Cats and Dogs †and Horses, Oh My!

Cats and Dogs – and Horses, Oh My! The passions and activities in our lives, including our pets, offer writing opportunities. Our friend jokes and calls us Cat Whisperers because of feral cats abandoning kittens on our doorstep. Through the years, we’ve learned many lessons about rescuing feral kittens, and that experience turned into articles, children’s stories and an ebook. A member of my writing group argued that she couldn’t write about animals, because she wasn’t a veterinarian. A degree isn’t necessary to write about furry – or nonfurry critters. Being an animal lover, or an animal parent, gives you knowledge to turn into articles. These publications are for lovers of cats and dogs: CATSTER and DOGSTER magazines (used to be Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy): catster.com/ and dogster.com/ Email Catster: confess@catster.com and Dogster: vicky@dogster.com Length: 800-1,000 words. Payment varies. CATS USA MAGAZINE: catchannel.com/magazines/catsusa/writers-guidelines.aspx Length: 1,800-2,400 words. Payment varies. Cats and dogs are not the only pets. I met Mea Stone, owner of Stonywoods Farm and became enchanted with her angora goats. The story of how she started her small hob For animals of the more agricultural type, try these publications: HOB hob Feature articles: 2,000-2,500 words. Payments: $300 and up. News-oriented articles: 500 words maximum. Payment varies. BACK HOME: http://backhomemagazine.com/guidlines.htm Word count varies. Payment $35 per printed page. COUNTRY MAGAZINE: country-magazine.com/contributor-guidelines/ Material considered on speculation. Pays $250 for stories one page or longer. (A page is 400-500 words.) For horse stories, I visit an author friend who owns a horse. She’s a romance writer, and her stories are western themed, complete with cowboys and horses. Try one of these publications for equine articles: APPALOOSA JOURNAL: appaloosajournal.com/editorial-submissions/ Features: 1,500-1,800 words. Articles: 600-800 words. Pays $200 $400. THE HORSE: thehorse.com/pages/freelance Articles: 250-1,800 words. Payment varies depending on article length. HORSE ILLUSTRATED: Magazine: horsechannel.com/horse-magazines/horse-illustrated/submission-guidelines.aspx Print articles: 1,000-2,000 words. Pays $200-$475. Online articles: 500-1,200 words. Pays $25 for news items, $50 for 500-1,000 words (tips, personal columns), $75 for 750-1,200 words including quotes and photos/videos. Broaden your horizons. Who are your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers? Do they have exotic pets or fascinating stories to share? Try these publications for exotic animals: REPTILE MAGAZINE: reptilesmagazine.com/Submit-A-Picture-or-Story-to-Reptile-Magazine/Writers-Guidelines/ Feature articles: 2,000-2,500 words with good photos. Generally pays $500. Shorter articles with fewer photos pays $350. Rates can vary. AQUARIUM FISH INTERNATIONAL: fishchannel.com/writers-guidelines.aspx Pays generally 15 cents per word. Offers a package deal for useable photos. Younger readers enjoy stories with and about animals. Try your hand at children’s stories. Highlights pays on acceptance for fiction and non-fiction pieces. HIGHLIGHTS https://www.highlights.com/contributor-guidelines Fiction and nonfiction: 800 words maximum. Pays $150 up. Rebus stories: 120 words maximum. Pays $100 up. Do your neighbors have unusual pets? Ferrets? Potbellied pigs? Back yard chickens? Have your coworkers mentioned humorous stories about their animals? Horror stories? Experiences they tell around the water cooler? Do they foster abandoned opossums? Raise turtles to sell to reptile shops? Have a boa that escaped one day? Are story ideas blossoming that you can submit to any of these publications? What experiences can turn into money? Whether you clean up after cats and dogs, even horses or goats, or listen to tales from those who do, animals can become stories that add to your revenue.