Finding Your Writing Niche: How I Became a specialist Freelance Science Writer
When I started freelance writing full-time about last year, I didn’t have a essay writing service lot of an idea. I was signing up to whatever leads I can find on sites like Elance and Odesk and attempting to build a portfolio that could get me more simply work. As a result, my focus was scattered: a resume here, a series of blog posts there, the ghostwritten eBook that is occasional.
This worked, in a fashion of speaking. But I was losing more bids than I was landing—and the main weapon I had was to bid low and bid often. It was bad not only for my bottom that is own line for the freelancer community at large and I also knew it. Eventually, though, as I started to get steady work with a few areas I realized that I experienced a background I could draw on that will permit me to specialize.
Pre-freelance
Prior to going into freelance writing full-time, I spent a number of years as a research biologist. I originally started on that path because brilliant science writers like Stephen Jay Gould and Carl Zimmer had opened up the world of the natural sciences to me with creativity and wit. I experienced finally found something worth going to college for. As an undergraduate I fell deeply in love with Ecology—the branch of biology for creative types—and spent the second years that are few for the reason that world.
After college and a stint in grad school, I quickly realized that there aren’t many jobs for ecologists when you look at the world that is real and so I went along to work in various other areas. I did so research in public places health, infectious disease, and neuroscience, while volunteering aided by the Audubon Society as well as in community gardens. Even while I happened to be building a very good foundation that could assist me eventually find my specialization, although i did son’t know it at that time.
Finding my niche
Fast-forward to about 6 months ago, once I realized that most jobs I was landing were in Science and Medical Writing. Not just that, however these working jobs paid significantly more than most of the other jobs I became fighting over along with other freelancers as we all slashed our bids into the minimum. I already had a portfolio of articles on avian ecology, molecular biology, organic gardening techniques, and health that is public. I had real credentials and a resume that is solid. And I could present myself as an expert writer in these areas. And so I rebranded myself as exactly that: a professional science writer focusing on environmental news, medical writing, research, gardening and green tech.
My proposals became more targeted. I became submitting fewer of these, but immediately saw a much higher acceptance rate. I knew I was one of the most qualified writers in the room, I could spend more time on my proposals and ask for higher rates because I was only applying for jobs in which. I already knew which buzz words would demonstrate that I happened to be comfortable with scientific nomenclature. And clients responded to that. I occupy a great niche: I’m not a med student trying to earn money in the side—I’m a freelance writer. But I’m also not a generalist freelance writer—I’m an expert Science and Medical freelance writer.
You can find pitfalls to specializing—and it is important to prevent them. Do not make your area of expertise so specific that you could only bid on a single sort of job. As opposed to being just a science writer or just a writer that is medical I’m both. But We have a diverse portfolio in both these areas as well. We have many years of experience as a gardener, but am formally trained as an Ecologist. And I also have worked in public places health, but additionally understand molecular biology. If i really could only bid on one of the areas, i might be severely limited in terms of the jobs that would be available to me.
The first rule to being a successful expert science writer can be drawn directly from Evolutionary Biology. A few of the most successful organisms use a technique called optimal foraging behavior: they seek out the foodstuff which they know will give you the payoff that is biggest, but are ready to search for other sourced elements of income for the time being. As an expert science writer, We have a couple areas that are my specialty, but I’m not above writing a series of gardening guides if I can’t find a big job when it comes to week.
Secondly, know your limitations. As an incident study, when I first rebranded my freelance business, I made the mistake of bidding on a job that was frankly beyond my scope of expertise—liquid chromatography, a laboratory procedure for purifying mixtures. I was vaguely familiar I had a background in molecular biology techniques like PCR; how hard could it be with it, and?
As it turned out liquid chromatography is highly complicated. Along with no direct experience or theoretical training inside them, I couldn’t learn them overnight. It doesn’t matter how much training that is scientific have in other areas, or how quick an autodidactic study you may be. I ultimately had to cancel that job and lost a client that is potentially long-term. Therefore the second rule is: don’t think that being a professional science writer makes you a Science Expert. Stick to the fields you understand very well, and you’ll be consistently publishing quality material.
Thirdly, always be looking for opportunities to become better at your task. I no longer work as a researcher in Ecology and Evolution, but that doesn’t mean I ever lost my passion for the niche. I still attend conferences about environmental issues within my area, nevertheless now as a member for the public instead of a researcher. I never stopped subscribing to magazines that concentrate on nature and ecology, and today personally i think confident to send query letters for them. And organizations like the National Association of Science Writers have a lot of resources for science writers.
Finally, enjoy it. I adore writing, and I also love science. Focusing on science writing has allowed us to take on projects that I find interesting and engaging. I’m able to produce work I’m proud of, and I’m constantly learning more about the natural world.
In regards to the author:
Jim Daley is a freelance writer situated in Chicago. After working as a research biologist in avian ecology, public health, and infectious disease, he gone back to his first love—writing. He contributes content to science and gardening websites. On his blog, jimdaleywrites, he explores the process of balancing endeavors that are creative professional freelance writing.