Help Me Publish My Cancer Memoir

When I was 17 I was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. At that age, it felt like I was robbed of my life. I searched for others like me—young cancer patients I could connect with—but quickly realized how rare it was to find anyone my age going through the same thing. I felt alone.

That’s why I decided to document every step of my cancer journey in a diary with the hope of turning it into a book one day so people like me wouldn't feel alone. That book is now written, and I need your help to bring it to life.

I had plans to publish it this year, but life threw me a few curveballs. In January I was laid off work, forcing me to live off my emergency savings for months. When I finally found a new job, I had to take a significant pay cut. Just a month later, I tore my ACL, leading to an expensive surgery. Between the layoff and surgery, my finances have taken a heavy hit, and living in San Diego on a reduced salary has made rebuilding my savings difficult.

But I don’t want these setbacks to stop me from sharing my story with the world. This memoir isn’t just about my fight with cancer—it's about resilience, hope, and connection. I believe it can offer that same hope to others facing their own battles, whether it's cancer or life's other challenges.

I’m looking to raise $8000 to cover the initial costs of publishing the book, but this is subject to change as I begin the process. Here’s a rough breakdown of how the funds will be used:

Editing and Proofreading – $4000

Ensuring the book is polished and professionally reviewed for grammar, style, and flow.

Cover Design & Layout – $1,000

For professional design work to create an eye-catching cover and interior layout that looks great in print and digital formats.

Self-Publishing Fees – $1,000

Costs associated with self-publishing platforms (ISBN, distribution fees, formatting for print and e-book, etc.).

Printing Costs – $1,500

Initial printing costs for a small run of physical copies to sell or distribute.

Marketing and Promotion – $500

To help spread the word about the book through social media ads, influencer collaborations, or other marketing strategies.

If there is any money left over, it will be used for marketing and promotion, or otherwise donated to Hope & Heroes, a children's cancer nonprofit that has been with me since day 1 of this journey.

Also once it's published, I'd love to share the book with all of you who have supported me!! Thank you so much for your help in advance. This has been a long time coming and your support means the world to me <3

Artwork created by the amazing Caroline Swift Holden in 2010 while I was battling cancer <3