AN EXCLUSIVE MONTHLY COMMUNIQUÉ FOR OUR...
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INSPIRATION for riters W A great writer has a high respect for values. His essential function is to raise life to the dignity of thought, and this he does by giving it a shape. ~André Maurois INNER CIRCLE A P R I L 2 0 1 5 A Note from Your Publisher You’ve probably noticed that we feature stories written by people from all walks of life and all parts of society. We make sure that everyone has a voice in our books. So when Dr. Milton Boniuk, the founder of The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, at Rice University, approached us, we were thrilled to work with him. Dr. Boniuk wears a lapel pin sporting the design at right and many of us at Chicken Soup for the Soul are wearing the pin now, too. I think you would agree that Tolerance, Respect, and Compassion are values that are worth promoting. The Boniuk Foundation is working with Chicken Soup for the Soul to inspire young people and adults to embrace their differences, reject stereotypes, and make good choices. This project is comprised of three separate, but connected, programs: • donations of Chicken Soup for the Soul books to schools in Houston and all of Harris County, Texas • a new series of Chicken Soup for the Soul books for children and parents that promote these values using relevant stories from our vast library (see page 5) • a weekly Saturday morning television show for families that will start October 3, 2015 on CBS In addition, Harris County families will receive access at a reduced price to Chicken Soup for the Soul’s entire online library of books, which contains more than 20,000 stories. All of these programs focus on values and use storytelling to encourage young and old to accept and respect people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, and culture—one story at a time. For more information, visit our new website: http://www.chickensoup.com/boniuk-foundation/. Your publisher, Amy Newmark @amynewmark AN EXCLUSIVE MONTHLY COMMUNIQUÉ FOR OUR WRITERS the
Transcript of AN EXCLUSIVE MONTHLY COMMUNIQUÉ FOR OUR...
INSPIRATION for
ritersWA great writer has a high respect for values. His essential function is to raise life to the dignity of thought, and this he does by giving it a shape.
~André Maurois
INNER CIRCLE A P R I L 2 0 1 5
A Note from Your PublisherYou’ve probably noticed that we feature stories written by people from all walks of life and all parts of society. We make sure that everyone has a voice in our books. So when Dr. Milton Boniuk, the founder of The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, at Rice University, approached us, we were thrilled to work with him. Dr. Boniuk wears a lapel pin sporting the design at right and many of us at Chicken Soup for the Soul are wearing the pin now, too. I think you would agree that Tolerance, Respect, and Compassion are values that are worth promoting.
The Boniuk Foundation is working with Chicken Soup for the Soul to inspire young people and adults to embrace their differences, reject stereotypes, and make good choices. This project is comprised of three separate, but connected, programs:
• donations of Chicken Soup for the Soul books to schools in Houston and all of Harris County, Texas
• a new series of Chicken Soup for the Soul books for children and parents that promote these values using relevant stories from our vast library (see page 5)
• a weekly Saturday morning television show for families that will start October 3, 2015 on CBS
In addition, Harris County families will receive access at a reduced price to Chicken Soup for the Soul’s entire online library of books, which contains more than 20,000 stories.
All of these programs focus on values and use storytelling to encourage young and old to accept and respect people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, and culture—one story at a time. For more information, visit our new website: http://www.chickensoup.com/boniuk-foundation/. Your publisher, Amy Newmark @amynewmark
A N E X C L U S I V E M O N T H L Y C O M M U N I Q U É F O R O U R W R I T E R S
the
For moments that become storiesTM
You’re Rocking Your Book Signings!Pamela Jarmon-Wade hosted a book signing event at The Church Without Walls in Houston, Texas in February. She only brought ten copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Wives, and they sold out! Pamela used her Chicken Soup for the Soul “Contributor Badge” on the signing table (pictured right). Turn to page 4 to find out how to get your own badge to use on social media, at book signings, or to let everyone know that you are a Chicken Soup for the Soul writer!
Contributor Nancy Panko (pictured left) hosted a book signing on March 11th at the Rex Wellness Center in Garner, North Carolina. Nancy sold 26 copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hope & Miracles. “The name ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ sells itself,” Nancy said. She also mentioned that people are still asking to buy copies of the books!
Nancy just placed another order for more copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hope & Miracles along with copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Inner Strength.
Terrie Birney, a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks to My Mom, hosted a book signing at her church, Queens Creek UMC in Hubert, North Carolina. Terry (pictured right) sold 60 copies and even ended up having an article about the book signing in her local newspaper, Swansboro Tidelands. Great selling, Terrie!
Leslie Tierney hosted a “meet and greet” book signing in February at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, New Jersey. Leslie (pictured left) contributed a story to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hope & Miracles.
Leslie was featured in an article written about her writing and her life as a teacher in her local paper, Glen Ridge Voice. Click here to read the full article.
Even More Book Signings!
Jan Penton Miller, a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hope & Miracles, has hosted too many book signings and events to count! The majority of her book signings and speaking engagements benefited non-profit organizations. Jan’s son (pictured with her to the right) even came into town to attend his mom’s first book signing back in February.
Jan has sold a whopping 200 books to date and still has more book signings and speaking engagements planned over the next few months. There was an article written about Jan’s first book signing in The Examiner. Click here to read it.
“I am having a blast,” Jan said about hosting the events and selling the books. You’re doing a great job, Jan! Keep it up!
Debbie McNaughton (pictured left) wrote a story for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Inner Strength about her daughter, Meg, who was born prematurely. Debbie decided to donate her ten free copies of the book to the local chapter of The Wounded Warrior Project. She hosted several book signings at holiday fairs, her office, and her daughter’s care center. Debbie sold a total of 145 books! “The books were flying out of my hands to family and friends,” Debbie said.
Debbie and Meg enjoyed meeting people and sharing their story. Great job, Debbie and Meg!
Kathy McGovern, a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks to My Mom, is pictured at right (in purple) at one of the Lenten retreats she led in February. Kathy has a regular column in many church bulletins. Kathy sold 20 copies of each of the books pictured at right, plus another 60 books during the rest of the Lenten season, all to benefit an effort to repair a crumbling Catholic seminary in Juarez, Mexico.
Our prolific coauthor LeAnn Thieman (pictured right with Kathy), attended Kathy’s retreat. We’re excited that we have two new books coming out with LeAnn this year — Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Joy of Adoption and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses. Kathy has a story in the Nurses book as well.
Kathy’s extended family writes for Chicken Soup for the Soul, too. Her husband Ben, her brother Marty, and her former sister-in-law Kristine (also mentioned at bottom of next page) all have stories in our books!
What a Prolific Contributor! Meet Sally Friedman
Occasionally, we introduce you to one of your fellow contributors, and this month we’d like you to meet Sally Friedman, one of our most prolific writers. Sally has stories in dozens of our books. You can see a few of them in the photo at left.
Her first essay about family life was inspired by the last of her three daughters going off to kindergarten. That daughter has recently sent her first son to college!
During Sally’s writing career, her husband has gone from lawyer to New Jersey Superior Court Judge to retiree. Sally’s husband and children have “grown up” in the pages of our books, and we are always excited when we see another one of her stories in the submission portfolio. Sally has also written for The New York Times, Family Circle, The Huffington Post, and newspapers around the country.
“The essays I’ve contributed to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series are very special to me,” says Sally. “The titles so often get me processing an idea, an experience, a feeling, and I’m off to my computer. After about 40 essays, I’m still so proud to be part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul family of writers.”
Congratulations, Winter Giveaway Winners!
The response to our most recent giveaway was overwhelming — the most entrants we’ve ever had! Thank you to everyone who entered! These five
lucky contributors each won four boxes of soup: Heidi Helby, Michelle Dellapenta, Bill Garvey, Kristine McGovern, and Marisa Snyder.
Stay tuned for our Spring Giveaway in next month’s Inside Circle.
Badges Just for Our ContributorsDo you have a blog or website? We have a great graphic for you to add to it. After several requests from contributors last year, we created a badge for you that shows that you are a part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul writer family. We now have several options for you. They are formatted with “Contributor 1+”, “Contributor 3+”, and so on, all the way up to “Contributor 20+”. To request a badge for your website, your blog, your social media, or to use at book signings, just e-mail [email protected] to request the badge that is right for you.
Our Latest Book!
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be the Best You Can Be Inspiring True Stories about Goals & Values for Kids & Preteens
By Amy Newmark and Dr. Milton Boniuk Now On Sale!
Self-esteem, tolerance, values, and inner strength—these are gifts that will last children a lifetime. This book is filled with inspirational stories for children and their families to share, all about kids making wise decisions, standing up for what’s right, and being kind.
The values that children learn today will stay with them for the rest of their lives. This collection, compiled from our vast library, gives kids positive role models to follow in its stories about making good choices, having confidence, and doing the right thing. You and your child will enjoy discussing the stories, making it a family event. It’s great for teachers to share with students, too.
I would like to share your Story Call Out e-mails and your monthly Inner Circle newsletter with my writer’s group and friends. Is that okay?
We would be happy to have you share our Story Call Out requests with your writer’s group and your friends and family. Please feel free to forward the story call outs to them. You can also suggest they visit the Submit Your Story section of our website to
see all the topics we are working on.
However, we ask that you do not share our Inner Circle newsletter with anyone outside the Chicken Soup for the Soul family. These insider newsletters are strictly for you — our writers. In these monthly newsletters we give you insider news, advance notice on new books, and access to our giveaways. We talk about things that we think would be of interest to you before we release that information to the general public. We ask for your help and for your opinions. We share your book signing photos and news with other contributors. So let’s keep the Inner Circle in our inner circle!
We’re Looking for Your Stories for Eight New Books!We’ve added several new book topics to the Submit Your Story section of our website! Here they are:
• Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Caregiving • Angels and Miracles • Military Families • My Very Good, Very Bad Cat • My Very Good, Very Bad Dog • Random Acts of Kindness • The Spirit of America • Think Possible
Click here to read about the books and to get those important submission deadlines. Remember, submitting at the end of the period does not give you an advantage. Please don’t wait until the last day.
