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How to Break into Medical Writing
By Christine Buske
These days it is not unusual for writers to reach out to
markets other than consumer magazines to pad their portfolios,
and wallets. After all, greeting cards, novelty items, bumper
stickers, and brochures all start out with a writer and a
great cup of coffee.
Even within the realm of magazine publishing there are
hundreds of different types of markets you can target as
a professional writer. One market in desperate need of more
writers is the medical field. Don't fret; you don't actually
have to be a doctor or nurse to write for most publications.
You do need to be able to come up with interesting ideas
that appeal to a particular audience.
Contrary to popular belief, trade magazines are not
overflowing with technical content. The only difference
between these publications and consumer magazines is that
they appeal to a narrower audience. For example, Advance
publishes a magazine only for nurses. They published a
recent article about cultural issues between nurses and
patients. They have also published tips for nurses on how
to handle stress and juggle their work with a personal life.
Does that sound a lot like the articles you see at the checkout
counter? This is because there are only subtle differences
between consumer and trade magazines, and often it is just a
matter of changing an angle.
Breaking into medical writing is not very different from
breaking into any other industry, but your chances of success
are larger than pitching Vogue. You need to familiarize
yourself with a publication, and write a compelling pitch.
Since you can't familiarize yourself with these magazines
at your local newsstand, here are some of the places you
can find publications:
- Hospitals and doctors' offices often receive trade
publications. Make friends with the receptionist and ask
if you can borrow some old issues (being bold works! I
always maximize my time in the waiting room).
- Browse a recent copy of the "Writer's Market", or do a
search on www.writersmarket.com .
- Browse the Internet: search for specific disciplines you
are interested in, and you will get a number of magazine
publishers. For example, I typed in “Dental magazine”, and
the first three results were for “Dental office magazine”,
“The Dentist” (a UK based magazine), and “Dental Economics”.
- Attend local medical conferences and scoop up free sample
copies of magazines! Often one large publisher puts out 10-30
different magazines, and there are always a few publishers
at conferences.
- Sign up with a medical writer's association. The American
Medical Writer's Association is a great place to start
networking ( http://www.amwa.org ).
- Breaking medical news can be found through PR Web and
other press release sites. These news items can translate
into article ideas you can pitch.
Your local hospitals, clinics, and dental offices also need
medical writers. Health care providers always need newsletters,
and internal communications. At large hospitals you need to
contact the communications or media office, and introduce
yourself as a local medical writer. At smaller clinics and
dental offices you can speak to the manager or the owner
directly. It’s a win-win situation: the professional can
spend more time doing what they are good at, and less time
worrying about their brochures and website.
Another medical market writers can tap into is the
advertising industry. There are countless advertising
agencies that create brochures, websites, and B2B
advertising for large pharmaceutical companies. When these
agencies get busy, they are often open to outsourcing to
freelancers. Google or the yellow pages comes in handy to
find agencies in your own city, and introduce yourself.
The secret to breaking into medical writing is persistence
and keeping up with a network. Try and connect with
hospitals and clinics, editors at trade magazines, but don’t
forget to get in touch with local advertising agencies as well.
To get you started, here are a few markets:
You & Me (Medical magazine for the lay-person)
http://www.youandmemagazine.com
(
submissions@youandmemagazine.com )
Pays on acceptance, but the rate is not listed on the website
A&U (American Aids magazines)
www.aumag.org (
chaelneedle@mac.com )
Pays $150-$300
Advance magazine for healthy aging
www.advanceweb.com/healthyaging
( mwolf@merion.com )
Pays $150-$300
BIO
Christine Buske is a freelance writer and PhD Candidate
based in Toronto, Canada. She freelanced as a medical
correspondent for FOX News.com, and her work has been
published in The Coffee House Digest, Advance Magazine,
among other publications. When she is not writing, she
enjoys playing with her pet bunny or working on her
research projects.
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