Sheryl McFarlane

You won’t make a lot of money, but Chicken Soup for the Soul is a good place to break into publishing. Here are a few of the broad themes they are looking for in the near future

Dreams & Premonitions
When we are asleep, we dream. Are dreams a connection to the unconscious mind? Are they omens of things to come – both good and bad? In our dreams we can be anything we want to be. We are looking for stories about your dreams and premonitions and the impact they have had on your life. What have you learned from your dreams? Did your dreams come true? Did a dream or premonition strengthen your faith or help you change the direction your life was headed in? Did a premonition serve as a warning about something that was going to happen? The deadline for story and poem submissions is March 15, 2015.

Make Your Own Luck
Luck is not always just chance. You have to be ready and willing to seize the opportunities that are in front of you and make your own good things happen. How did you take advantage of chance events and make the most of them? How did you make the most of what life has to offer? How did your positive outlook change the direction your life was taking? We also would love to publish amazing stories of just plain serendipity. The deadline for story and poem submissions is March 31, 2015.

Merry Christmas!
Our holiday books are very popular. We do a new edition every other year and so we are now collecting stories for our Christmas 2015 book. Share your special stories about the holiday season – including Chanukah and Kwanzaa – from inspirational and joyous, to heartwarming and humorous. Remember all of the stories in our Christmas books are “Santa Safe” – we don’t want to spoil the magic for children. This title was previously posted as Stories about the Christmas Season. If you submitted a story for that title it will considered for Merry Christmas! The deadline for story and poem submissions has been extended to March 31, 2015.

Think Possible
We all know the story about the little engine that could: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can… Almost anything is possible if you think you can. You can dream big, overcome challenges and turn adversity into opportunity. You can change your outlook and listen to your heart and move forward into the life you want. How did you “think possible” and how did it change your life? The deadline for story and poem submissions is April 30, 2015.

Volunteering & Giving Back
We’re making another book about volunteering! How has your life been changed by volunteering? Have you been a volunteer in a hospital, a school or in your community? What have you done with your life that makes you feel good and has also made this world a better place? What have you done to make a difference in the lives of others? Or do you want to thank a volunteer who helped you? Share your true stories about how you found purpose, passion, and joy in your life or how a volunteer helped you. And by volunteer, we mean an unpaid position, so save those stories about paid heroes in your life for another book! The deadline for story and poem submissions has been extended to March 31, 2015.