Chicken Soup for the Soul

What this publication wants

This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Personal essays, Other. Official guideline: Chicken Soup for the Soul guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

• A true first-person story with a beginning, middle and end, starting in the action.
• Heartwarming, funny or extraordinary ordinary-life moments. Not a sermon, essay, eulogy, term paper, politics piece, biography or newspaper-style article about a stranger.
• Poems only if they tell a story.
• Submit only to a listed official book topic.

Subjects they avoid

• AI-generated or AI-assisted work. Official page names Grammarly and says do not use AI at all.
• Fiction. Previously published work except a small local publication or your own blog.
• Book manuscripts from the public. Title ideas from the public.
• Stories that do not match a listed book topic.

Key requirements

• Website form only: https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story
• True story, first person, usually ≤1,200 words
• Match a current official book topic

Who can submit

Official FAQ: they publish English-language stories from people around the world. You do not have to live in the United States.

Rights

If selected you sign their standard permission release. Broader rights language is not copied here because the rest of that agreement is not fully quoted on the public guidelines page.

AI policy

Prohibited

How to write for them

Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.

BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.

How to pitch

Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.

1. Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
2. Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
3. Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
4. Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
5. Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
6. Say why it fits this publication.
7. Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
8. Close professionally and thank them for their time.
9. Send through the official channel only.

Open now, but closes on a stated date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Official website form only

Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.

• Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
• Submission: Official website form only

What the guideline asks you to prepare

• Pick a topic on https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics — only use deadlines on that page.
• Submit via the official form. Success screen is the only confirmation.
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed if you say so in the comments or email webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com.

What happens after submission

Expected response: No rejection letters. If you have not heard 60 days before the book’s on-sale date, they probably passed.

If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.