KTHT Guide for Writers and Readers
Personal essays can be both inspiring and healing, providing insights, coping strategies, and hope for the reader through others’ journeys.
I came across KTHT on Medium in 2021 when looking for a space where writers experiences were respected by the magazine’s community. A safe space, yet one that valued open discussions about topics many would find difficult to talk about. I found that in abundance on KTHT.
I am not a person who feels the need to hide, I think my words are as valuable as anyone else’s, but I was aware that some of my memoirs put me in a vulnerable spot, which could have left me open to criticism or judgment.
Sharing deeply personal stories is courageous, but also acts as an invitation for others to dissect moments of your life that you’ve worked hard to process and understand. It’s a risk. Which is why I had to make sure my stories were in safe hands.
Finding KTHT on Medium was a godsend. I soon published there regularly, became an editor six months ago, and now am thrilled to be with Diana at the start of the substack version of the publication.
Diana has already shared our mission:
We value truth — the truth that so many of us have been holding back, afraid to let ourselves be heard, but which is so necessary to let out in order to heal. We believe that in doing so we not only heal parts of ourselves but also inspire others to do the same and remind them that they’re not alone…
Now I am here to delve into what we are looking for, how you can contribute and why you would want to. As well as what's in it for the reader, too.
Writers
1) What we are looking for
At present, we are looking for personal essays.
A personal essay reflects on an important life experience, offering lessons through the writer’s first-person perspective. Whether presented as a formal essay or through storytelling, its tone should resonate with readers. These essays can inspire, uplift, or caution by sharing meaningful insights from the author’s life journey.
The process of writing such pieces may also lead the author to uncover personal revelations they hadn’t previously considered.
Please have a look at some of the essays - in the archive so far - on KTHT to get an idea of what we are looking for:
Archive - Know Thyself, Heal Thyself
For more information on writing reflective personal essays, check out
2) What we offer writers
Visibility: Know Thyself, Heal Thyself is a known and trusted brand with over 20,000 followers on the Medium platform. Since starting here just over two weeks ago, we’ve nearly 700 subscribers — people who will receive an email whenever a post is published. Letting KTHT host your story means reaching a wider audience and gaining visibility on Substack, giving new authors a much-needed jumpstart.
Editing: Diana and I are both seasoned editors who specialise in personal essays. By sharing your work on KTHT, one or both of us will proof and offer feedback on your draft if needed, absolutely free. This ensures your story is polished and presented at its very best, giving it the strongest chance to resonate with our growing audience.
Community: Diana and I are both firm believers in community. We will be doing everything we can to ensure KTHT is a place where writers are valued for their work and who they are. Prompts will be provided to inspire you, and regular chats will enable you to ask questions. Our DMs are open to all the writers.
Financial Incentives: As time goes on, we hope to gain enough paid subscribers so that the magazine can reward the writers. Diana and I are actively working on this behind the scenes.
Until then, we are encouraging the writers to add a Kofi link (or other tipping platform) at the bottom of their post, so readers can support individual writers via PayPal or Stripe. Kofi gives you an option to create your own button, which you can copy into your post. OR use the substack custom button facility — with a link to your Kofi donation page. (see below).
It will look like this — of course you choose the wording —
3) How to contribute
We are happy to accept previously published essays from other platforms such as medium.
If the idea of writing for KTHT appeals to you, then here's what to do:
Send a direct message to Diana or me with a link to your profile on Substack and/or Medium. Then we can have a chat and hopefully invite you to be a writer. We need your email address to do this.
Once added, you will find that KTHT will appear in your dashboard and you have the opportunity to copy over a draft.
DO NOT PUBLISH IT.
Explore some of the other stories on the publication. If you'd like to help grow our community, please share a link to an essay with a similar theme, at the bottom of your own, along with your ‘tipping linked button’ - see - Financial Incentives - above.
We will check through it and tell you when it will be published or offer some editing feedback first.
Please make sure you adjust the settings of your post to be a free one for everyone and add Personal Essay as a tag and other relevant ones.
The tags above are feature pages on KTHT, so be mindful of that when choosing your own tags.
Readers
By reading and subscribing to KTHT you are helping to amplify important voices and ensure the most impactful stories are shared.
KTHT offers readers the chance to connect with a supportive, non-judgmental community. While the authentic personal stories create a shared sense of experience, helping individuals feel understood and less alone.
Personal essays can be both inspiring and healing, providing insights, coping strategies, and hope for the reader through others’ journeys.
For those with similar experiences, the essays give validation and the assurance of being seen.
Personal stories also offer diverse perspectives, broadening the readers’ understanding and enhancing empathy. After all, witnessing how others have healed and grown through adversity can empower a person to embark on their own healing journey.
Happy to answer any questions in the comments or via DMs.
Thank you to:
& Who have already published with the magazine.
Begin your own healing journey here by subscribing :
Very good informative, May! I didn’t know you could add a Ko-fi button like that. Cool!
I was thinking about KTHT today and what I would send that way. If one has been a contributor as I have, and Diane knows me, do I still DM her? Thanks for continuing on.