In this episode, I speak to Jennifer Herrin who is originally from the US but has lived and worked in the UK for the last 10 years. She has a background in nursing, which she parlayed into a degree in technical writing. She then got a staff job as a medical editor, followed by a job in nursing while continuing to write. She now enjoys freelancing while setting her own schedule and working from anywhere.
Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business at 6weekcourse.com. There, you can access free content on medical writing.
In this episode, I delve into the nitty gritty of medical manuscript writing. If you are an experienced medical writer, you probably know most of this, but I hope it serves to reinforce your knowledge.
-Get up to speed in the subject area.
-Work from a detailed outline that has been approved by the “author(s).”
-Establish the format up front—download author guidelines. Clarify the word count.
-Understand why the paper is being written.
-Use the basic of clear writing—topic sentences, signpost words. Lead your reader through the piece in a logical order: from the already known to the new information.
-Be clear about your medical writing role (no analysis, no statistics, no graphics).
-Make sure any data is from the primary source.
-For annotations, it’s best practice to annotate within the article, not the abstract.
-Make sure the wording is not too similar to the original reference, but also similar enough that it will appear to be accurate to a fact checker.
-Use sources that are high up in the impact factor and reputable. Limit your use of promotional materials, such as paid review articles, CME programs, press releases, informational products behind a pay wall.
-Check data is complete (ie, don’t leave out a side effect by accident), and make sure your piece is fair balanced. Must include all agents within a class. Must include the positive and any negatives.
-Make sure comparisons are appropriate (head-to-head trials are to compare but generally you cannot compare different trials).
-Make sure if you are referencing a conference presentation or poster that there isn’t in fact now a published paper on the study.
-Write slowly with complete accuracy because you may not catch it upon review.
-Reference and annotate as you go using the split screen function in word. Or if you are an Endnote power user, go for it.
-Even healthcare professionals don’t want to wade through a hotchpotch of unrelated study descriptions. If reading your own manuscript makes your eyes glaze over, there’s a problem. Try to tell a story.
Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing.
Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The course is currently available and the next group will start May 29th, 2021.
In this episode, I cover tips for interacting with clients as a new freelance medical writer or any kind of freelancer for that matter.
Get the skills and feedback to make sure there is a reasonable chance that you will do a good job.
Really try to make new projects your best work. Expect to get a lower hourly rate for this first project. If you are writing in a specific genre, such as a needs assessment, review the client’s guidelines extra carefully and Google “how to write …..” and follow along with the generally accepted best practice.
Don’t turn things in with spelling errors.
Know that your client is not here to be “remedial.”
When you take on a new project, look at the files immediately.
It’s better to turn in something a day late than something that is not high quality.
Know that just because it is a “first draft,” it still should be in great shape.
Most clients should be coming back to you for repeat business. If not, find out why not. It’s usually the quality of your work. Client is not obligated to tell you.
Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing.
Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The course is currently available and the next group will start May 29th, 2021.
In this episode, Dr. Sharon Morjig and I discuss the power of volunteering as a way not only to do some good in the world but to add impact to getting started in medical writing and jump starting a career in medical writing. Visit Sharon’s website at smmedicalwriting.com. I also mention the following websites that may help you get started with volunteer medical writing:
http://medangel.org/
https://www.catchafire.org/
https://taprootfoundation.org/
https://www.volunteermatch.org/
Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing
Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The next group will start May 29th, 2021.