unable to provide individual feedback. If you have not heard from us within one month of your submission please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. Do not get discouraged though, and do send us a new piece in the future.