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Your dog is the smartest and cat is the cuddliest. Surely, you have a tale or two about the time Charlie ate the couch cushions, or Daisy unboxed the UPS delivery.

Pets can be a wonderful inspiration, and there are many outlets looking for your stories.

Study the magazine or website to get a feel for the tone and content. If you’re writing an expository feature, be sure to research fully and use accurate citations. If you are working on a personal story, write from the heart. Good hi-res photos are usually welcome.

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21 publications that want your pet stories

Why not combine your love of animals with your talent in writing? Here are 21 outlets to pitch. 

To help you find the right fit, we’ve compiled a list of publications that will consider your pet articles, as well as tips on how to pitch the editor, how to contact and, whenever possible, how much the outlet pays. The details of payment often depend on each editor, the amount of work involved and your experience.

Here are 21 opportunities for pet writers.

1. All Creatures

This national magazine features heartwarming stories about the animals who share our lives. They publish true first person accounts, interviews and inspiring articles. One way to break in is by submitting much-needed material to these columns: Is This for Real? Their Mysterious Ways, Creature Comforts and Should I Be Worried? (Study the magazine for examples.)

Payment: Varies with pitch, length of article, research involved, etc.

How to pitch: Pitch allcreatures@guideposts.org. Include as many specifics in the subject line as possible. (i.e. “Submission: Mysterious Horse Sighting Confirmed Mom Was Watching Over Us”).

2. Simply Pets

Simply Pets is a lifestyle magazine for the whole family, available digitally or in print and sold in Barnes & Noble stores. The website describes the magazine as “one that represents you as a pet parent, as well as your petkids, your values and your interests as a pet-loving person.”

Payment: No monetary compensation, but author bio and links will promote you to their audience.   

How to pitch: Check out their submission guidelines and email info@simplypetsmagazine.com with “Great story to be told” in the subject line.   

3. Chicken Soup for the Soul

The brand’s popularity and the high volume of stories in each book make Chicken Soup for the Soul an exciting market for authors. Each volume features 101 true stories submitted by writers just like you. For animal lovers, there are opportunities to contribute to a new dog book and a new cat book each year. All stories should be true and written in first person.

Payment: $200, plus 10 free copies of the book where your story appears.

How to pitch: Submissions are accepted only through the website form. 

4. The Bark

Well-researched, journalistic articles are most likely to find a home in this magazine, seeking to publish “literate and entertaining” dog-centric articles and stories. They also accept shorter web articles (less than 600 words).

Payment: Print magazine payment varies according to complexity and length of article, and is individually negotiated. Articles published on the website offer writers a one-year complimentary subscription to The Bark.

How to pitch: Submit magazine article or queries to submissions@thebark.com, submit website articles to editor@thebark.com with “YOUR LAST NAME and WEB ORIGINALS SUBMISSION” in the subject line.

5. The Dodo

This website posts entertaining, highly shareable animal videos and stories. Writers have an opportunity to tell stories that go along with their videos and slide shows. Think popular, trendy, and amazing!

Payment: This information is not disclosed on the website.

How to pitch: Send your pitch here.  

6. Dogster

Dogster is a popular magazine and website where dog lovers come together for expert advice on everything from dog breeds, to barking, to training issue, to dog cancer treatments.

Payment: Varies.

How to pitch: Submit queries only (no fully written articles) here.

7. Catster

Cat lovers will find informative articles in this magazine and website, on topics such as cat breeds, vocalizations, feeding and health and wellness.

Payment: Varies

How to pitch: Submit queries only (no fully written articles) here.

 8. Animal Wellness

Articles in this magazine focus on holistic healing and provide readers with information to help them make health care choices for their dogs and cats. They’re looking for articles on topics including physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. To break in, consider writing short features such as Animal Passages, Warm & Fuzzy, and Tail End. (See magazine for examples.)

Payment: Varies with pitch, length of article, research involved, etc.

How to pitch: Send complete articles or story outlines to ann@redstonemediagroup.com. 

9. Guideposts

This inspirational magazine is always looking for great animal stories. Guideposts publishes true, first person stories about people who have attained a goal, surmounted an obstacle or learned a helpful lesson through their faith. When writing about your pet, be sure to write about how that pet has helped you heal, physically or emotionally.  

Payment: Varies with pitch, length of article, research involved, etc.

How to pitch: Submit your query here. 

10. Pets in the City Magazine

You’ll find multiple opportunities for submitting to this print and digital pet magazine. They’re looking for informative articles, profiles of local rescue organizations, articles on breed profiles, training how-to’s, seasonal tips and informational guides on exotic pets. 

Payment: This information is not disclosed on the website.

How to pitch: Query with a short synopsis of your article to Editor@PetsInTheCityMagazine.com with “Submission: article/store title xx word count” in subject line.

You can also submit these short features:

• Rescue Stories: Submit your short (300 words) story about a pet you got from a shelter or rescue group. (Include a high resolution JPEG image of your pet) to info@petsinthecitymagazine.com with “PIC Rescue story” in the subject line.
• Goodbye Tribute: Submit your short (250 words) tribute to your late pet. (Include a high resolution JPEG of your pet) to: info@petsinthecitymagazine.com: with “PIC Saying Goodbye” in the subject line.  

11. Love of a Cat

Do you have an uplifting, true story about you and your cat? Or an expert post about natural cat health and wellbeing? This site is looking for helpful posts including DIY eco cat toys, green cat care options, and helpful or inspiring content about cat healing, behavior, and healthy and holistic feeding. Articles that are 500-1,300 words is the ideal range.

Payment: No monetary compensation.

How to pitch: Use the contact form found here – https://loveofacat.com/contact/

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12. Your Pet Space

This website offers a wide range of perspectives on a variety of pets and pet subjects. They’re looking for helpful articles, as well as posts from nonprofit organizations and pet vendors about their work and products.

Payment: $20/article

How to pitch: Query managing editor Jessica Smith at managerjessica@yourpetspace.info. 

13. The Chronicle of the Horse

 The Chronicle of the Horse is a national bi-weekly magazine focused on dressage, jumping, foxhunt, steeplechase racing and other sport horse news. In addition, they publish articles on horse care and profiles of prominent horse people. They occasionally accept humor, human interest and historical articles.

The Chronicle of the Horse Untacked, a sister publication, is looking for articles on fashion, travel, product reviews and other elements of the equestrian lifestyle.

Payment: News stories (approximately 1,500 words) offer payment of $165-$220. Feature articles offer payment of (approximately 1,500-2,500 words) $150-$400.

How to pitch: Submit stories to brasin@coth.com. 

14. Horse Network

It’s hard to imagine an aspect of equestrian life and horsemanship that isn’t covered on this website. Subjects include horse sports, trends, training, health, cowboy culture, fashion, art, literature and more. They are currently seeking articles on horse health, profiles, interviews, and human interest stories.

Payment: $50 and up for an article. In addition, you’ll receive extra compensation ($100) if your post becomes popular on social media.

How to pitch: Submit your work here.

15. Reptiles Magazine

Reptiles is a bimonthly magazine catering to reptile and amphibian hobbyists at all levels of experience, from beginner to veteran. They are seeking articles on pet reptile husbandry, breeding “herps” in captivity, field herping/travel, conservation and health.

Payment: $300 on average, for a 2,000 to 2,500 word piece with photos.

How to pitch: Email your query to reptileseditorial@gmail.com. 

16. Tropical Fish Hobbyist

If your hobby involves aquariums and fishkeeping, you may find just the right outlet for your writing in Tropical Fish Hobbyist. They’re seeking articles about freshwater fish, saltwater fish, aquatic plants, aquarium basics, food and feeding. Articles should be between 10,000 and 20,000 characters-with-spaces.

Payment: This information is not disclosed on the website.

How to pitch: Submit manuscripts as email attachments to associateeditor@tfh.com.  

17. Continental Kennel Club

The CKC audience includes dog breeders, dog owners, canine professionals, puppy buyers, affiliate clubs and event participants. According to their website, “If you’re as passionate about dogs as we are, we would love to feature your work on our site.” They are looking for articles on responsible breeding, training, health, nutrition, grooming, lifestyle, travel, DIY projects, recipes, and opinion pieces.

Payment: No monetary compensation.

How to pitch: Submit your work to editor@ckcusa.com. 

18. I Heart Pets

This website is devoted to “finned, feathered and furry fun.” The site is full of sharable photos and videos, and you can also submit your true stories.

Payment: This information is not disclosed on the website.

How to pitch: Send your story to IHeartPetsOnline@gmail.com. 

19. The Wildest

The Wildest is a site for all things pets. Everything from what it’s like to be a pet owner, practical tips and advice and interesting stories can be found on their site.

Payment: Not specified

How to pitch: Send a message online with a brief 1-2 paragraph pitch

20. PetSci

PetSci is a site that aims to remove any confusion when it comes to looking after a pet. They provide articles and advice on how best to take care of your pet’s health.

Payment: Not specified

How to pitch: Follow the guidelines as per their site and the article will be confirmed as to be published or rejected shortly after submission

21. Bird Watching

As the name suggests, this website and in print magazine is dedicated to all things bird watching. With features including interviews, bird watching advice and much more.

Payment: Not specified

How to pitch: The ‘contact us’ page on their site lists numerous emails for the editorial team, so pitch your idea directly to one of them

Have you pitched any of these pet publications? Do you have other favorites you’d add to the list?

Photo via 4 PM production / Shutterstock 

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Ever sat down to write a piece of text and found yourself stuck on whether to use effect or affect? You’re not the only one!

In fact, learning the difference between affect vs effect is one of the most common questions people have, which is understandable seeing as they can both be verbs and nouns, and their meanings can overlap—triple threat! 

Here’s how to remember affect vs effect 

• Affect is a verb (an action word)
• Effect is a noun (an object word)

How to use affect:

Affect refers to a change being produced or an act taking place.

For example, “the hot weather affected the plants.” This implies that there has been a change in the plants because of the heat. 

Another way you can use the verb affect is if you’re referring to the idea of moving the feelings of something or someone.

For example, “The performance deeply affected her,” meaning feelings and thoughts had been altered. 

When you want to imply some sort of chance or to describe an action taking place, you’ll want to use the word affect.

How to use effect:

You’ll most likely see effect used as a noun to talk about the consequence or result of something.

An example of this would be, “Her low mood was an effect of her failed driving test.” 

Used in this way, effect tells us the end result of something, whereas affect is talking about an action and an influence that something had on something else. 

Affect vs Effect in a Sentence 

Daisy pushes Stanley into the puddle. 

Daisy has affected where Stanley was standing (because there has been a change).

Stanley being wet is the effect of Daisy pushing him (falling into the puddle was the result of being pushed). 

Examples of When to Use Affect vs Effect

• What effect did the loss have on the team?
• Did her words have any effect on you?
• The second cup of coffee had no effect on her
• A surprising effect of winning the award was that her sister was jealous 

• How will remote working affect our working hours?
• If I take this class it will negatively affect my grade in my other classes
• The weather today will affect my journey into work
• You know smoking cigarettes will affect your skin as you get older, right? 

Using Effect and Affect in Sentences 

• Scary movies can affect my sleep | Scary movies don’t have an effect on me
• My mom’s opinion has affected my decision to go to college | My mom’s opinion has had an effect on whether I should pursue college
• The car incident has affected my ability to drive alone | The car incident has had an effect on my ability to drive alone 

Here are additional examples of how to use affect and effect in your writing.

Common Mistakes People Make With the Affect vs Effect

You’ll see both affect and effect show up in more formal settings, especially in politics and on the news. It can get tricky to know which word to use when writing on your own. Let’s clear up some common misconceptions.

Is it Effect Change or Affect Change?

The right phrase here is “effect change,” because you’re saying you want to cause change.

You want there to be change as a result and remember, effect = result. 

For example, “As your new leader, I promise to effect change in the system,” which translates to “I want to bring about change.”

Is it Into Affect or Into Effect? 

The correct phrase in this instance is “into effect,” as we’re using the term as a noun to refer to something officially beginning.

For example, “These new rules will go into effect on Monday morning.” 

Is it Take Affect or Take Effect?

This is another phrase that often people get confused about. The right wording is “take effect,” as we’re referring to something beginning to apply. 

For example, “The new medication will begin to take effect within three hours.”

Essentially, the consequences of the medication will show soon.

In Summary: Effect vs Affect

Here’s an affect vs effect trick I like to use to remember which word I want to use:

• Effect = results
• Affect = change

When we use the word affect, we’re referring to something producing a change or influencing something.

For example, the weather will affect the traffic.

When we use the word effect, we’re talking about the result of the change.

For example, the effects of the weather have made the traffic heavier.

This is certainly a case of practice makes perfect so be sure to let us know how you get on with perfecting the difference. If you need further help with this topic, check out more info on affect vs. effect here.

We hope this guide was helpful!

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One of the most exciting things about consuming art, whether that art is a T.V. show, painting, or novel, is dissecting the layers of meaning within a given piece. There’s the literal things which happen in the novel, and then there’s the symbolic meaning—and the thing is, you probably already pick up on a lot of it without realizing.

Artists rely on symbols to add depth and layers of meaning to their work, but this only works if the reader understands symbols to begin with. Luckily, in this article, we’re going to cover the basics of symbolism: we’ll talk about what symbolism is, discuss different types, talk about how to use it, and review some examples.

Not only will this help you add meaning to your own work, but it’ll help you better understand the media you come across—look for these symbols the next time you’re watching T.V. or reading a book!

What is symbolism?

First things first: what is symbolism?

A symbol imparts meaning beyond what is literally portrayed. For an easy example, think of a heart—not an anatomical heart, but a cutesy red Valentine’s-day situation. When you see one of those, you immediately associate a bunch of other stuff with it—Valentine’s Day, maybe, or the idea of love, or cute things, or sweet things.

Or, you may say, you get angry, because you think all that stuff is stupid. But this doesn’t mean that you’re not getting the symbolism. If you weren’t getting the symbolic meaning, you would have an entirely neutral reaction, because you associate nothing with hearts. Since you see the heart and lovey-dovey stuff comes to mind, your reaction, angry or otherwise, has to do with how you’ve interpreted that symbolic meaning.

Symbols create a kind of shorthand for artists and readers alike. If I show you a heart, you automatically apply a meaning to it based on your experience as a person in our society. If I then show you cutesy hearts only alongside gory or unseemly images, this will create a unique type of unease—I’m juxtaposing an image associated with simple, good feelings with images associated with bad feelings.

See the layers?

Different types of symbolism

There are lots of ways artists can use symbols to build meaning and play with reader expectations. Let’s talk about a few of them. This list isn’t an all-encompassing guide, but instead a sort of starter pack for types of symbols used not only in writing, but in media generally.

Metaphor

A metaphor is when an author compares two things by saying that one of them is the other. This is different from a simile, where the author uses ‘like’ or ‘as.’ Metaphor is more direct, forcing the audience to consider what these two things (even if they seem unlike one another at first glance) have in common.

Consider “all the world’s a stage” from Shakespeare’s As You Like It as an example. He presents the metaphor and then expands upon it in the monologue—this is a classic use of metaphor.

Simile

A simile is the comparison of two things using ‘like’ or ‘as.’ If we were to change “all the world’s a stage” to “all the world is like a stage,” we would be making it a simile. Simile is often used for aesthetic description—it gets across a clearer picture, if the author chooses her words correctly.

In Normal People, for example, Sally Rooney, in one passage, describes the sky as “stretched taut and featureless like silk.” This evokes a strong image in the reader’s mind—you can imagine a piece of silk being pulled tight over the character’s heads. Additionally, ‘taut and featureless’ does some work in setting a mood here—this description precedes a very tense, uncomfortable dinner.

Personification

Personification is the attribution of person-like qualities to an object. Authors do this to add some texture and strength to their imagery, but personification specifically draws on a reader’s empathy. If something walks or talks or moves like a person, we subconsciously associate it with personhood, and this empathetic connection can be powerful.

If you’re reading a good book with great descriptions, you might say the story “leapt off the page.” You’ve probably heard of lights or shadows “dancing,” or wind “howling.” These are all examples of personification.

Allegory

Allegory is a type of extended metaphor where the characters, setting, and plot all have a shared symbolic meaning which, when analyzed, gets across a message, which is generally moral in nature. 

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is perhaps the most widely-known example. On the surface, it’s a novel about some very strange farm animals. If you pay attention to the clues Orwell plants throughout the story, it’s actually a moral argument against capitalism.

Color Symbolism

The meaning we attribute to colors impacts all kinds of visual media. Not only do writers use it to paint a picture in their readers’ minds, but anyone working in film uses it to impart visual meaning. People working in graphic design or marketing have to learn a ton about not only popular symbols, but also color theory, since colors have such powerful implied meanings.

These meanings might change from culture to culture, so this is a pretty Western-centered list—if you’re from a culture where these colors have different meanings, you might see them used in different ways.

Green

Green often communicates prosperity. It signals abundance and brings to mind the green of prosperous crops or bustling forests. It might also point to rebirth, as in spring, jealousy or greed, or money.

Red

Red communicates passion or an intensity of feeling. Red is the color of blood, so it might evoke war, violence, or rage. It might also evoke powerful feelings of love, especially lust. It could also be used as a warning sign to herald upcoming danger. 

Think of Melisandre in Game of Thrones, for example, who acts as a prophet for the Lord of Light. The Lord of Light demands violent sacrifices in the form of burning people alive, and Melisandre seduces powerful men to bend them to the Lord of Light’s will. She has red hair, she dresses in red, and the Lord of Light’s banner is red—this is all intentional.

Black

Black often signals death or the unknown. It might also be used to signal rebellion, strength, or authority—characters associated with black might be going against the status quo in some way or another.

White

White often signals life, rebirth, purity, or innocence. It also has strong medical associations and might be used to invoke a clinical, sterile environment—the blankness and starkness which white communicates can provide brightness, but also a lot of unease.

Blue

Blue reminds us of water, which makes us think of life, wisdom, freedom, or inspiration. If you’re into astrology, blue is meant to get across that ‘water sign’ aesthetic—things that are blue are meant to be intuitive, creative, and sensitive.

Brown

Brown reminds us of the earth. Brown might be associated with harvest, food, nourishment, and especially home and hearth. It’s a grounding color, so it also lends security, heart, and warmth wherever it shows up.

How to use symbolism

Now that you’ve got an idea of what symbols might look like out in the wild, let’s talk about how to apply them to your own work.

Watch for symbols

The first step is noticing which symbols are used, where they’re used, and how they’re used. This might sound like I’m assigning you a ton of research, but I’m really not—just pay attention to the colors, images, words, and phrases you see repeated in literature, shows, movies, and advertising.

You might start noticing that red is used a lot in stores to communicate urgency—buy this now—or that in a lot of mainstream media, characters associated with darker color palettes are often considered by the text to be morally corrupt (a direct result of our society’s colorism). This will definitely ruin your life a little bit, but it will also make you much more aware of what you’re bringing to your own work.

Use symbols intentionally for subversion

Once you understand how symbols are usually used, you can use them in new, interesting ways. A lot of cliches associated with imagery are also overused similes and metaphors—to say that something is “cold as ice” doesn’t do anything new for a reader, who has heard it before, so it kind of means nothing.

You want to reach for new associations and make comparisons that the reader hasn’t heard before. This is one of the ways you can work to create interesting, compelling artwork, and it starts with noticing these associations in real life for yourself.

Add symbolism in revision

Sometimes, a great idea for a story springs up around a metaphor, especially if you’re writing an allegory, which is pretty much all metaphor. In this case, you need to outline the terms of the metaphor up front and know what you’re doing as you go.

Otherwise, worry about symbolism in revision. This is the kind of thing that can really bog you down in your first draft, where your chief goal ought to be literally just finishing the manuscript. Once you’re done, go through and see what kinds of symbols reappear in your work. If you were intentionally using symbols in draft one, how did you do, and how will your revisions change these symbols?

Famous examples of symbolism

Here’s a few examples of symbolism that you’ve probably read before:

The green light in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The green light in The Great Gatsby symbolizes all of Jay Gatsby’s hopes and dreams—chiefly, it represents his desire for Daisy. Why green and not red? Gatsby’s drive for Daisy is inseparable from his drive for money, which he hopes will win her over.

The “A” in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The “A” in The Scarlet Letter means ‘adulterer,’ and it ostracizes Hester from the community. Throughout the novel, though, the ‘A’ changes its meaning—’aristocrat’ and ‘angel’ are also applicable.

Out, out damned spot from Macbeth by Shakespeare

Lady Macbeth tries to clean her hands in Macbeth during the “out, out, damned spot” monologue. This symbolizes her role in the violence to come—she can’t get the spot off her hands, just like she can’t rid herself of the bloodshed for which she is responsible. Try as she might, she can’t get the blood off her hands.

Sauron from The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein
Sauron is a great example of how characters might be used as symbols within a story. Sauron is a dark wizard who aims to use the power of the Ring in his pursuit of world domination. He symbolizes the triumph of evil, and the entire plot of The Lord of the Rings grapples with this idea that the long, difficult journey and sacrifices of good people can save the world.