Submit your work
There are two ways to send us your writing. It is always free to submit.
Nobody Trained Me for This
Walk the Words Press is collecting true stories from healthcare leaders about the moment they realized they had been promoted without being prepared. Submissions are open until November 30, 2026.
The idea
Most of us became leaders the same way. We were good at the clinical work, someone noticed, and a few weeks later we had a title, a team, and a budget. What we did not have was anyone showing us how to lead people. The budget training, oddly enough, was thorough.
This anthology gathers the stories from that gap. We want the version you would tell a new manager over coffee: the conversation you put off for a month, the morning you sat in the parking lot before walking in, the mistake you had to own in front of your team. And then what it taught you.
Tell the story of a moment in your first leadership role when you were in over your head, and what it taught you.
Nobody Trained Me for This is a working title.
Who should submit
Anyone who has led people in healthcare, at any level and in any setting. That includes charge nurses, team managers, clinical directors, administrators, physicians, social workers, chaplains, and therapists, whether you are in the role now or left it years ago.
You do not need to be a published writer. If you can tell the story honestly, we can help with the polish.
What makes a strong piece
- One specific moment. A single day, meeting, or decision tells more than a summary of your whole first year.
- Honesty about what went wrong. The pieces that help new leaders most are the ones where the writer was not the hero.
- What changed afterward. Show how you lead differently now because of it.
- A story, not a list. We are not looking for "seven tips for new managers."
The details
Accepted writers sign a short contributor agreement before editing begins. You will review and approve the edited version of your piece before it goes to print.
Privacy comes first
These are your stories, but other people are in them. Every piece must follow these rules.
- No identifiable patients or families. Change names, dates, locations, and any detail that could point to a real person.
- No identifiable colleagues or employers unless you have their written permission.
- Check your own obligations. You are responsible for making sure your piece does not conflict with an employer's policies or a confidentiality agreement.
We will ask you to note which details you changed, and we may request further edits on privacy grounds.
How to submit to the anthology
Email your draft or pitch and your 50-word bio to submissions@walkthewordspress.com with the subject line "Anthology submission: [your name]." Questions go to the same address.
Querying us with your book
Walk the Words Press is a traditional publisher. We cover the costs of editing, design, and production, and we pay our authors royalties. You will never be asked to pay us to publish your book.
We're a small press, so we take on only a few books a year. We read every query that comes in.
What we're looking for
Memoir and narrative nonfiction by people who work, or have worked, in healthcare or caregiving. Nurses, aides, physicians, therapists, chaplains, social workers, leaders, and family caregivers. Honest stories about what this work asks of people and what it gives back.
We are not currently looking for fiction, poetry, children's books, or textbooks.
What to send
The same privacy rules apply to every book we publish: no identifiable patients, families, or colleagues.
How to query
Email your query letter, synopsis, and first three chapters to submissions@walkthewordspress.com with the subject line "Book query: [your title] by [your name]." Attach the synopsis and chapters as Word or PDF files.