YOU Can Write for Chicken Soup for the Soul

 

Yes, YOU can write for an anthology. Chicken Soup for the Soul is one of the longest-running and most popular of all of them. There have been others, but they seem to run for a while, then quit. New ones pop up now and then; some make it and others don't. 

However, Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology has had approximately 275 books published, each with a different theme. They have sold 110 million books in the USA and Canada. Even more amazing is the fact that they have published in 43 languages, and in 100 countries. The grand total of books they have sold worldwide is around 500 million. Phenomenal? Yes!

I've submitted many stories to Chicken Soup, and 24 of them have been published. Many others were not. Submitting to this publisher is no different than when sending your work to others in hopes of being published. 

You do not have to be a professional writer, one who works at this craft for a living. I'm a Hobbyist writer, but many of the stories in these books are written by people who have no background in being published. So, yes, YOU can write for Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. 

FIRST:  Go to www.chickensoup.com and look at the home page on their website. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Submit a Story. You'll be taken to a page that has three parts to it. The first page gives you information on books the company is working on and needs stories submitted. Under each title is some information as to what they are looking for, a deadline date, and a list of prompts that might trigger a story in your mind. 

SECOND:  Go to the upper left of this page and click on Guidelines. You'll find a treasure trove of information there. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to study the guidelines. Read them several times. The editors are very particular about the stories fitting within the guidelines given. If you are submitting a story, check it with these guidelines to see if it fits before you submit.

THIRD: Choose a book title and write a story that will fit. Write it, edit, revise, and proofread your first draft. The same with the second draft, or more if necessary. You'll want to send your best effort. 

FOURTH: On this same initial page, you'll find a third choice. Submit a Story. Click on it and fill out the form. Then upload your story from your Documents file. Be sure to fill out all the information asked for. 

MORE HINTS: The editors like a little dialogue, some humor (if fitting), something that will touch your heart, maybe even make you shed a tear or two. They indicate this in the guidelines. It also needs to be a 'story' with a beginning, middle, and ending. Not a tribute to someone, not an essay, not a sermon. A story!

THEN: The long wait begins. Chicken Soup does not send rejection letters or emails. Personally, I would like to have one if my story didn't make it. Then, I know for sure and can move on. Usually, if you have not received a notice of being on the short list by two months after the deadline date, your story probably didn't make it. Ah yes, the short list. If you receive notice that you are on this, the chances are very good that your story made it. But even so, a small number will get cut before the final list is made. They usually publish 101 stories per book. Choosing from the thousands of submissions cannot be an easy job. 

The stories are about everyday people in everyday lives. So, yes YOU can write for Chicken Soup for the Soul.