Writing books, newsletters, or magazine and newspaper articles about animals is a great way to work with animals and share information with readers. Joan Lowell Smith, columnist for the Star Ledger in New Jersey, writes a weekly column called “Concerning Animals.” As a reporter with 35 years of on-the-job experience, she has covered everything from nuclear physics to features on theater arts. For the past 12 years she has focused her writings on animals.

As a columnist, she spends a lot of time with animals. “I have a tremendous amount of contact with animals, or I'd be worthless as a pet columnist,” she says. “I've been passionate about dogs and cats all my life. Some interviews are conducted on the telephone, some online, but most in person. I'm constantly covering events large and small.”

With newspapers cutting editorial space, writing about animals can be a challenge. Lowell Smith wrote about animals every chance she got when she was freelancing covering human interest stories. “When the opening developed at the Star-Ledger, I gathered a bunch of articles I'd written about animals and submitted the portfolio,” she says. “Many articles were from minor newspapers, but the Ledger was only interested in content, so I guess my message would be that no one should be reticent to submit work from minor media, since one would assume that a writer always does her best, whether the readership is 6,000 or over a million like the Ledger.”

Lowell Smith suggests joining Dog Writers Association of America and Cat Writers' Association to learn more about jobs and events.

In addition to writing for newspapers, animal lovers can write for magazines, newsletters, and websites. Many nonprofit wildlife associations have newsletters. All need editorial staff. To become a writer, columnist, or editor at a publication, it is a good idea to major in journalism or English at an accredited college or university, and to start out as a staff intern. You also could start by writing articles in your spare time, and submitting them as freelance pieces.

Another career path for writers is to specialize in some form of animal behavior or science. Many scientific journals will publish well-written articles on animal-related topics.

Staff writers earn between $35,000 and $55,000 annually. Editors earn more; salaries may start at $50,000, depending on the size of the publication.