Home Sweet Home Submissions

Have you ever read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book? Chances are you have...at least one over the years.  As you probably know, there are dozens of titles out there in bookstores nowadays.

And, it seems that the publishers keep dreaming up interesting new titles. Which means they are also always on the look-out for new submissions from people just like us -- people who live and breathe and experience all manner of life events that we like writing about.

What makes me all excited today is the fact that  when I went to their website I found a title and description that grabbed my imagination. (There are other titles listed as well.)

You might be surprised (or not) how quickly I thought of so many of you. Yes indeed! In fact, I started to email some personal notes to a couple of you and then decided to blog about it (as that seemed quicker). After all, the reason many of us are blogging friends is because we share a love of creating beauty in our lives and making those places we call home comfortable and enjoyable for our families.

Here's what they are looking for: 

Home Sweet Home. "Whether you rent your home or own your home, home is where your heart is. It is your safe place in the world. Your home can be a mansion, a cottage, an apartment, a condo or a mobile home... it doesn't matter. It is yours! It is where you live, where you cook and sit around the table with your family and friends, sharing a meal and your dreams. We are looking for stories about homes: getting your first home, returning to your childhood home, do it yourself repair disasters and successes, moving up or downsizing, moving day or any heartwarming or funny stories associated with home. This book will make the perfect housewarming gift. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is November 30, 2013."   ~ Excerpt from the Chicken Soup website

 

I'll let you in on one of my little secret heart-goals. I've been thinking about submitting a story to one of their future books for a while now.  Every so often I'd check to see what titles they were working on, looking for a theme that would jump out and say, write about me. 

I don't read every chicken soup book that comes out. But it has become a delightful little treasure hunt for me when a new one arrives in the stores to quickly scan the contents and author pages. For I have found more and more names of people I know who have had their stories published. Friends, writing colleagues and fellow bloggers. Somehow it makes it all seem so much closer, less remote. The books become more special when I can find pieces by writers I know!

Here's the scoop. I'm planning to submit something for the Home Sweet Home theme.  If you are interested in submitting something too -- ah, come on, it'll be fun -- leave a comment, and maybe give us a hint of what you want to work on. Here is the link to the guidelines. The deadline, alas, is November 30, 2013.  So there's no room for dallying.

Sometimes it's not even about being published -- although we like that too -- but it's about following a dream or just doing something for the fun of it. Making a party of it. And if we find our names one day in that list of titles of contributing authors, it's icing on the cake.

Maybe at the end of the month we can celebrate in some way...virtually...of course. We'll think on that later.  First, I have a story to write.  I'll leave a comment about my piece when I figure it out.  

In the meantime, here's wishing you a beautiful day,
Brenda
xox

Photo source:  Penniwigs