Guidelines
Submissions Closed
Do you have questions? Find our article on Six Questions.
Submissions are open for our Black Cats are Good Luck story contest.
Want some feedback? Check this page for details.
We publish stories, art, and poetry that examine the connection between animals and humans, and the ways we and our lives are more similar than people assume. Some topics and themes to consider, but of course, we are open to others:
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the process of an animal bringing out a character trait in a person (ie: Seabiscut)
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animals as living, interactive symbols or metaphors of human wants, fears, secrets, challenges, and change (ie: Life of Pi, Cujo)
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stories told through an animal's perspective (The Incredible Journey, Pax).
Of course, you can send us both art and writing pieces with dogs and cats as central characters, but we see this so often -- what stories can you tell, either from imagination or experience, about marginalized species or creatures people usually avoid (ie: possums, bats, termites).
Though we don't prefer pieces with foul language, we will consider them. Just note that if we choose to publish your piece, we may ask to change the language.
At the moment, we can only accept original, unsolicited work. No previously published content quite yet, but we're hoping to in the future.
We highly suggest reading our previous issues before submitting to have a better idea of what we publish. You can read them online or in our shop (which helps support the magazine!).
Find your genre below for specifics.
Please note these guidelines from our About section:
Honeyguide Magazine is a bi-annual magazine that features fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and blog posts about animals and their human neighbors.
We accept pieces from the perspective of animals who are as present and authoritative as human characters, the reciprocal bond between human and animal that bewildered, challenged, and changed the human, and discoveries that reveal how close in space and mind the animal and human kingdoms are.
We do not accept pieces that support inhumane treatment of people or animals, or the keeping of exotic pets (ie: tigers, monkeys, crocodiles), but we understand that these are often part of the wider human/animal story. Nor will we publish profiles of beloved animals — show us the nature of your relationship, why you depend on each other, and what your bond means for both of your lives.
We also do not accept erotica, cliche animal narratives, preachy articles, easy fixes, and pieces with perfect, sweet happy endings. Make us ponder, reflect, examine our fears and discomforts, and reason. Our stories in this world are ongoing -- resolutions are often open-ended and extend into the future.
All contributors receive a free PDF of the upcoming issue and a print copy at a 50% discount. For pieces we want to publish (to the magazine and blog), we may make changes to grammar and sentence structure with the writer's consent. The writer will still retain rights to the piece even after we make changes.
We have first serial rights to all work published in print and online (except for our blog), and exclusive rights until publication. Once published, all rights revert back to the writer.
How to Submit
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us right away if the work is accepted elsewhere.
Send all submissions as attachments (.doc, .docx for writing, .jpg and .pdf for art) to submissions@honeyguidemag.com
All writing should be in the standard manuscript format (12 pt font, Times New Roman, double spaced, word count) with your genre in the Subject line (this will make it easier and faster for the right editor to review your work). You may send your submission as a Microsoft Word document or Google Doc. We do not accept written work sent as a PDF, photocopy, or picture.
If you send your submission as a Google doc, please notify us by email so we notice it right away.
If you want to make any changes to your submission after sending it to us, please let us know what you changed as soon as you can. If you need several changes, please inquire about sending an updated submission.
Please give us 1 - 3 months to respond. If you don't hear from us after 3 months, feel free to send us an email asking about your work.
Disclaimer: We assume that all submitted pieces are original, unsolicited, and unpublished (in both online and in print). Honeyguide and its affiliate magazines (The Field Guide and Parakeet) are not responsible for any consequences due to copyright claims.
Contest Prizes
Accepted writing and artwork are considered for one of three prizes, depending on the medium of their work. (These prizes were formerly known as the Featured Pieces.) All accepted fiction and nonfiction stories for the upcoming issue are eligible for the Vulpes Story Prize, poetry for the Avian Poetry Prize, and artwork for the Aureate Prize. If the prize is granted, you will be notified by email.
In addition to these prizes, we hold a Black Cats are Good Luck story contest for each October issue. This contest is open to the public.
FICTION
We're looking for stories that follow the guidelines above, and are told honestly, vividly, and coherently through a fresh new point of view.
We prefer flash, literary, historical, and young adult fiction, though we will consider other genres. Absolutely no AI-generated work will be considered.
Please keep submissions up to 3,000 words and send one story per submission.
Please type FICTION in the subject line of your submission, and include a short bio (2-3 sentences).
If you are a YA writer or storyteller between the ages of 7 - 17, you may also consider submitting to our children's magazine, Parakeet. This magazine is a separate branch in the Honeyguide tree with a different reading period, publication date, and set of guidelines. Please visit the magazine's page for details.
Every accepted nonfiction piece is eligible for the Vulpes Story Prize. If selected, your piece will be highlighted in our magazine and you will win $25 US.
For every October issue, we also hold our Black Cats are Good Luck contest for fiction and nonfiction stories. The winning piece has guaranteed acceptance into the upcoming issue, and the author wins $100.
If your story is declined, feel free to send another once you receive the email telling you the news. If you are declined twice, we kindly ask that you review our guidelines before submitting again.
POETRY
We value lyrical poetry in any form that exemplifies our vision and is bright with imagery, music, and voice.
Like Fiction, we value poetry told from the human perspective, but we especially love poetry that has a fresh take on the voices of animals. Think T.S. Elliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and the musical adaptation, Cats.
Poems can be any length, but we ask that you keep them under 20 lines (any accepted poem that is longer will be reviewed and suggested edits will be sent to the author). Absolutely no AI-generated work will be considered.
Please send no more than 5 poems per submission. We may accept all or 1 if we think your poetry is a good fit for our magazine.
Please type POETRY in the subject line of your email and include a short bio.
Please wait for an email accepting/declining your work before sending an additional batch of poetry.
Every accepted poem is eligible for the Avian Poetry Prize. If selected, your poem will be highlighted in our magazine and you will win $15 US.
You may also want to consider submitting to our poetry magazine, The Field Guide. Our poetry magazine is a separate branch in the Honeyguide tree with a different reading period, publication date, and guidelines. See the magazine's website for details.
CREATIVE NONFICTION
Do you have a special experience to share? We appreciate your insight and vulnerability and would be happy to consider any creative nonfiction piece that meets our guidelines.
Please keep submissions up to 3,000 words and send one story per submission. Absolutely no AI-generated work will be considered.
Please type NONFICTION in the subject line of your email and include a short bio (2-3 sentences).
Every accepted nonfiction piece is eligible for the Vulpes Story Prize. If selected, your piece will be highlighted in our magazine and you will win $25 US.
If you are a YA writer or storyteller between the ages of 7 - 17, you may also consider submitting to our children's magazine, Parakeet. This magazine is a separate branch in the Honeyguide tree with a different reading period, publication date, and set of guidelines. Please visit the magazine's page for details.
For every October issue, we also hold our Black Cats are Good Luck contest for fiction and nonfiction stories. The winning piece has guaranteed acceptance into the upcoming issue, and the author wins $100.
If your story is declined, feel free to send another once you receive the email telling you the news. If you are declined twice, we kindly ask that you review our guidelines and issues online before submitting again.
ART and CARTOONS
Your artwork may be the one we choose to introduce the stories in our magazine. Images are often the first things we process, in both magazines and experiences.
We're looking for artwork of any form and medium that captures our vision. We do not accept AI art (if a contributor wants to send us an AI piece to accompany their poem or story, we can consider it for the online publication).
We accept collections and individual pieces, both up to 10 items.
For cartoons, we are only able to pay up to $5/cartoon. If you require payment, please let us know in your submission.
Please type ART OR CARTOONS (depending on what you are submitting) in the subject line of your email and send your art as a .jpg or .pdf attachment with the title(s) either in the name of the individual files or in the body of the email.
We would also love to read a short explanation of the piece(s) and your worldview as a fine artist. Please send up to 4 sentences in the body of your email.
If you are a young artist between 7 - 17 years old, you are welcome to consider our sister magazine, Parakeet.
If you're chosen as the recipient of the Aureate Prize, you will win $50, your art piece will be on the cover of the upcoming issue, and we will publish a short article about you in the magazine.
BLOG POSTS
We offer a free blog of short journal articles and nonfiction pieces about a snapshot of life — a sudden realization, a memory, or a feeling —that affected change in the speaker. Though we prefer human voices about animals on our blog, we will consider pieces told from an animal's perspective.
Blog posts can respond to a book, film, song, or artwork as long as the source of inspiration is credited in the piece.
They can also be reposts from your personal blog or previously published work as long as you provide credit or a link to the original post and you retain full rights to your work. Absolutely no AI-generated work will be considered.
You can send up to 3 posts per submission. Just note that if we accept your submission, we may not publish it right away.
Please keep submissions to 2,000 words or less.
When submitting, type BLOG POST in Subject line of your email. Also include a short bio (2-3 sentences) and blog credits if it was originally accepted elsewhere.
LIFE ADVICE FROM AN ANIMAL ARTICLE
Each of our issues include 1 - 3 advice columns from a household pet or beloved animal. We prefer that it be written in your voice, but we are always on the lookout for clever, non-cheesy ways to hear from animals.
Topics to consider:
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What this animal taught you
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A new perspective on life based on something this animal did
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Reflections
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Handling changes in lifestyle or thought
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Care and keeping of self or others
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Relationships
The accepted contributor will receive a small monetary payment ($25).
Please keep submissions to up to 2,000 words (1,000 words preferable) and send one article per submission.
Please wait to hear back from us before sending more articles.
We can only accept original, unsolicited work.
When submitting, type the words ANIMAL ARTICLE in the subject line of your email and include a short bio (2 - 3 sentences) in the body of your email.
ANIMAL RESCUE ARTICLE
We value the amazing work of animal shelters, and we want to give communities an opportunity to have their local shelter featured in our magazine.
We only consider not-for-profit 501(c), no-kill, small shelters that have been established for at least 3 years.
We prefer that the shelter not be affiliated with any large, nationwide organizations — we want to hear from the little groups who are in this work because they realize how important it is.
When submitting, type ANIMAL RESCUE into the subject line and a short (2 - 3 sentences) bio about yourself.
Please keep submissions up to 2,000 words. They can be in journal or interview style.
As of now, we can only publish one animal shelter per issue, but we are hoping to feature more in the future.
If accepted, an editor will be in contact with your to verify the rescue's information (ie: tax ID number, contact information, paypal email). We will need this information within one week after acceptance or we will have to choose someone else.
If we cannot feature your rescue in our upcoming issue, we may ask to keep your submission for the future or to post your article to our blog and give you exposure that way.
Please see our Animal Rescue page for more details.