My pet writing was sparked by my love for my cat’s antics. Those stories, along with ones about cat health problems, led to publication in quite a few cat magazines, such as I Love Cats, Cat Fancy and Feline Wellness Magazine.

Then one day, a friend of mine related a dispute she had with her husband over ownership of their dog and asked me to look up information for her. Having done some browsing, I was amazed to see how much information was available on the internet. My interest peaked and I did some further research to find information for a feature.

As I was new to the realm of writing for dogs I had to find a dog magazine that I could pitch to. I came across ‘Dog’s Monthly Magazine’ which originates in the UK. I got my query together, having found out about UK legislation on the topic, located the editor’s name and with a catchy tentative title, “Canine Chattels”, made my pitch via email.

It didn’t take long for the editor to get back to me stating she was interested and to submit it on spec. Two weeks went by before she suggested I get a couple of supportive quotes from professionals, and gave me the name of a pet lawyer the magazine used. I went one step further, and sought information from a UK pet behavior consultant, conducting an email interview to get the quotes I needed.

I finally delivered the completed piece. The editor changed the title to “Canine Custody. Who Gets the Dog?” and I was published in a four-paged glossy feature, which included graphics and photos. The title of my feature further graced the cover of the magazine. I was in awe! I promptly received payment via direct bank transfer and got my two contributor copies in the post.

I presently have another feature in the works with Dog’s Monthly, and have decided to pitch to other dog magazines following the success of my writing going to the dogs!

Nadia Ali is a freelance writer born in London, UK and now living in the Caribbean. Her writing credits include Dog’s Monthly, Chicken Soup, Whole Life Magazine and the Travel Channel.

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