Bio Career Center

Science writing seems like a well-defined, narrow description of an activity, but in reality many options abound in the field. Science writers can work at various types of companies, institutions, or organizations. They can write in many different genres, they can be freelance or staff, or they may even spend very little of their time writing.

When I started out, I knew I wanted to freelance rather than work in a staff job, but that was about it. The rest was a murky haze. I wasn’t entirely sure which genre of writing to specialize in; whether I should write for a clinician or a general audience; or whether I should edit, write, or manage other writers. It turns out, a decade later, that I have gravitated towards writing about medical topics for a physician audience. Specifically, I write non-promotional continuing medical education (CME) materials—mainly papers and slide notes. I also write news pieces from medical conferences, and on occasion, I write feature articles for a scientific audience. I do some editing, but mostly I write.  In 10 years, I remain strictly freelance despite the pleadings of the occasional headhunter.  I also dislike managing other writers or being responsible for their work, so no subcontractors for me.

It took me a little while to “find myself” as a writer, about 3-4 years. In those first years, I threw myself at every job possible, discovering, sometimes through harsh comments from clients, what I was good at and what I wasn’t so good at. 

In this article, I will describe some of the different job opportunities that exist for a science writer, some of the genres, some of the distinctions between being freelance vs working at a staff job, and some of the various job functions of a science writer.

Job types

A science writer can work for a variety of different institutions and companies in a variety of capacities. They can work for pharmaceutical or biotech companies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, hospitals, advertising/communications agencies, government facilities, and scientific journals, to name a few. The type of job, of course, will dictate the genre of writing. For example, a job at a pharmaceutical company may involve working in house on regulatory documents that comply with FDA requirements, whereas a job at an academic institution may involve writing press releases about the scientific research being conducted there. With freelancing, you may work for a variety of clients, each of which requires a different writing style.

Genres

Science writing comprises many different genres. In the freelance world, more freedom exists to pursue a variety of genres whereas in a staff job, of course, you have to write what they tell you to write. Science writers can write books or travel around the world from conference to conference writing news pieces.  Some science writers specialize in writing feature articles, some specialize in writing educational text books, some write strictly for magazines for a general audience, and some specialize in writing grant applications. This is just to name a few of the types. Ideally the type of writing you do will be at the intersection of something you are good at, something you enjoy, and something someone will pay you for.

I write CME materials for doctors, which I find pretty interesting because I write about new medicines in late-stage clinical trials immediately before they receive approval. Basically CME is a way of letting doctors know what new treatments might be coming their way before they are advertised and marketed. I feel as though, in a small way, I am helping to build awareness among doctors so that they can optimize treatment for their patients. All CME documents must adhere to the principle of “fair balance,” so I don’t have to engage in some of hyperbole necessary for press releases and marketing materials—not my forte. It is also interesting to see the developments in medicine and science over time. Now that I have been around a few years, I have written about some medicines from the time they were first tested in humans, all the way until they received FDA approval. You get attached to a drug. For me, it is like watching a child grow up and graduate high school.

A regulatory writer friend of mine has a comparable feeling writing package inserts for new medical products. She feels as though what she is doing is worthwhile because she is writing a legal document that will be used by millions of doctors and patients (which, in fact, she is). It’s also “exciting,” she says, when she has to detail unexpected adverse events in the package insert. Now, that doesn’t seem that exciting to me, but each to his or her own, I suppose. It should be noted that most science writers find regulatory writing a little dry, and that’s saying something, because the whole field of science writing might be a little dry. But I digress.
I find news writing very exciting and fun. You go in, you stalk your interviewee prey to get your quote, and you’re out. Whip out 400 words, turn the piece in the same day, do that 5-15 times and you are done with the conference. There’s a rhythm to it, during the 14 hour days, and then there’s closure—no pesky rounds of revision. You also are dealing with the cutting edge of research findings, which can be fascinating. You can travel around the globe as a result of covering conferences. It is perhaps not as well paying as other forms of science writing work though.

Freelance or staff?

The decision to go freelance or staff as a science writer should be based on several factors. Most people’s personalities fall clearly on one side of the line or the other. People suited for a staff position enjoy the security of a real job (although frankly, who are we kidding these days?). There’s usually a routine to the work; it’s not isolated like working at home—you can chat with colleagues at the water cooler. There is structure. By contrast, freelancing can be a little scary. If you are juggling 5-10 clients, at least one of them is likely to be making what you consider to be unreasonable demands on you or trying to get you to sign a bad contract. Or you might get deadline buildup, and have to negotiate a new deadline with a client, who may not like it. You are completely responsible for everything. The flip side of that, though, is that you have complete autonomy over which jobs you will take on. Once most people have tasted the autonomy associated with freelancing and are able to make a successful living at it, there’s usually no going back to having a “real” job.

Writing, editing, managing, liaising? 

In addition to the genre of writing, opportunities exist in the “science writing” field that do not involve significant amounts of writing. In my 9-month stint as a managing editor for a CME company, I did very little writing. I did some editing, but mostly I worked with freelance and staff writers and assigned and managed online content. While I seemed to do OK at the job, I did not enjoy it. Turns out I like to write, which I view as creating, most of the time.

A science writer with a PhD in a life science can also morph into acting as a liaison between key opinion leaders and the company that they work for. Science writers can also act strictly as editors and not writers. Writing and editing are actually 2 different skill sets. Some writers do not make good editors and vice versa.

I hope my musings have provided some insight into the many opportunities in the world of science writing. There’s something for everyone, although literacy, scientific and otherwise, is required of course.