MedicalWritersSpeak's podcast

Learning a little bit of something each day is a bit like dollar-cost averaging in the field of investing: keep doing them consistently over time, and you will end up becoming very rich in both marketable skills and savings. It’s also always been my belief that the best investment you can possibly make—better than any mutual fund or stock market return—is in developing your own skills. Nobody can take them away from you.

In this episode I talk about some of the things that are useful to learn as a freelance medical writer. 

Here are 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

Access “LinkedIn for Medical Writers” here.

Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here

Download the free AMA style reference list here

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

Join VisualMedComms here. Learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing  and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills. Find out more about joining the membership below.

This week’s episode covers freelance medical writer success trait number 9, which is having a strong LinkedIn presence. I interviewed Dr. Kalpana Shankar a few months ago on this topic, and I think our conversation really covers most of what I would have to say (and includes several value bombs from Dr. Shankar), so I am reposting that here, along with a short intro on the topic.

If you are a freelance medical writer and are interested in getting more clients, LinkedIn is definitely the place to be. You can have a fully built profile within a day. If you need a little guidance on that, check out my “LinkedIn for Medical Writers” course.

Here are 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

Access “LinkedIn for Medical Writers” here.

Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here

Download the free AMA style reference list here

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

Join VisualMedComms here

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

 

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

 

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

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

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 [email protected] 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

Because it’s almost a brand new year, in this week’s podcast episode, I’m talking about goals, specifically, the 5 steps of setting them and then actually pulling them off, which of course, is the hard part!

Next week, I’ll resume the ongoing series about the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers. We’re on trait number 5, "Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing."

For the overview of the top ten traits, please listen here

If you’re in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com.

Does your company need medical writing assistance? Visit Nascentmc.com

VisualMedComms is launching on January 28, 2022. Make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and increase your income by offering a new set of in-demand skills to your clients.

In this week’s episode, I talk about number 4 of the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers: being responsive.

For the overview of the top ten traits, please listen here

If you’re in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com.

Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com

VisualMedComms is an upcoming site launching soon 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

In this week’s episode, I talk about number 2  and 3 of the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers: following directions and following formatting. I combined these because they are somewhat related.

For the overview of the top ten traits, please listen here

Free AMA Style reference sheet

Free AMA Style cheat sheet

If you’re in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com.

Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com

VisualMedComms is an upcoming site launching soon 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