Selftold

Selftold is a term used to describe works or passages in which the subject or narrator tells their own story in the first person. The form emphasizes a personal voice, direct testimony, and a sense of immediacy or authenticity. Although not universally standardized in major dictionaries, selftold appears in literary criticism, publishing discourse, and digital media as a concise label for autobiographical or confessional content.

The term is typically written as selftold or self-told, with the form stemming from a combination of self and told. In practice, selftold can describe a range of formats, including memoirs, autobiographical essays, diary-style narratives, confessional novels, oral histories, podcasts, and social media posts where the creator presents life experiences in their own words.

In usage, a selftold approach may appear in fiction when a first-person narrator recounts events, or in non-fiction when authors present a direct, unmediated account. Editors and platform curators may use the label to flag content that foregrounds personal testimony over external narration. The selftold designation is often associated with appeals to credibility or intimacy, but it also invites scrutiny of memory, perspective, and possible bias.

Reception and critique of selftold content commonly emphasize both its strengths and limitations. Benefits include perceived authenticity and engaged readership; drawbacks include selective memory, subjectivity, and potential reputational risk. Some critics also examine the ethics of self-disclosure and the line between personal storytelling and marketing.

See also: Autobiography, Memoir, Confessional writing, Self-narration, Oral history.