We were two grandmas, and two authors in a coffee shop discussing writing. One of us multi-published, self-confident, the other convinced her first publication in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book was a fluke.

“Why would anybody be interested in my ordinary life?” said the latter, “Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to me. I can’t even think of an idea for the topics listed on the website’s possible titles for future books.”

My new friend’s story had just been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul Miracles and the Unexplainable, detailing how she believed she received signs from her late father. Like when she pulled behind a car whose license plate seemed to bear a relevant “message” from him, and she believed it more than coincidence.

“How many people have considered a subtle sign a significant miracle?” I said in response. “Many who do not think of themselves as writers have had your exact experience, but you chose to write about yours.”

Ordinary events and shared emotions connect us as humans. We all laugh, cry, yearn, and rejoice over similar events. Convinced she was a one-and-done Chicken Soup for the Soul author, my acquaintance was in awe that I had published in thirty-four Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

I submitted my first Chicken Soup for the Soul story in 1999 with no idea what I was doing. I’d read a newspaper article seeking stories for the upcoming anthology: Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul. The article stated they received thousands of submissions per call out.

I wasn’t a gardener or a writer. Out-of-the-box-thinking led me to write about a flower that bloomed outdoors in the dead of winter, per a pact my late friend and I made when she was terminally ill. “If there is an afterlife, will you send me a flower outdoors in winter?” I asked her. She did.

I adhere to advice from Amy Newmark, Chicken Soup’s owner, Editor-in-Chief, and publisher. “Write in a conversational tone about a life experience where something happened that left an impression or had an outcome that improved yours or someone else’s life. True inspirational or humorous stories and not just musings, touch readers. Submit a story with a beginning, middle, end, via the online submission manager.”  https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics/

The company likes discovering new writers. Name recognition does not matter; the story does. Stories must have wide appeal and need not be religious in nature. Rejection notices are not sent. Don’t take rejection personally. They receive many of the same kinds of stories. Submit early to snare their attention.

True stories should be between 500 and 1,200 words. Get to the point sooner than later; detailed back story is unimportant. The title should be enticing.

My Chicken Soup for the Catholic Soul story was titled, “Saint Elmer.” I was prepared for rejection as am not Catholic. Elmer was a grasshopper character in childhood stories my dad told. My true story about a moment in my adulthood, highlighted how a grasshopper who refused to budge from my back doorknob brought a “message” and timely job offer from a parochial school.

My story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Resolution, detailed how replacing the word “but” with “and” made a difference in my students’ lives.

Chicken Soup books about cats and dogs are best sellers. “Taming Mighty Mouth” about a noisy, stray cat left the reader deciding if Mighty Mouth was my husband or the cat. (Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Cat.)

I presumed most writers would write about romantic love for the book Chicken Soup for the Soul Food and Love. I wrote about the love of friendship and included the recipe for the apple nut cakes my best friend and I baked.

A dash of humor helped in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Discovering My Faith. I completely misconstrued the Trinity. “Father” conjured images of my dad drinking coffee. “Son” was my little brother. And “ghosts,” holy or not, were the topic of Dad’s spellbinding nighttime storytelling.

The pay rate has increased to $250 per accepted story, and authors receive ten free books. Multiple story submissions per book topic are allowed. Story ideas are listed at https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics/

Here’s to your success!

BIO – Linda O’Connell is a successful freelance writer whose inspirational and humorous articles and essays have been published in regional, national, and international publications, specifically in 34 Chicken Soup for the Soul LLC books, with more forthcoming. Linda blogs at https://lindaoconnell.blogspot.com