I received a notice yesterday from Chicken Soup for the Soul requesting stories for a book to be published in November 2021. The theme of the anthology is 'Tough Times.'
They are seeking stories and poems about tough times in your life and how you overcame them. This is a quote from the call for Tough Times on their website: '... how you found your inner strength, your resilience, your empowerment, your creativity, and your support system to get through it.'
They include a lengthy list of suggestions for types of stories that might act as triggers for memories of difficult moments in your life. They want more than a story about a hard time. It should include how you faced it and what you did to overcome whatever it was. Your support group figures into this topic, too.
In a 2009 Tough Times book, they had many stories submitted that were related to the Recession. I'm guessing that this 2021 version will bring a glut of stories about the pandemic and what it has done to people and families. As good as some of them will be, I don't think they want an entire book filled with tales of the pandemic months. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't enter a story with that subject, but showing other tough times might be a good way to find acceptance.
Your story doesn't need to be a full-blown drama. Stories about small things work for the Chicken Soup editors, too. It's not only the subject but how well you tell the story, if you have spoken to the reader, brought some emotion, or left them with something memorable. A tall order? Perhaps, but it can be done.
Don't forget that you can also submit a poem rather than a prose story. However, it must tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. The payment for a poem is the same as a full story. $200 for each one and 10 copies of the book.
Remember to read/study the guidelines carefully before you submit. The deadline is March 31, 2021.
While you're on the Possible Book Topics page, take a look at the other books that still need stories. Pay attention to deadline dates.
