Basically I contacted a real life story website regarding mine and mums story to see if it could be published.
Mum and I were both diagnosed within 1 week of eachother, both had lumpectomy, both had chemo, both had rads etc. I’m 28 and mum is 52.
They came back with a price of £800. I’ve told them the whole story, details about my mum, details about treatment, details about my family, basically everything.
I don’t think we’re going to go ahead as mum is a tad worried about it and to be honest with you I am too now. I’m scared that if I say ’ NO ’ they may still go ahead and publish it anyway, Can they do this ?
They also won’t tell me which magazine it will be going in until I give them a definate ’ YES '. Is this not a bit strange ?
Have any of you been in a similar situation, did they print what you told them ? did they twist things etc ?
I was begining to feel so much happier about finishing treatment and stuff and now i’m feeling low again and all because of a stupid magazine article.
Please don’t feel low over this Mandy. You have done so well and coming to the end of this horrendous journey, is not the time to be filling your head with negativitity.
I have no experience in this, but you are getting stressed, so here is my opinion.
You tell a story to a website, probably like telling any journalist. They pay you for the rights. £800 sounds good to me. Then they sell it to a mag or publishing house that has many mags under it’s belt. The mag can only be a woman’s mag. Take a break, woman’s own, good house keeping would be my idea of where it will land. It certainly is not an OK/ Hello type story, neither is it a story that will find it’s way into a seedy or male mag. (which I guess is what you may be thinking).
Certain mags pay £50-£250 for true life stories, I’m thinking chat etc. The ones that cost 60p so £800 is no cheap deal.
I doubt they can print things without your written consent and yes the cost buys them the story to place it where they wish.
In my opinion BC cannot be sensationalised. Mastectomy is the pits, chemo is the pits. How can they change it to make it worse or more dramatic?? Also the people who will read this story will either draw comfort or realisation or both from your story. There will probably be loads who skip passed it as they cannot and think will never relate to your tale.
I guess you step into the unknown with this, but surely you can ask them more questions if you want. By the way if they could fabricate and sensationalise a story. Surely they could invent their own ficticious tale and save the £800.
This is all just my opinion of course. I may be sooo wrong. However, I always fancied telling my story, it has many twists and turns and could only give realisation to this disease or comfort to someone who thinks it is the end of the world. At £800 I would definately sell it.
I was contacted recently via my local BC group as reporter wanted a different angle to cover breast awareness month, I was classed as different due to age, having kids, taxotere and herceptin before NICE approval, waiting recon and a few issues with my local and main county hospitals. (and my crap prognonis) I took the details spoke through it with my husband and we both decided not to go a head. Personally I felt it was all too fresh, really dont want the stares again or my kids school mates knowing all my medical details, they also weren’t clear on what exact papers etc it would be published. I think for us it was the right decision.
However there have been ladies post on here who have gone ahead with magazine stories and while words are sometimes re-arranged they have been pretty pleased with their articles.
Re the money, have they paid you, if not can they still go ahead and publish, Claire who posts was recently in prima for their breast awareness with her mum I dont think they got paid though.
Hopefully you will get more definite replies soon.
I am a Media Volunteer for BCC and CRUK and have done several TV, Radio, magazine and paper interviews. I generally ask to read the article prior to printing just to make sure everything is ok.
You have done a good thing and someone somewhere will read it and you will of helped them get through their day.
Not sure if anyone saw this, but I did my article (prophylactic mastectomy and the problems with post surgery lingerie) in the Sun Newspaper, I advised them that it had to be true and nothing to be added or removed, that I didnt say or do. I was most impressed that they printed 2 page spread of me, and it was word for word exact to which I had said. I know the Sun Newspaper has a very bad reputation, but I must have spoken to the right person, as it was correct.
I have had so much feedback and it has all been positive and have had so many good reviews on the lingerie issues too, even to some more companies wanting my help on getting post surgery bras a better fit for women wearing prosthesis. Sometimes it takes a story to hit the nerve that will get the point across for possible change or improvements.
I have also done an article on both bras and my story in the BCC newsletter, and again this was printed word correct.
I think these days because of the sensitivity of the subject, the Media need to get it right, as it has such an impact on so many people. And letting down the various charities that some of them support wouldnt be good publicity for the Media that you are using.
As long as you read the article prior to print, and accept it, but also speak with a BCC media team as I spoke with someone and they gave me some hints and tips to say and it was good outcome for me.
I hope this helps, but I am sure any story about your journey would help so many women that will be reading it, and it may make them come forward and talk to the support volunteers on here or in their area, also there will be someone who has gone through the same or similar as you, that you make help them to know that they are not alone and there are other women (and men) that will relate to what you are saying.
good luck on what you do, and I look forward to reading it should you chose to print.
I’ve had my journey so far printed in Love It… I’ve got an ongoing saga over them changing the pictures without my consent (they airbrushed my tattoos out of my wedding pictures) but that’s another story…
If you haven’t signed a contract yet, then you haven’t officially agreed to anything. It all depends on how the story has been put together. Did you speak with a freelance journalist who pitches your story to a number of magazines? Or have you spoken with the magazine direct?
If you are now feeling that you don’t want to go ahead as planned, write/email them and explain the situation. It takes a hell of a lot to stand up and have your life printed for everyone to read, I know.
Thanks for all your comments and advice.
Mum and I have both decided to go a head with it after chatting it through.
If one person going through or just about to start treatment for breast cancer can get any hope from the story then i think its well worth it.