About a year ago I shared a few true short stories with some of you and mentioned that I’d just submitted them to the publishers of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books and/or “The Readers’ Digest”. I then forgot about having done so and focused on a variety of other things.
Today I received an email that began:
“Dear Russ,
Your story “Ramblin’ Rosie ” has made it to the final selection round for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers. Only about a few percent of the submitted stories have made it this far. The vast majority of stories in this “last round” will appear in the book, but we do not make the final decisions until about a month before the publication date.”
The on-sale date is scheduled for July 26, 2011.
I’m pleasantly surprised and pleased at their interest.
Russ Towne's A Grateful Man 
Congratulations, Russ. I received the same e-mail about my story. I hope we both make this book!
Thank you! Congratulations to you, too. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for both of us!
Thanks. I am a previously published Chicken Soup contributor (“Tough Times, Tough People” in 2009) and have several other stories sent their way now. I’ve also made it this far and been cut many times before too, so I’m awaiting their edited version of my story in my mailbox. The last time I received the edited version, I made the book, so we shall see. These things make for nervous excitement, but are still so much fun. Have a great weekend and Good luck!
I just heard from a fellow Chicken Soup contributor that she received her story proofs in the mail yesterday and another friend received hers last week. I guess we’ll get ours soon if we’re in the book. I haven’t heard yet, but we shall see what happens. Good luck!
Thank you for the update and good wishes. Good luck to both of us!