By Gary
McLaren
Freelance
writing for health publications will not
only keep you on the edge of the latest
trends and advice for maintaining a
healthy mind and body - it can also be
healthy for your bank account.
Freelance
writers produce articles covering a
range of diverse topics including
nursing, disabilities, diseases,
prevention and cure, health research and
education, alternative treatments and
more.
On the
technical writing side medical writers
also work in the pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries, writing
materials that include regulatory
documents, investigative drug brochures,
and clinical study protocols.
There is
a good demand for health writing and
this is a growing industry. Consider for
a moment for 76 million baby boomers
that have been entering their fifties.
They are worrying more about their
health. They want to lose weight. They
are trying to get fit. They want to
prevent disease and remain as healthy as
possible.
It is not
just the boomers, of course. Everyone
wants to be healthy and avoid sickness
in order to feel better and enjoy life.
Here Are
A Few Examples of Health Publications
The
following are just a few examples of
health publications that you could work
for as a freelance writer.
360
Magazine
An ezine accepting articles on all
topics related to the wheelchair
community, including health, travel,
sports and relationships. Payment ranges
from $0.10 to $0.25 per word.
Guidelines:
http://www.360mag.com/submissions.cfm
Arthritis Today
A national consumer health magazine
published by the Arthritis Foundation.
Contains information about arthritis
research, treatment, self-care and
emotional coping. This publication pays
up to $2,000 for feature articles of up
to 2,000 words.
Guidelines:
http://tinyurl.com/arthritistoday
Cure
A publication for those with cancer and
their caregivers. Providing the latest
cancer updates‚ research, and education.
Pays freelance writers $1.00 per word.
Guidelines:
http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/page.show/id/40
Diabetes Health
Providing patients, educators and
healthcare professionals with practical
advice and the latest information on new
methods, technologies and research
related to diabetes. Payment varies with
experience and length of article.
Guidelines:
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/writersguidelines.html
Healthplan This magazine of trends,
insights, and best practices is
published by the American Association of
Health Plans. Pays freelance writers
$0.65 per word.
Guidelines:
http://tinyurl.com/healthplangl
In addition to specialty health
magazines, remember that you can also
write about health topics for hundreds
of other magazines, such as family
magazine or men’s and women’s interest
publications. For example there are more
than 200 publications that are looking
for health-related material in the
Markets Plus
writing markets database at
WorldwideFreelance.com
There are
also some good organizations and
associations for medical writers. Here
are several of them.
American
Medical Writers Association
http://www.amwa.org
Australasian Medical Writers Association
http://www.medicalwriters.org
European Medical Writers Association
http://www.emwa.org
Health
Sciences Communications Association
http://www.hesca.org
National
Association of Medical Communicators
http://www.ibiblio.org/namc/
World
Association of Medical Editors
http://www.wame.org
So be
healthy. Be wise. And become a health
writer. It’s a great niche for freelance
writers.
About the Author
Gary McLaren is the editor of Worldwide Freelance Writer. For more
information on freelance writing and a database of more than 2,200
writing markets, visit
http://www.WorldwideFreelance.com
© Copyright 2009 Gary McLaren.
