How to submit your story, blog or tips

• Real stories and blog posts should be around 500-2000 words in length.  Tips and advice should be 300-500 words.
• Use your own tone of voice when writing. Real Talk is meant to be personal in style and formal writing is not necessary or desirable.
• Ideally, keep sentences and paragraphs short – this helps break up information and makes it easier for the reader to understand.
• It can be helpful to think of one person as your audience or reader. Write for them and your post should flow more naturally.

• Content can be published under a different name if preferred.
• Do not include information that could be triggering for those with an eating disorder, or at risk of one. This includes references to weight, especially in the context of loss or gain, clothing sizes, BMI, calorie intake or detailed descriptions of habits or behaviours such as purging, excessive exercising etc.
• Do not include any personal information about yourself such as your address, telephone numbers, social media profiles etc.
• Do not include information that may reveal the identity of a third party unless you have their written permission. When referring to others, use first names only or change their name if that is their preference.
• Naturally, we will not publish any submissions that include derogatory, prejudiced, or inflammatory language or views, on the basis of gender, identity, race, religion, political views, or from any other perspective.

If you would like to share your own recovery story, you can find more information here.

If you’re thinking of submitting a blog post or tips, here are some ideas for inspiration:

• Talking to your parents/partner/child/friends/school/workplace about your eating disorder
• A letter to your younger self, e.g. what does ‘recovered you’ want to say to ‘struggling you’?
• Five things to remember when…(e.g. you feel ‘stuck’ in your recovery)
• The best advice I was given during recovery
• Socialising (e.g. managing meals out/eating in public) when you have an eating disorder
• Managing work or education when you have an eating disorder
• Coping with exams (or other specific type of stress) when you have an eating disorder
• Supporting a friend/sibling/partner/spouse/parent/child with an eating disorder
• Supporting a partner/spouse with an eating disorder (ideally from both sides)
• Dangers and impact of ‘pro’ eating disorder sites/content
• People living in larger bodies and eating disorders

Please do not promote any services or products that you have used. Although they may have been useful for you, this may not be the case for others.

• You can include a photo of yourself, although this optional.
• If you wish to include a photo of someone else, you must get their written permission.
• Please do not include ‘before and after’ style photos of yourself or anyone else, or any imagery that portrays someone that is clearly very unwell with an eating disorder.

• Blog posts should be submitted as a Word document or Google Doc.  We cannot accept PDFs.
• Images should be supplied as a jpeg or png file.
• Video files should be supplied in MP4 format.
• If you wish to include weblinks to external websites, we will check those sites to ensure they follow the spirit of our guidelines.