It Gets Better (book)
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living is a non-fiction book edited by Dan Savage and his husband, Terry Miller. Published by Dutton on March 22, 2011, the 352-page hardcover collects more than 100 essays inspired by the It Gets Better Project, which Savage started after seeing multiple LGBT youth commit suicide due to bullying.
The project invites people to share messages of hope for teens who are bullied for their sexual orientation. The book features contributions from celebrities and everyday people, including Suze Orman, David Sedaris, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. It highlights coming out, overcoming bullying, and building a positive future.
Savage explains that the project aims to show young people that life can get better and that many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adults lead happy, rewarding lives, even if their paths are different. The book’s essays reflect that optimism and resilience.
The It Gets Better Project drew enormous attention. Savage originally hoped for 100 videos, but tens of thousands were submitted, and the videos garnered millions of views online. The Trevor Project reported a noticeable increase in hotline calls after the project gained traction.
Sales of the book were strong. It appeared on IndieBound’s bestseller list within a week of publication and reached The New York Times Best Seller list in April 2011. By late April, about 24,000 copies had been sold. The book was released in several formats, including hardcover, e-book, and audiobooks, with a paperback edition planned for early 2012. Savage donated the profits to organizations helping LGBT youth.
The essays cover a range of experiences—from a medical student coming out to a Texas teen’s battle with depression—and are centered on a hopeful message: life gets better, and young people can look forward to a better future.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:24 (CET).