• Extraordinary achievements and experiences of "ordinary" people
• Life-changing, life-affirming, or life-defining experiences and relationships
• Epiphany, synchronicity, serendipity
• Finding/giving comfort in difficult times
• Triumph over tragedy; overcoming adversity or challenges
• Life's blessings and miracles, big and small
• Finding the silver lining in a dark cloud; turning lemons into lemonade
• Relationships and experiences that bring hope, understanding, healing
• Catalysts for and examples of positive change; acts of kindness and compassion

Submission Requirements & Notifications 

• Submission Method: We prefer that you submit your story using the online Submission Form, and in the future we will accept only those submissions. For now, however, we also accept submissions emailed to cupofcomfort@adamsmedia.com. We no longer accept mailed and faxed submissions.
• Restrictions: (1) We no longer accept file attachments. Please copy and paste (or type) your story into the designated field on the Submission Form (or into the body of an email). (2) Submit only one story per Submission Form (or email).
• Required Information: Each submission must include the your first and last names, your mailing address, your phone number, and your email address as well as the theme of the book for which the story is being submitted (i.e., Fathers), the story's wordcount, and the story title.
• Story Length: 1,000–2,000 words
• Point of View: First-person (preferred) or third-person; no second person
• Genre: Nonfiction – that is, true stories portraying real people and real events
• Language: English only
• Style: Narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction, literary nonfiction. We prefer true stories that read like fiction.
  We do NOT publish articles, fiction, poetry, prose, profiles, eulogies, sermons, testimonials, letters, commentary, expository essays, persuasive essays, diatribes, academic papers, confessionals, erotica, pornography, or experimental literature. Only submissions for the Christian Cup of Comfort books should contain religious references. Submissions that are NOT for one of the Christian Cup of Comfort volumes should not contain references to religious figures or religious texts and should not have overtly religious themes (however, any story can include spiritual references and themes).
• Tone: Stories must be uplifting and can be poignant, heartwarming, and/or humorous.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Accepted. However, if a story you have submitted to Cup of Comfort is subsequently accepted for publication in another publication, please let us know, because we do not publish stories that have been or will be published in certain types of publications.
• Previous Publication: Some previously published material is acceptable. We do not publish reprints of stories that have been or will be published in a glossy magazine with a large circulation or in a book-length anthology that is widely distributed (throughout the United Stated or North America).
• Originality: All stories must be original – that is, originated by the author submitting the piece; it cannot be an adaptation of a story written by another author.
• Multiple Submissions: You can submit as many stories as you wish for any Cup of Comfort volume. You can submit to as many volumes of Cup of Comfort as you’d like. But please submit only one story per Submission Form (or email) and always specify for which volume you are submitting the story. To find out what's brewing next, check the Call for Submissions.
• Finalist Notification: All finalists selected for publication consideration in each book are notified in writing prior to the book’s compilation and publication.
• Results: The stories selected for publication in each Cup of Comfort book are announced in the Cup of Comfort News forum. Due to the large volume of submissions received, we do not send rejection notices, respond to queries regarding the status of individual submissions, or provide editorial feedback on stories not selected for publication.

How to Write a Savory Story

• Create an anecdotal story about an event or series of event(s) that had a profound and positive impact on you or on the person(s) you are writing about.
• Write a personal story that embodies a universal truth.
• Show, don't tell. Color your story with action, imagery, dialog, and/or dramatic scenes. Minimize use of adjectives and adverbs. Make the reader experience the events and emotions portrayed.
• Write from the heart. Tell your story honestly, fully, and succinctly. Make each scene as real for the readers as it was for the person who lived or witnessed it.
• Begin with a strong lead that hooks the reader and that clearly and creatively introduces the main character(s), establishes the central theme of the story (plot), and sets the scene.
• Create a rich middle that depicts compelling life experiences and human emotions—in other words, dramatic action. The mid-section should include at least one compelling plot point (pivotal moment) as well as transitional scenes or other transitional devices that continually move the story forward and toward the conclusion.
• End with a satisfying conclusion that resolves the conflict/challenge in a positive way, leaves readers with an Aha! or Wow! or Yes! moment.
• Build your story around a distinctive, compelling, and believable premise that weaves together the story and drives the plot forward.
• Use lively, descriptive language that is appropriate for the time, place, and people depicted in the story as well as for A Cup of Comfort readers (mainstream adult).
• Read your story out loud and then revise it to remove anything that is not essential to the story. Make sure that every word counts and that the story flows together seamlessly.
• One of the best ways to discover the nature and flavor of Cup of Comfort stories is to read them. A Cup of Comfort books can be purchased at booksellers everywhere. A few sample stories are also posted here.

Submit Your Story Now