Science Writing:

1

• Science Writing
• Who, What, Where and How Much
• Charles A. Goldthwaite, Ph.D.
• Centenary College
• October 1, 2004

2
What Exactly Do You Do, Anyway?

• Science writers create a variety of documents,
  such as
• Journal articles
• Grants and funding announcements
• New drug applications
• Advertising materials
• Continuing medical education guidelines
• Conference summaries
• Feature stories/ journalism

3
Science Writing At a Bookstore Near You

• Science Writing is
• Focused on clarity
• Data-driven and supported
• Generated as a support for a greater cause
• Often anonymous

• Science Writing is not
• Creative writing, in the classical sense
• Opinion-oriented
• A solo effort

4
Home on the RangeWhere Science Writers Write

• Pharmaceutical / Biotech Industry
• Government Agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF, FDA, DOE)
• Academic Institutions/ Medical Centers
• Medical Education Companies
• Magazines/Newspapers
• Freelance Consulting (all of the above can be
  clients)

5
Getting There The Big Picture

• There is no one required degree to be a science
  writer.
• Science writers have any of the following
  degrees BA/BS, MA/MS, PhD, MD, MPH, JD, etc.
• In general, a degree in science decent writing
  ability is preferable to a background in
  English/journalism the potential to understand
  the science

6
Getting There More Observations

• In general, professional options increase with
  higher terminal degree
• (PhD, MD, PharmD gt MA/MS gt BA/BS)
• Advanced degrees in English can be a gray area
  for some employers
• Several US institutions offer 1-year Masters
  programs in Science Writing (MIT, Johns Hopkins,
  UC Santa Cruz)

7
Getting There Masters Programs in Science Writing

• Generally, these programs train writers in
  science journalism, mostly for jobs with mass
  media and science journals
• Advantages great networking, required
  internships, programs are respected in profession
• Considerations Competitive, expensive (no
  scholarships), experience is a plus

8
Geographic Considerations

• As a science writer (excepting freelancing), you
  usually work onsite
• Most jobs with industry, medical education
  companies, etc., are in MA, PA, NJ, CT, IL, and
  CA a limited number in the South and Midwest
• Government jobs are in DC
• Mass media jobs often in NYC (Yay!)

9
Show Me the Money

• General Rules
• The more personal prestige associated with the
  assignment, the less lucrative it usually is.
• Higher pay usually correlates with higher
  pressure assignments.
• The academy pays less than the govt and private
  industry, for the same level of training.

10
Numbers, Please

• Pay varies with experience, degree level,
  geography, etc.
• Many jobs listed on Monster.com give salary
  ranges
• For candidates with doctorates
• Industry 50-90K
• Government 50-75K
• Academic institutions 40-60K
• Freelancing 50/hr and up

11
Getting Started

• Writing samples are a form of currency You cant
  have too many!
• Start small offer to write for free in a
  low-pressure situation (e.g., short blurbs in a
  local medical newsletter, etc.)
• Build networks Summer internships (often unpaid)
  get your foot in the door
• Interview local science legends (e.g., Drs.
  Brame, Chirhart, Blakeney, Leucks) for feature
  stories in The Conglomerate

12
Resources

• Info, Forums, Job Leads, Networking
• National Association of Science Writers
• American Medical Writers Association
• Sciences Next Wave
• Survey of Jobs Available
• Monster.com (keyword medical writer or science
  writer)