Craft of Writing

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Craft of Writing

Kamala Thiagarajan

Breaking Into Health Writing, Part II

You’ve done it! You’ve sent in a picture-perfect query that has landed you a plum assignment in a prominent magazine. You have a right to pat yourself on the back, but don’t rest on your laurels yet. Although you’re already treading the path to fame and fortune, now comes the hard part—you must deliver.

So where do you begin?

As a health writer, you’ll find that the ideas for your work may come in plenty, but the real challenge lies in sorting them out and making sense of them. You’ll also need to rely heavily on the LR Factor—legitimate research. Research is the lifeblood of any health publication. It is your key to breaking into print and securing further assignments. It is also an indication of how successful you’ll be in this field.

Tools You Can Use
Don’t be misled into thinking that health writers must have a degree in a related field of health care. While that may be useful, it is not the only factor for success. A layman can contribute just as effectively. All you need are skills that speak of solid research, the painstaking ability to gather statistics and keep track of your sources and spot the rising trends in the international arena of health care, and be able to simplify this information so that it does not intimidate your reader.

Handling Information Explosion
In this day and age, it isn’t difficult to get solid facts. However, most magazines do not accept secondhand research, which means you’ll have to verify everything right from the source. Data and statistics from research institutes and progressive studies worldwide are published frequently and are easily accessible on government-sponsored Web sites. Other good sources for information would be different encyclopaedias that offer body-related trivia, data gleaned from fillers in local newspapers, even other health journals and magazines. A quick Web search should throw up the basic information that could prove to be the bare bones of your article. But to make your piece unique, you need specialists who can give you the most current guidance.

Keep a small notebook on hand at all times during your research process. Enter names, dates, events, studies, the ISBN numbers of related books. Jot down possible contacts, leads that you could follow up, collect proof in the form of studies, and published matter that will support the statements you make.

Honing Your Researching Skills
When it comes to research, health magazines have their varying needs. Some prefer quotes only from celebrities and established doctors, while others veer towards startling data—facts and figures presented in an engaging way. Whatever be the case, be confident in your approach and be sure to obtain your facts only from primary sources like government institutions, credible Web sites, or authorized international bodies like the WHO. For instance, for an article on insomnia, you may want to look up statistics that are offered by legitimate and accredited institutions like the American Academy of Sleep Medicine or the Global Sleep Research Organization. If you are researching a piece on age-related macular degeneration of the eye (the leading cause of blindness for the elderly in the West), you may want to seek help from the International AMD alliance or its branch in your country.

There may be plenty of other Web sites that publish health news but not all of these are considered reliable sources. Be especially wary of those run by private individuals with no special qualifications. While they may hold a perfect record of all the facts, you cannot quote any statistics for the simple reason that the owners of the site cannot be held responsible for any errors.

Most health magazines, like Reader’s Digest and American Health and Fitness, have fully equipped and expert fact-checking teams who will easily be able to spot an inaccuracy and ensure that it is rectified. If an editor finds out that you are unsure of yourself or of where you gleaned your statistics from, it could spell doom to your career as a health writer. Even while interviewing professionals, make sure that you have a transcript of the interview either on tape or in print.

Another valuable source for research could be your local library. While quoting from books or published studies, be sure to use the complete title and name the author. Do not change sentences within the quote (but if all you mean to do is further the reader’s understanding, then you can always introduce the alterations in brackets) and note down the ISBN number to facilitate fact checking at a later date.

It is true that most health magazines pay well—but not without reason. Remember: tread carefully if you want that backbreaking research to ripen into rich dividends.

Contacting The Specialists
The bad news about collecting data is that readers aren’t going to take your facts, no matter how well-researched they are, at face value. In addition to this, you’ll need to convince them with value-based quotations from specialists. The voice of a doctor, scientist, or specialized researcher will add that credibility factor to your work. The good news is that you don’t need to run from pillar to post to contact specialists anymore. With the Internet, it is fairly easy to reach them online.

You should study the many Web site resources that give public awareness and health-related information. Many famous doctors, skilled physicians, and professional health workers are often affiliated with these sites. Look up their personal Web addresses and either call to set up an appointment or send them an e-mail requesting an interview. You’ll find that the information gleaned from their experience and medical case studies can transform your approach to your subject.

Inviting Confidences
Personal interviewing is an important skill in health-related writing. The nature of the medium is such that you’ll have to talk to people about their most intimate problems. Infertility, PMS, and incontinence can indeed be touchy, even embarrassing, topics. Great sensitivity is called for in these situations because you’ll be asking patients to relive a very emotionally and physically painful time in their lives. Your attitude will make it easier for sources to share what they know with you freely.

Be an avid and open listener. Forget that you’re practically strangers and behave as you would to a close friend or a concerned acquaintance. Never analyze interviewees as though they were under a microscope. Pay attention when they first say something, and don’t ask them to repeat details of their trauma. If a particular question disturbs them, then rephrase it and introduce it at a later time during the discussion when they are more at ease.

Doing Away With Bombast
Unless your audience consists entirely of scientists, you don’t want to overload them with information that won’t make a lasting impression. Keep your language and tone simple, clear, and precise. Pare down the facts and figures to use only the ones that illustrate your point most effectively. Make sure your research is impeccable and that all statistics are accounted for. Be sure to cover your tracks by checking and re-checking your facts for accuracy. There can be nothing more embarrassing than a reader writing in to the editor, nitpicking an error in the data that you presented.

Is giving away “all rights” all right? Some health publications will insist on buying “all rights” to your work in order to keep it exclusive. This means that you cannot resell it anywhere else. Writers usually combat the problem by completely revamping or rewriting the piece and then selling it elsewhere, but in this case, even rewriting the article may prove to be difficult and tricky, since you cannot use the same research or quotes as in the original. Though this may seem unfair from a writer’s perspective, in this genre, most magazines see that exclusivity as an edge against stifling competition.

As a writer, this may not necessarily mean that you get a raw deal, but selling off all rights to your work (especially if you’ve spent a lot of your time and energy with the research) can be a difficult choice to make. Ensure the payment that magazine makes to you is worth the time you put into assembling the article. Negotiate as is required and never throw away all rights to your work for a trifle.

Geography Is Now History
Even if you’re freelancing for a magazine that is in another country, health writing will put you on an equal footing with the other writers of that nationality, as most health-related news is universal. So, your geographical status is no longer a matter of concern.

But there are a few pointers you must remember if you happen to be collecting data long-distance.

It is best not to interview local doctors if you are planning to submit your article to editors in a different country. A local doctor or health professional may not hold credibility in any other country other than his own. However, do search for international bodies or groups who may be working on an experiment or related to your field of interest.
Quoting from research experiments is highly valued due to the contemporary and immediate nature of the findings. You will find that these researchers, too, are eager to cooperate with the press as the publicity could generate a great deal of public interest, which can translate into more funds to further their cause.

The revelation that tends to dawn on you eventually is that as a health writer, your lot is very similar to that of a seasoned traveler. Both health writers and globe trotters understand and appreciate this one essential truth: In spite of conflicting customs and tastes worldwide, people are remarkably the same world over. Health is a part of that rare branch of writing that transcends place and time to present a universal tradition.