Adoptees blogging their personal stories boldly, honestly, and creatively.
I Hate Paper Mâché
AMS was the first space in which I could talk about my adoption and myself. The conversations I was a part of brought up the complexity of birth parents as well as what our hobbies were. There, adoptees are validated as individuals who happen to share an aspect of their identity.
On Thriving
The phone rings. I sit anxiously awaiting an answer with sweaty, shaky hands. I am both relieved and disappointed when the call goes to voicemail. Abruptly losing my nerve, I hang up without leaving any message. My mind and my stomach wrestle with a mix of shame, relief, anxiety, and disappointment. Almost immediately my phone rings. Answering, the person on the phone says, “Hello?” I hesitate for what feels like hours. The caller says again, “Hello?!
I Know They Saw It!
It appears that my sweatshirt serves as a litmus test.
It seems that those close to me are afraid to engage, while co-workers and those who don’t know me often express genuine curiosity.
Do you want to submit a blog?
Thank you for your interest in being featured on our blog! Submitted works will be reviewed by our volunteer editorial team. You can expect to hear from us within 7 business days after submitting your piece. While we greatly appreciate every submission, we will only move forward with pieces that are ready for publication, based on the submission guidelines below.
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We only accept submissions from writers who are active members of our AMS community, meaning you've attended at least one session (1:1 or Adoptee Lounge) within the last three months, prior to submitting your piece.
While the main focus of your piece is up to you, all submitted pieces should connect back to your experience as an AMS mentee or the impacts of working with AMS.
We will publish up to TWO posts per writer, per year.
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All pieces should represent your best writing, meaning you have edited and proofread your piece to meet our requirements before submission (i.e. your piece includes an introduction and conclusion, there are no spelling or grammar errors, writing reflects complete sentences and thoughts, you use a variety of descriptors and avoid unnecessary repetition, etc.).
Your submission should be your own original work and should not be owned elsewhere.
Your piece should not include more than one line of a song’s lyrics, for legal/copyright reasons.
Submissions should be self-referential, meaning readers don’t have to visit other sites for additional information about any details included in your piece.
Must be between 500-750 words.
All submissions must be accompanied by 1-4 visuals. These should be images that you own or have created.
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Be honest with our readers, showcasing your authentic voice and personality.
Posts that teach our readers something about the adoptee identity and experience.
Original concepts, compelling arguments, and high-quality writing.
Casual, helpful, accessible writing (i.e. always define any jargon).
Ethical storytelling, including proper attribution of data, quotations, and any outside content that may be referenced.
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Pieces that read as advertisements for AMS or any other business or organization.
Ineffective or gratuitous profanity or factual inaccuracies.
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If we decide to move forward with your submission, you will be invited to participate in the editorial process with our volunteer editorial team to ensure the highest quality content. Editorial feedback is an important step in the process and may be given to enhance readability and accessibility. You will ultimately have final approval of your edited piece prior to publication on our blog.
We reserve the right to determine when a post will be published during our publishing cycle.