How to Get Published as a Freelance Medical Writer
Practical tips for ensuring your medical writing will see the light of day
Freelance medical writing isn't that different from writing when you're affiliated with an institution. Publishing in high-caliber journals benefits your career and credibility, whether you're going freelance or writing on behalf of a hospital or university.
As we all know, the path to publication is paved with potholes. If you are considering publishing your medical writing, research, or academic work, here are some points to ponder and suggestions for a splendid submission.
Synthesize the Literature
You're not just a writer - you're a medical writer. Your level of expertise should be reflected in your research and writing process, from literature review to writing your article and pitching it.
With that said, a concise introduction followed by a thorough literature review is non-negotiable. You'll need a 360°-degree overview of the research that's already been done on your topic so that you can:
appropriately frame your research for the reader
substantiate and compare your claims with existing insights.
Your introduction also needs to articulate clearly how the manuscript addresses the topic at hand, provide a rationale for the study, and state what the reader can expect to glean from reading it.
Make Your Methods Sticky
I've stopped counting the number of papers submitted for peer review that do not provide a suitably detailed and transparent description of study design and methods. This description is especially tricky for describing qualitative research design and methods. Fortunately, Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research provides a 21-item list of standards that can help you improve the transparency of reporting in qualitative research.
State Your Results Succinctly
Use tables and figures to distill quantitative data and consider using visualizations to display qualitative information. Effective Data Visualization by Stephanie D.H. Evergreen is a terrific resource to help you find the right chart for the right data.
End the Story
The conclusion should generally include an insightful summary of your results and the implications they have in your field of practice. All people, even academics, need a story to connect with. Make sure your study leaves the readers with a meaningful takeaway.
Writers in and out of the medical field often forget to answer the question, "So what?" In other words, why does your writing matter, why does it matter now, and what value are you adding to the reader? The sad truth of medical communication, and communication in general, is that what you write is not important just because you're writing it. It has to have some relevance to your audience at this moment in time.
"Medical communicators are key in a scientific ecosystem where critical research findings move from laboratories to the world, improving the health and lives of patients and communities." - AMWA
Further Tips for Effective Medical Communication
Publishing in peer-reviewed journals has become increasingly important in most professional fields over the last 15 years or so. There are many good reasons for publishing, such as building credibility and reputation in your field and sharing productive insights that help colleagues improve their own practice.
Getting published can be challenging, but you can improve your chances by following a few simple tips.
1. Know your audience. This is key to the story you will tell and the way you will tell it as a freelance medical writer.
2. Choose the right journal for your message — one that serves and reflects the characteristics of your intended audience. Once you have chosen your intended journal or other vehicle, familiarize yourself with submission requirements and follow them to the letter. Learning how to submit a manuscript well is a skill that will serve you well beyond writing for journals as a freelancer.
3. Draft, draft, draft. Writing is mainly revising, or, as William Zinsser puts it in On Writing Well, “'Re-writing is the essence of writing.''
4. Edit and proofread your work. I usually read my work out loud and send it to colleagues for feedback before submission. If your colleagues don’t understand what you've written, journal readers won't either. In fact, a common lament of medical editors and peer reviewers is that many papers on interesting and timely topics aren't published simply because they are poorly written.
Are You Ready to Break into CME/CE Writing? Take this 4-minute quiz to find out your strengths and weaknesses.
Beyond Publication: Cold Pitching, Building a Portfolio and Other Practical Freelance Tips
Publication in peer-reviewed journals is a vital way to gain credibility and trust in your field - and it gives you another piece to put in that portfolio you're building. However, as a freelance medical writer, you need to be on top of your writing game and your business game.
You may want to pursue other writing avenues beyond pitching journals, including writing evidence-backed opinion pieces in journals like Scientific American, writing patient education materials, or my favorite, CME writing.
Medical writers need comprehensive portfolios demonstrating their expertise, strong cold-pitching skills, and a strong network of connections through professional organizations like AMWA(American Medical Writers Association) or NASW(National Association of Scientific Writers). It can be daunting to start freelance writing - even with a terminal degree and years of experience under your belt. That's where Write Medicine comes in.
Want More Tips for Advancing Your Medical Writing Skills?
Write Medicine is here to help academics and clinical professionals transition out of careers that are no longer serving them into rewarding freelance writing careers. Discover how to create a work-life balance, care for yourself first, and help others with the materials you create. Learn more about how WriteCME Pro helps people make the transition into CME writing with a combination of skilled coaching and expert mentorship.
Get access to the best medical writing resources online and start your career as a CME/CE medical writer today!
→ Join WriteCME Pro, a CME-specific, skills-based membership for CME writers who are ready to create CME content with confidence.
→ Listen to the Write Medicine podcast or watch our YouTube channel for weekly best practices in creating content that connects with and educates health professionals.
→ Subscribe to the Write Medicine newsletter for tips, tools, and tactics to help you create CME/CE content with confidence