Chicken Soup for the Soul

What Chicken Soup for the Soul does

Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC is a privately held, multi-product media and consumer products company headquartered in Cos Cob, Connecticut, founded in 1993 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen around a flagship series of inspirational true-story anthologies. Publisher, editor-in-chief and author Amy Newmark has led editorial direction and ownership since approximately 2008, with the publishing entity operating separately from Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the publicly listed SPAC that has faced its own financial challenges. The company has extended the brand across three operating lines: monthly themed book publishing (250+ titles, distributed through Simon & Schuster to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Books-A-Million, Chapters Indigo, and other retail channels, with bulk-order customization available); pet food for dogs and cats sold through a nationwide retail store-locator footprint under the Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food subsidiary (launched 2016 alongside the Charles Bridge Publishing rights acquisition); and institutional education programs including the CASEL-endorsed, 50-state-standards-aligned Hallway Heroes SEL curriculum, the American Humane co-developed Humane Heroes eBook/curriculum series, and original School Musicals distributed via Samuel French. A podcast hosted by Amy Newmark releases three episodes per week across major audio platforms.

Name

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Legal name

Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC

Website

https://chickensoup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC is a privately held multimedia company that publishes monthly inspirational story anthologies, a thrice-weekly podcast, K-12 SEL and character-education curricula, and branded dog and cat pet food for general consumers, schools, and pet owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing & Consumer Media

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing (MPAJAHAF)

Keywords

• Inspirational book publishing
• Pet food products
• Social emotional learning
• Consumer media content
• Educational curriculum programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cos Cob

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Publishing: Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes inspirational anthologies sold through major retail channels. Books are distributed by Simon & Schuster. The company receives approximately 100 story submissions daily and publishes themed collections containing about 101 stories each, with a new title published monthly.
2. Pet Food Sales: The company produces and sells dog and cat food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand through retail stores nationwide.
3. Education Programs: Hallway Heroes is a social emotional learning curriculum sold to schools and districts. Includes teacher guides, interactive training, and alignment to state standards. Also includes School Musicals program with plays addressing social-emotional issues for teens.
4. Podcast: The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast with Amy Newmark releases three new episodes per week, distributed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Stitcher.
5. Licensing and Permissions: The company licenses its trademark to quality licensees and grants reprint permissions for stories from its books, handled by The Permissions Company LLC.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicken Soup for the Soul fundamentally publishes and sells themed anthologies of true, inspirational personal stories (the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series with 250+ titles, releasing one new title per month), distributed by Simon & Schuster through major retail chains. Beyond the flagship book line, the company operates the Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast, free digital stories/newsletters, three K-12 social-emotional learning programs (Hallway Heroes, Humane Heroes, School Musicals), and brand-licensed pet food for dogs and cats sold through national retail.

Product overview

Chicken Soup for the Soul operates as a multi-product publishing and media company centered around its flagship book series of inspirational stories. The core offering consists of monthly book releases across diverse topics including positive thinking, gratitude, faith, family, pets, love, and humor. Beyond books, the company has expanded into audio content through its podcast hosted by Amy Newmark, free digital stories available via newsletters, and three educational programs (Hallway Heroes, Humane Heroes, and School Musicals) targeting social-emotional learning for youth. Additionally, the company licenses its brand to pet food products for dogs and cats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hallway Heroes: Evidence-based, CASEL-endorsed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum program for schools, focusing on creating heroes in classrooms and communities.
• Humane Heroes
• Chicken Soup for the Soul Musical Theatre
• Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food

Products and services

• Chicken Soup for the Soul Books Flagship line of themed anthologies of true, inspirational personal stories covering topics such as positive thinking, gratitude, faith, family, pets, love, health, humor, Christmas, and caregiving; each book typically contains approximately 101 community-submitted stories. Sold through major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target, Chapters Indigo, etc.) and distributed by Simon & Schuster.
• Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast Audio podcast hosted by Amy Newmark featuring inspirational stories drawn from the Chicken Soup for the Soul book library, with three new episodes released each week and distributed across major podcast platforms.
• Free Stories and Email Newsletters Complimentary inspirational stories published on chickensoup.com and delivered through themed email newsletters, serving as a top-of-funnel content marketing asset and a community engagement channel.
• Hallway Heroes (SEL Curriculum) Evidence-based, CASEL-endorsed social-emotional learning curriculum sold to K-12 schools and districts, featuring Chicken Soup for the Soul stories that teach kindness, character development, and SEL competencies; aligned to all 50 states' literacy and SEL standards.
• Humane Heroes Free grade-appropriate eBooks and companion lesson plans co-developed with American Humane, teaching children kindness to animals while reinforcing SEL competencies.
• School Musicals (Chicken Soup for the Soul Musical Theatre) Six original musical plays developed with Broadway producers and Rodgers & Hammerstein that address social-emotional issues for teens; rented to schools and theaters through Samuel French.
• Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food Nutritious and balanced dog and cat food sold under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand through retail stores nationwide, with a store locator available at chickensouppets.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 million Chicken Soup for the Soul books sold worldwide

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Simon & SchustercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSimon & Schuster serves as the primary book distributor for Chicken Soup for the Soul titles. Retailers and distributors should contact Simon & Schuster directly to place orders.
• King FeaturesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term media relationship for regular reprint publication of Chicken Soup for the Soul stories in various media outlets.
• The Permissions Company, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHandles reprint permissions for Chicken Soup for the Soul stories. Contact: Frederick T. Courtright, 6101 Court Road #139, Boca Raton, FL 33433, [email protected]
• American HumanecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Chicken Soup for the Soul and American Humane, the country's first national humane organization, to create the Humane Heroes program - a free series of grade-appropriate eBooks and companion curricula teaching kids to be kind to animals while sharpening SEL skills.
• The Boniuk FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrograms with The Boniuk Foundation supporting the Hallway Heroes educational initiative. The Boniuk Foundation is highlighted on the Hallway Heroes advisory board page.
• Samuel FrenchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSamuel French handles the rental of Chicken Soup for the Soul Musical Theatre productions to schools and theaters.
• Zilker Media (Rusty Shelton)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPR and media relations firm handling press inquiries, interview requests, review copy requests, and photography/video requests for Chicken Soup for the Soul. Contact: [email protected] or (512) 206-0229.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chickensoupsoul
• Facebookfacebook.com/chickensoupforthesoul
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicken-soup-for-the-soul

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicken Soup for the Soul