Editorial Standards
Healing Stories Network publishes anthologies of first-person patient testimony. These editorial standards explain how each volume is made and the principles we hold to, so you know exactly what you are reading.
How we gather testimonies
Every account comes from a real person who has volunteered to share their experience. Each testimony is the work of a single individual. We never invent voices, and we never assemble “composite” characters from several people.
Consent and privacy
Each contributor gives informed consent before publication. Contributors decide how they are identified, by full name, by first name only, or fully anonymously, and may revise or withdraw their account at any time before a volume goes to press. We never share a contributor's private contact details.
How we edit
We edit lightly, and only for clarity, length, and readability. The voice, meaning, and substance of every account remain the contributor's own. We do not embellish, dramatise, or change what someone has told us.
What every volume contains
- A short, plain-language introduction to the topic
- Fifty single-author testimonies, organised into thematic parts
- An editor's note and a complete contents page
- A curated list of further resources relevant to the subject
The stories that did not go to plan
A book made only of success stories would be an advertisement, and we are not in that business. Every volume sets aside space for the honest, harder accounts: the treatments that did not work, the side effects, the disappointment, the decisions a contributor would make differently. Their candour is what makes the hopeful accounts worth trusting.
What we do not do
We are a publisher of lived experience, not a medical authority. Our books do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and no testimony should be read as a recommendation. Please see our Medical Disclaimer for the full statement.
Our independence
We take no payment from the companies, clinics, practitioners, or brands that contributors happen to mention in their stories. We do not accept sponsorship in exchange for coverage, we run no advertising inside our books, and we have no financial relationship with any product maker named in these pages. When a contributor praises or criticises something, it is their own view, included because it is part of their honest account, not because anyone paid for it. Our only income is the sale of the books themselves.
Sensitive material
Some accounts describe frightening or painful experiences. We handle this material with care, avoid gratuitous detail, and place supportive resources alongside the hardest chapters.
Accuracy and corrections
If you believe something in one of our books is inaccurate, or you wish to update your own contribution, write to us at support@healingstoriesnetwork.com.
Read more
You can explore our full catalogue in the Library, read free, in-depth pieces on many of these topics in our Reading Room, or, if you would like to add your own voice to a future volume, visit Share Your Story.