Your true stories may be in demand by Chicken Soul For the Soul.
Even if you've never been published before, submit a story. According to Ken & Dahlynn McKowen, co-authors of four Chicken Soup For the Soul books, including Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur’s Soul, “approximately 40% of the stories accepted by Chicken Soup are from unpublished writers.”
If your story is accepted you'll be paid $200, plus 10 copies of the book you're in.
Here are some STORY WRITING TIPS to help you get started, from Chicken Soup for the Soul's own Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Amy Newmark.
I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by Amy for her Chicken Soup for the Soul daily podcast and we talked about the transformative power of both writing and reading these stories:
These are the topics Chicken Soup for the Soul is currently accepting stories for (from their Possible Book Topics page) arranged by submission deadline date:
* Stories about Christmas
Everyone loves holiday stories and our contributors write great ones. They are so good that we create a new edition for the holiday season every year. We are now collecting stories for our HOLIDAY 2020 book and we are looking for stories about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities too.
We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our lives, as we gather with family, with our communities at church, at school, and even at the mall, to share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days. Please share your special stories about the holiday season with us. Be sure that they are “Santa safe” so that we don’t spoil the magic for precocious readers!
Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:
- The True Meaning of the Holidays
- Holiday Traditions
- Memories of the Holiday Season
- The Love of Family
- Family Reunions
- Holiday Humor
- Gift Giving
- Gift Receiving
- Regifting
- Decorating
- Eat, Eat, Eat... and Be Merry
- Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child
- Christmas Through the Eyes of Your Pets!
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- Things that went wrong!
- Holiday food and traditions
- The weird things your family does
- Funny anecdotes
- ... and any other stories you would like to share
If we published your story in a previous Christmas book please do not submit it again. We will not publish it. If you submitted a story and we did not publish it and it will fit in this book, please do submit it again.
The deadline date for story and poem submissions is January 30, 2020.
* Be You (Previously titled "You Go, Girl")
The cultural landscape has changed. Women have diverse voices, aspirations, interests and individual definitions of beauty. However, no matter where women find themselves, their journeys are unique and full of purpose.
We are looking for your true stories on how you are living your best life, building quality relationships, and living well even while overcoming challenges, to be the best version of YOU. Your story will inspire and encourage women of all ages to be unapologetically themselves!
Here are some suggested topics but we know you can think of many more:
• Career/work – starting your own business, working for yourself or climbing corporate ladders.
• Dating/singleness – the good, the bad, and the crazy.
• Physical health – how you are bettering yourself through physical activity.
• Mental health – taking care of your mental health just as much as your body!
• Self-care – investing time into making yourself feel good, physically and mentally.
• Managing finances – budgeting and investing for yourself!
• Finding joy and happiness – how you have found JOY in your life.
• Body confidence – feeling good in all shapes and sizes.
• Friendships – the importance of finding and keeping friends that matter.
• Family relationships – sustaining relationships even through tough times.
• Life lessons – what storms have you been through that made you stronger?
• Tough decisions – how did you weigh options in tough scenarios?
• Sexual harassment/Abuse – how you fought back.
• Confidence – coming forward and telling the truth, like it is, regardless of the consequences
• Self-esteem ¬– understanding that you are terrific and can do anything
• Epiphanies – what motivates you?
• Being brave enough to take educated risks
• Girls and women in sports – at school, college, professionally, Olympics
• Women in what used to be considered men’s roles/jobs/occupations
• Thinking outside the box
• Becoming a role model or mentor for other young women
• What role models helped you?
• Speaking up for your rights or the rights of other women
• Balancing marriage, kids and your own independence
• Following your passion
• Raising sons and daughters who believe in women’s rights
The deadline date for story and poems submissions has been extended to January 31, 2020.
* The Magic of Cats
Our cat titles are so very popular, and you have so many great stories to share with us, that we do a new cat title every eighteen months or so. Here is another chance for you to share a story or two about the member of your family who just happens to walk on four feet!
We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your cat or the magic of a cat you know. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and magical stories you have about a cat and the magic that cat brings to your life or the life of your family!
Here are some ideas to start you out:
- My cat warms my heart and makes me smile
- My cat seems to be able to read my mind at times
- My cat improves my life
- My cat can almost talk – and I understand
- My cat makes me laugh
- My cat shows me unconditional love
- My cat can forgive and forget
- My cat shows empathy and an understanding of many situations
- My cat thinks he is human
- My cat has expectations that she assumes, as her human, I will follow up on
- My cat has some peculiar habits
- My cat loves the holidays… sleeping in the sun… riding in the car… having a bath… loud noises… my significant other… etc.
- My cat hates the holidays… sleeping in the sun… riding in the car… having a bath… loud noises… my significant other… etc.
- And any other things you can think of…
The deadline date for story and poem submissions is January 31, 2020.
* The Magic of Dogs
Our dog titles are so very popular, and you have so many great stories to share with us, that we do a new dog title every eighteen months or so. Here is another chance for you to share a story or two about the member of your family who just happens to walk on four feet!
We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your dog or the magic of a dog you know. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and magical stories you have about a dog and the magic that dog brings to your life or the life of your family!
Here are some ideas to start you out:
- My dog warms my heart and makes me smile
- My dog seems to be able to read my mind at times
- My dog improves my life
- My dog can almost talk – and I understand
- My dog makes me laugh
- My dog shows me unconditional love
- My dog can forgive and forget
- My dog shows empathy and an understanding of many situations
- My dog thinks he is human
- My dog has expectations that she assumes, as her human, I will follow up on
- My dog has some peculiar habits
- My dog loves the holidays… taking a walk… riding in the car… having a bath… loud noises… my significant other… etc.
- My dog hates the holidays… talking a walk… riding in the car… having a bath… loud noises… my significant other… etc.
- And any other things you can think of…
The deadline date for story and poem submissions is January 31, 2020.
* Listen to Your Dreams
When we are asleep, we dream. Are dreams a connection to the unconscious mind? Are they omens of things to come—both good and bad? Dreams are often the way we tap into our own inner wisdom. Sixth sense, gut feeling, premonitions, instinct. Whatever you call it, sometimes we have no logical reason for knowing something—but still we know it.
We want to know about your dreams. What have you learned from your dreams? Did you listen? Did any of your dreams come true? Did a dream strengthen your faith or help you change the direction your life was headed in? Did some miraculous insight serve as a warning about something that was going to happen?
Please do not submit stories about realizing your dreams, as in aspirations or hopes. We are talking about dreams while you are asleep! Here are some suggested topics but we know you will be able to think and write about many more:
- Dreams about finding love
- Dreams that saved you or a loved one from danger/death
- Dreams that helped you face your fears
- Dreams that changed the direction of your life
- Dreams in which you communicated with a loved one, either dead or alive
- Dreams that caused epiphanies
- Dreams that changed your behavior
- Dreams that made you more adventurous
- Dreams that contained important warnings or medical information
- Dreams that gave you comfort or helped you forgive someone
- Dreams that made you more optimistic/happier
- Dream journaling and how-to use your dreams more effectively
- Premonitions that came true or saved you from something bad
- Learning to trust your inner guidance [we may do a chapter about inner guidance even if it occurs during your waking hours]
- Amazing coincidences and synchronicity [again, we may do a chapter about this even if these things occurred during your waking hours]
The deadline date for story and poem submissions is February 28, 2020.
* Stories about Self-care and Me Time
Do you ever say that you’ll take care of yourself AFTER you finish your to-do list? That’s what we did until we started putting ourselves ON our to-do list, right there with the other people we care for.
Self-care is what we all neglect most. And we’re waking up to its importance. We care for children and partners and parents and friends. We care for pets and homes and volunteer organizations. But, in order to take care of others you must first take care of yourself. And that is not being selfish.
Taking care of yourself is not just about your physical health but includes your emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing too. Self-care includes that all-important “me time” whether that means exercising or reading or meditating or having lunch with friends. Whatever your psyche needs is your “me time.”
We are looking for your stories about how you neglected your self-care and then how you realized its importance and so you now engage in it.
Here are some ideas to get your creative juices going:
- When you realized you were NOT engaging in self-care, realized how important that is and what that realization was like
- How you turned the situation around and found your self-care and your me time
- The consequences of NOT taking care of yourself
- The benefits of proper self-care and me time
- The benefits of getting enough sleep
- The consequences of being sleep-deprived
- How do you handle your self-care and me time? Share your tips and examples.
- Have you made a difference to friends and family members too by encouraging them to take care of themselves?
- Your favorite ways to spend “me time”
- How do you relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul?
- Self-care for physical wellbeing, whether it’s proper nutrition, exercise, environment, making those doctor appointments, addressing addictions (including the legal ones)
- Self-care for emotional and mental wellbeing, whether it’s stress reduction, editing your calendar, changing who you spend time with, cutting back on obligations, seeing a therapist
- What’s your strategy for including self-care in your daily life?
- What have you added to your life?
- What have you eliminated from your life? '
- WHO have you eliminated from your life? Self-care includes removing negativity and toxic people from your life, too!
The deadline date for story and poem submissions has been EXTENDED to: April 30, 2020.
Hooked on Hockey
If you love hockey, if you play hockey, if you are a hockey fan, we are looking for stories from you! We are looking for stories for this book written by and for hockey fans and families. The book will include stories from everyday hockey players and fans like you, as well as revealing personal stories from some of your favorite NHLers and hockey insiders. The deadline for story and poems submissions is January 30, 2012.
