Official information
Overview
- Publication
- Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Eligibility
- Official FAQ: they publish English-language stories from people around the world. You do not have to live in the United States.
- Writing
- True first-person story or story-poem
- Payment
- $250 if published
- Currency
- USD
- Payment conditions
- Official: they do not pay for submissions. If they publish the story in a book you are paid $250 one month after the book is published, plus ten free copies. You also get half-price cases of that book. A story is not paid unless it is selected and you sign their permission release.
- When paid
- One month after publication of the book.
- Word count
- Recommended maximum 1,200 words; no official minimum. Longer pieces are rarely read.
- Response time
- No rejection letters. If you have not heard 60 days before the book’s on-sale date, they probably passed.
- Status
- Current official topics (check the page — they change): Count your blessings 15 Sept 2026; Random acts of kindness 30 Sept 2026; Humorous stories 15 Oct 2026; Married/couples 30 Nov 2026
- Deadline
- Current official topics (check the page — they change): Count your blessings 15 Sept 2026; Random acts of kindness 30 Sept 2026; Humorous stories 15 Oct 2026; Married/couples 30 Nov 2026
- How to submit
- Official website form only
- AI policy
- AI-generated work prohibited
What they want
- 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.
What they don't want
- 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.
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
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.
How to submit
- 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.
Official source
Chicken Soup — Story Guidelines (official) · Chicken Soup — Submissions FAQ (official) · Chicken Soup — Possible Book Topics (official)
Last verified 2026-08-19. Always re-read the official page before you send work.
Information can change. Payment rates, submission requirements, eligibility, deadlines and response times are subject to change. Always check the publication's official guidelines before submitting. BRYME verifies listings as carefully as possible but does not guarantee acceptance or payment.