Call for Submissions: Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers
101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice, and Bonding
We are excited to announce that we are working with Joan Lunden on this book, which will be published in March 2012. Joan is very passionate about this topic as she is the family member in charge of her mother’s care.
Caring for a family member on an on-going basis is a very difficult task, whether the care is in your home, the patient’s home, or an outside facility. It requires the caregiver to be patient, kind, compassionate and giving. And having a little humor doesn’t hurt!
Are you caring for a child, spouse, partner, or sibling due to a chronic illness or long-term or permanent physical or mental disabilities? Did you move in with a family member to care for him or her due to age-related illness? Are you part of the “sandwich” generation -caring for a parent and a child at the same time?
Or are you the person receiving care from a family member? Your stories are important too.
(Please know that we are in awe of professional caregivers, but we are only seeking stories about family members caring for family members for this book.)
The true stories in this book will show how lives change when caregiving becomes your responsibility. They will describe how the relationship between loved ones is affected when long-term care is needed. They will point out ways in which laughter or a silver lining can be found during a difficult time. And they will inspire and support family members who are making sacrifices to make sure their loved ones are well cared for.
Please do not submit eulogies or biographies of your loved one. We want to hear about the caregiving relationship, either from the point of view of the caregiver or from the point of view of the person being cared for.
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
Please remember, we do not like “as told to” stories. Please write in the first person about yourself or someone close to you. Do not ghost write a story for someone else, except in the case of the person you are caring for, if that person would like some help doing the writing! If a story was previously published, we will probably not use it unless it ran in a small circulation venue. Let us know where the story was previously published in the “Comments” section of the submission form.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.
The deadline date for story submissions is August 31, 2011.