Magazine

Submission Policies

Quick Summary

  • Original work only — no plagiarism or uncredited AI-generated writing.
  • Protect privacy — remove or alter identifying details; obtain consent if needed.
  • Rights — you keep copyright; you grant us a non-exclusive license to publish.
  • Transparency — disclose any AI assistance used for ideation or edits.

Not legal advice: These policies guide submissions to Prose For Patients and may be updated.

Copyright Policy

Ownership

  • You retain full copyright to your work.
  • By submitting, you grant Prose For Patients a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to publish, distribute, and promote your work in digital and (if selected) print formats.

Prior & Simultaneous Submissions

  • We accept simultaneous submissions — notify us immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere.
  • Tell us if the work has appeared publicly before (blogs, forums, social posts, or prior publication).

Reuse After Publication

  • You may republish your piece after our first publication. We appreciate a line such as: "First published by Prose For Patients."

Takedowns & Corrections

  • Contact us for corrections or takedown requests (e.g., privacy concerns). We'll review promptly.

AI & Plagiarism Policy

Originality Requirements Required

  • Submit your original writing. Plagiarism (including close paraphrase) is prohibited.
  • Do not submit text primarily generated by AI tools.

Permitted AI Assistance (With Disclosure)

  • Light-touch support (e.g., brainstorming prompts, grammar suggestions) is allowed only if the final voice, structure, and ideas are yours.
  • Disclose any AI assistance briefly in your submission form (e.g., "Used grammar suggestions").

What's Not Allowed

  • Submitting AI-generated drafts as your own.
  • Using AI to mimic another author's style or to fabricate patient stories.
  • Unattributed quotes or ideas from any source.

Verification & Consequences

  • We may use plagiarism/AI-detection checks and request revisions or process notes.
  • Violations may result in rejection, retraction, and/or future submission bans.

Privacy, Consent & Clinical Confidentiality

  • De-identify all patient information: change names, ages, dates, room numbers, locations, and any specific details that could reveal identity.
  • Consent: If a story could reasonably identify a person, obtain written permission or avoid submitting it.
  • Composites: If combining experiences into a composite, say so in an author's note upon acceptance.
  • No clinical advice: Do not include medical guidance or instructions.
  • Professional obligations: If you are bound by privacy rules (e.g., HIPAA), follow them — it's your responsibility.

When in doubt, err on the side of protecting privacy or revise to remove identifying details.

Quotations & Attribution

  • Use quotation marks for all direct quotes and credit the source.
  • Paraphrases must be substantially transformed and attributed when the idea is not your own.
  • Lyrics, long excerpts, or third-party images may require permission — avoid unless you have rights.

Editorial Process

  • Our editors may suggest revisions for clarity, privacy, and style before publication.
  • Policy updates may occur; the version on this page at time of acceptance applies.

Last updated: September 8, 2025

Questions?

Reach us at proseforpatients@gmail.com — we're happy to help before you submit.