Info

MedicalWritersSpeak's podcast

Emma Hitt Nichols interviews freelance medical writers about their work.
RSS Feed
MedicalWritersSpeak's podcast
2022
February
January


2021
December
November
October
June
May
April
March


2020
December


2019
March
February
January


2017
January


2016
October
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
September
August
July
June
May
April


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: January, 2022
Jan 27, 2022

In this episode, I talk about the many things we have to remember to pull off a successful video conference call with a client, including what to wear, how to set up the video, and other minutiae involved in a professional client call. 

This is trait number 8 of the 10 traits of successful freelance medical writers.

  1. Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs
  2. Follows directions
  3. Follows formatting
  4. Responsive
  5. Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing
  6. Organized and mindful of time
  7. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible 
  8. Professional with clients on calls
  9. LinkedIn presence
  10. Lifelong learner

Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here
Download the free AMA style reference list here

  • Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/)
  • Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com 
  • Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com
  • VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

 

Jan 20, 2022

This week I am talking about being cheerful, forgiving, and flexible--freelance medical writer success trait number 7. How far do you have to go in this regard? Is the customer or client always right? When should you cut ties with a client?

Here are the top 10 traits of successful medical writers as I see them:

  1. Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs
  2. Follows directions
  3. Follows formatting
  4. Responsive
  5. Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing. 
  6. Organized and mindful of time.
  7. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible 
  8. Professional with clients on calls
  9. LinkedIn presence. 
  10. Lifelong learner

You can listen to that overview episode here

Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here
Download the free AMA style reference list here

  • Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/)
  • Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com
  • Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com
  • VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com
Jan 13, 2022

So this week I have a touch of Covid (thankfully, the seemingly milder Omicron variety). And YES I got 2 vaccinations and a booster! Anyway, I don’t want you having to listen to my croaky voice, except for in the intro sections!

I did a 3-part series on productivity a while back and thought I would repost the series as a single episode here as it pertains to success trait number 6, which is “organized and mindful of time.”

  • In the first of this 3-part series, I describe productivity hacks that everyone can use.
  • In the second of this 3-part series, I talk about medical-writer specific productivity hacks.
  • In the third of this 3-part series, I talk about delegating, the key to being uberproductive and having enough free time.

 

Here are the top 10 traits of successful medical writers as I see them:

  1. Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs
  2. Follows directions
  3. Follows formatting
  4. Responsive
  5. Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing. 
  6. Organized and mindful of time.
  7. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible 
  8. Professional with clients on calls
  9. LinkedIn presence. 
  10. Lifelong learner

You can listen to that overview episode here

Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here
Download the free AMA style reference list here

  • Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/)
  • Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com
  • Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com
  • VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com
Jan 6, 2022

Freelance Medical Writer Success Trait Number 5: Being well versed in the AMA Manual of Style and rules of writing and editing

In this week’s episode, I talk about the success trait number 5, and that is being well versed in the AMA Manual of Style and the rules of writing and editing.

Qualities like having a science background, being detail oriented and having the ability to sit quietly at a computer are a given and not included in the 10 traits. Here are the top 10 traits as I see them:

  1. Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs
  2. Follows directions
  3. Follows formatting
  4. Responsive
  5. Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing. 
  6. Organized and mindful of time.
  7. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible 
  8. Professional with clients on calls
  9. LinkedIn presence. 
  10. Lifelong learner

From today's episode: If you would like an advance review copy of Nick Nichols' (aka dear hubby) new legal thriller All We Hold Dear coming out March 1, 2022, please email nicknwrites@gmail.com and we will send you a copy. 

Here are some books I recommend:

  • On Writing by Stephen King
  • Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
  • On Writing Well by William Zinsser
  • The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
  • How to Write Bestselling Fiction by Dean Koontz
  • War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
  • And my book Freelance Medical Writing Emma Hitt Nichols, PhD

Download the AMA Style cheat sheet here
Download the AMA style reference list here

  • Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/)
  • Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com
  • Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com
  • VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com
1