Chicken Soup for the Soul was founded in 1993, “sharing happiness, inspiration and hope through our books, we still publish a new title every month. But we also have a podcast, educational programs, dog and cat food, and our entertainment business, which creates and distributes TV, film and video content to consumers through our free Crackle, Popcornflix and newly launched Chicken Soup for the Soul apps, among others.”
They are a paying market looking for stories and poems that tell a story for future publications and have several submission calls open for different topics, including holidays, habits & attitudes, cat and dog stories. Deadlines vary and the next one closes end of May 2024. You can read more about what they are up to, what they are looking for, and specific call details in my interview with Amy Newmark, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Chicken Soup for the Soul below.
HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about Chicken Soup for the Soul.
ANSWER: We’ve been publishing anthologies for 31 years now, usually containing 101 stories and poems on a specific topic, such as Christmas, or positive thinking, or humor, or miracles, or dogs, or cats, and dozens of others!
HOPKINSON: How/why was Chicken Soup for the Soul originally started?
ANSWER: The book series began with the original Chicken Soup for the Soul book, which contained the anecdotes and stories that motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen used in their presentations. People started asking them for the stories in written form, and that led to their collaboration and the first volume. We now have more than 300 different titles, most containing 101 stories and poems sourced from the public.
HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?
ANSWER: We have more female readers than males, but I think that is pretty much the standard for publishers. We have books for all ages, from babies to seniors.
HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?
ANSWER: We mostly publish stories in prose form, but we love it when we receive a poetry submission that tells a story. We aren’t looking for poetry that expresses feelings or describes a scene without telling a story. We like our poetry to tell a story just the way that our regular prose submissions do. When we find a poem like that we get excited because it helps to create some variety in our books.
HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?
ANSWER: I personally enjoy The Atlantic and The New Yorker when I have a chance to sit down and read a well-written magazine for fun.
HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with Chicken Soup for the Soul?
ANSWER: It’s hard to say what my favorite part of this job is, because it’s such a privilege to be involved in putting these books together. I know that I’ve personally benefited from what I’ve learned from the stories and poems we publish. I’m more content, more grateful, less judgmental, and more accepting of life’s travails because I am exposed to all the ups and downs of our contributors’ lives.
HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions?
ANSWER: If you go to our website, chickensoup.com, you’ll see a Books pulldown menu. In that menu you’ll find a Submit Your Story selection. And in there you will find a wealth of information about the topics we’re working on, our story and poem guidelines, and some useful FAQs about the Chicken Soup for the Soul submission process. The only way to submit work to us is via our website. We do not accept submissions via mail or fax.
HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?
ANSWER: If our FAQs still leave you wondering about something you can reach out to webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com. Our illustrious webmaster has all the answers!
