History

A Series Is Born … and Soars

It began (as all books do) with an idea: to publish an anthology of inspiring personal stories.

It was not a particularly novel idea (so few are). It had been done before, a few times quite successfully.

But an idea is merely the genesis of a concept. And it is the concept that defines how an idea will be actualized, what its distinguishing characteristics will be. How, for example, a car becomes either a Mazda or a Mercedes. The challenge of developing the concept fell to Paula Munier, a consummate idea maker and then senior editor at Adams Media. Paula wasn’t about to just follow the leader in the genre. She knew that, in order for the book to succeed—for enough people to read it, share it with others, and come back for more—it had to be familiar yet distinctive.

After much research and deliberation, Paula outlined a concept that was brilliant in its simplicity. The books would be anthologies of slice-of-life stories about the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people—the kind of personal stories that people who care about one another share with one another over a warm cup of soothing beverage. Everyone has such a story to tell, Paula believed, and there are times in everyone’s life when a little comfort goes a long way. These books would be literary cups of comfort. And they would be affordable, less than the price of a few lattes.

Then, Paula brought in someone she knew would “get” the concept and could then execute it—produce the type, tone, and quality of books Paula had in mind. She chose as the Cup of Comfort® anthologist someone with whom she’d worked many times over many years, someone whose work and heart she knew well, someone who believed as passionately as she did in the power of story—veteran writer and editor Colleen Sell.

Together, these two accomplished wordsmiths, with more than 30 years of storytelling experience between them, fleshed out the concept. The books would serve one purpose: to share uplifting stories about the experiences and relationships that have a positive impact on people’s lives. There was no cross-purpose—to hawk merchandise or workshops or speaking engagements. It wasn’t about building a product brand; it was about publishing good books filled with good stories. It wasn’t about the power of marketing; it was about the power of story.

The stories in Cup of Comfort would be original and authentic. Compelling, engaging, insightful, and uplifting. Each story creatively told in the author’s unique voice, conveying a positive universal truth in a personal way. Each book a cohesive compilation of varying topics, viewpoints, and styles. Equally important was what the stories would not be. There would be no schmaltz. No syrupy platitudes. No contrived parables loosely based on a “true” story. No warmed-over leftovers that had already made the rounds in other publications and/or the Internet. No homogenization or white-washing. No celebrities. No big-name authors. Only real-life stories about the life-changing, life-defining, and life-enhancing experiences of “real” people.

And no special treatment for family, friends, and colleagues. No showcases for insiders. Anybody with a story to share had an equal shot at publication in Cup of Comfort. Every submission, no matter who wrote it, would go through the same vetting process. And everyone who submitted a story would be treated with courtesy. No one would be left dangling, wondering what had become of their submission, wondering whether and when and in which volume it would be published.

Just before Thanksgiving of 1999, the net for submissions was cast, and then cast over and over again, far and wide. For more than a year, they gathered and read hundreds of stories, written and submitted by people from all walks of life, of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the United States and beyond. Then they carefully selected the 50 stories for the book, and Colleen worked closely with the authors to polish them for publication.

A Cup of Comfort: Stories that Warm Your Heart, Lift Your Spirit, and Enrich Your Life was published in October 2001, and the book was already on many booksellers’ shelves by September 11, that horrific day when terrorists attacked the United States. The book flew off the shelves, and within weeks, emails and letters were coming in from readers saying how this “little book” of inspiring personal stories had given them comfort.

By then, the second volume, A Cup of Comfort for Friends, was in the works. Next came A Cup of Comfort for Women, followed by a steady stream of new Cup of Comfort anthologies. To date, more than 30 Cup of Comfort books have been published—30 of them compiled and edited by Colleen Sell. Now, Colleen receives thousands of submissions for each book. So far, she’s vetted more than 60,000 submissions, written by tens of thousands of people from all over the world.

In May 2003, audience members of the Oprah Winfrey Show received a copy of A Cup of Comfort for Mothers and Daughters. That year, Cup of Comfort sales hit the $1 million milestone; before long, sales reached $2 million, and are now nearing $3 million. As important, Cup of Comfort has received critical acclaim from readers and critics alike.

In 2007, Cup of Comfort teamed up with Redbook Magazine to sponsor a story contest for breast cancer survivors. A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors was published in October 2008, and the grand-prize-winning story (“Inga,” by Lauren Reece Flaum) was excerpted in the October 2008 issue of Redbook. Adams Media made a $5,000 donation in Lauren’s name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and 50 cents of each copy sold (a minimum of $15,000) is also going to the foundation.

In 2006, Adams Media launched the Christian imprint of the Cup of Comfort series with A Cup of Comfort for Christians, co-edited by James Stuart Bell and Jeanette Littleton. A Cup of Comfort Devotional soon followed. Next came another devotional and a book of prayer, co-edited by James and Susan Townsend.

And we are always brewing fresh, new Cup of Comfort stories. Because at some time or another—and especially in times like these—everyone can use a Cup of Comfort. And everyone has a story to tell.