Submit by 7/21 to WE BEGAN AGAIN: Collected Essays on Second Chances (Edited by Christine Wolf and Eric Ronne)
Submit by 7/21 to WE BEGAN AGAIN: Collected Essays on Second Chances (Edited by Christine Wolf and Eric Ronne)
Hi, we’re Christine Wolf and Eric Ronne, and we invite you to submit your personal essays on second chances for our forthcoming book, WE BEGAN AGAIN: Collected Essays on Second Chances. The submissions window closes at 11:59pm on 7/21/25. Submit as many personal essays (up to 750 words) as you like. Cost to submit is $10/essay. Paid subscribers of Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf on Substack submit for free by using code SECONDCHANCE at checkout.
If you have a story about one of the following topics, we’re excited to read your essay (up to 750 words):
• A second chance at love after heartbreak or loss
• A career pivot or unexpected professional reinvention
• Starting over in a new place—a town, a country, or even just a new mindset
• Returning to sobriety, or beginning a journey of recovery
• Rebuilding trust with a friend, partner, or family member
• Reinventing yourself after failure, burnout, illness, grief, or regret
• Or any other moment where life gave you another shot—and you took it
Don’t see your topic? Please submit anyway! We’re looking for ANY stories involving second chances.
By paying the $10 submission fee, you help support the time, care, and editorial work required to bring this project to life. Every submission is personally reviewed by us. If selected for publication, your piece may be lightly edited with your permission.
Do you have multiple essays? Want to skip the submission fees? Become a paid subscriber of Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf and submit an unlimited number of essays for FREE.
FAQs
1. Will contributors to the book be paid?
Not financially, but here’s what you will receive:
A digital copy of the finished book
A chance to be featured in a one-of-a-kind collection launched during a real-life love story
Interviews with us once the book is published
Our deepest gratitude for helping us build something meaningful, lasting, and real
2. Can I submit more than one essay?
Yes!
3. Can I submit previously published work?
Yes, as long as you have the rights to the content.
4. Will I retain the rights to the work I submit?
Yes!
5. Can I publish under a pen name?
Yes!
6. Are you looking for uplifting stories? Vulnerable stories? Unresolved stories?
Yes. Yes. And yes.
7. How do I submit for FREE if I’m a paid subscriber to Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf?
If you’re already a paid subscriber to Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf, use discount code SECONDCHANCE and submit your essay(s) for FREE.
If you’re not a paid subscriber to Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf, your submission fee is $10 per essay.
This fee helps us cover the cost of reading and reviewing each submission, plus the design, printing, and production costs of the finished book. We’re funding this project with a combination of submission fees and our own savings.
8. How do I become a paid subscriber to Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf?
Click here.
Submission Guidelines for WE BEGAN AGAIN: collected essays on second chances
Word Count: 750 Words Max
Deadline: July 21, 2025 (the first day of our honeymoon!)
Submit: As many essays as you like
$10 per submission
FREE for paid subscribers of Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf on Substack (use Discount Code SECONDCHANCE at checkout)
Submission Process: Enter your contact info and paste your essay into the form, then pay for your submission. Submissions are $10/essay. If you’re a paid subscriber of Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf on Substack, use Discount Code SECONDCHANCE to submit each essay for FREE).
Rights: You agree to submit content you own the rights to. You retain all rights to your work.
Compensation: Contributors will not be paid, whether published in the anthology or shared by Christine Wolf on Substack and social media.
Want to Skip the Submission Fee?
Become a paid subscriber to Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf on Substack
Your subscription directly supports the making of this book—and gives you unlimited submissions at no additional cost.
Thank you for trusting us with your story. We can’t wait to read it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What inspired this project?
We’re a real-life second-chance couple creating the kind of book we wish existed when we started over. We believe stories of love—especially the complicated, messy, beautiful kind—deserve to be shared and celebrated. And, the more we thought about all our own second chances, the more we realized how much the world needs stories about them.
What kinds of essays are you looking for?
We’re looking for true, personal stories that explore what it means to begin again. We’re looking for all kinds of essays, including funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, or raw—as long as they’re honest and grounded in real experience.
Does my second-chance story have to be about romantic love?
Not at all. While we welcome essays about second chances in relationships, we’re also looking for ANY stories of starting over.
Can I use AI to write my story?
No. We’re looking for authentic, lived experiences—not machine-generated content.
Can I submit a previously published piece?
Yes, as long as you retain the rights to that piece, we’ll publish it.
Can I share my piece with others even if I’ve submitted it to your book?
Yes. You retain all rights to your work. By submitting to us, you grant us permission to publish your piece in print, digital, and audio formats, and to use it (whether a clip or the whole thing) to promote the project.
When will I be notified if my piece has been selected for publication?
We’ll begin reviewing submissions during our honeymoon in July 2025 and notify selected contributors in the Fall of 2025.
When will the book be published?
We aim to publish in early 2026.
Who’s publishing WE BEGAN AGAIN?
We’re considering our options and will keep contributors posted once we decide.
Who are you to write a book about this?
Christine Wolf is an award-winning writer, author, and trauma-informed memoir coach. She runs Expressive Writing for Emotional Healing workshops at Northwestern University and Write to Heal workshops & retreats in person and online. She publishes Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf on Substack and is the founder of two literary companies, Writers’ Haven LLC and Tinywolf Productions LLC. Eric is a visual designer and CEO of Lumen Design, providing expert web3 branding, web design, event design, custom illustration, and more. The couple met on a dating site in January 2017. Christine was divorced, and Eric was a widower. They’d each been married for 26 years. Starting over in midlife, they learned to balance families, careers, homes, and histories—and learned how to love again.
Have more questions?
Email Christine at christine [at] christinewolf [dot] com