Barbara Boughton    Medical & Lifestyle Writer

There are several secrets I've learned in 18 years of freelance writing. These include:

• Try to be as productive as possible. By writing quickly and competently, you can often make enough money to pay your bills, and diversify your portfolio.
• Network. It's important to network with other freelance writers; they often have job leads that can be helpful. Joining writers' organizations is also a must. The benefits of these groups include job boards where you can find freelance work as well as directories where you can advertise. Several writers organizations that I recommend include the National Writers Union, the American Society for Journalists and Authors and for medical and health writers, the American Medical Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
• Specialize, and be an expert. It's great if you can specialize in a topic or field where you have expertise. In that way, when you apply for freelance work, you stand out from the crowd.
• Strive for a diversified portfolio. It's best not to put all your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. I write for consumer publications, trade magazines, educational publishing companies and PR firms. Don't restrict yourself to one market, or one client.
• Keep your clients happy. It's important to get your work done well and on time. It's easier to keep a client you already have than to find new ones.

I have several regular clients, but I also work on marketing myself continually. Several good sources of freelance work include the job boards of the National Writers Union, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the National Association of Science Writers and the American Medical Writers Association. Media Bistro also has a directory, which can be good for obtaining clients and work. I've also met clients through social and professional networking sites such as Linked In.

No. I'm probably different from most freelance writers in this regard, because I was trained on a metropolitan newspaper and can write fairly quickly. So even jobs that don't pay top dollar can be profitable for me. That said, I try to limit myself to clients who pay at least 50 cents to $1 per word. Often these clients are trade magazines, and while they don't pay as much as national consumer publications - where rates can run from $1-$2 per word - the work is often easier and more regular.  Writing for trade magazines can be less interesting than consumer magazines, but it has its own rewards. Often a writer for a trade publication is called upon to handle a difficult or intricate subject-and write about it with ease. And that often brings a feeling of accomplishment.

There are a number of avenues you can explore if you want to be a health or medical writer. If you have a science or medical background, try enrolling in a writing course to brush up on your communication skills, and then write about a health topic for your local newspaper or a regional magazine. If you are a writer by trade, and have a literature or writing degree, you can often enter the field by selling yourself as a wordsmith and a good editor. Often scientists and physicians know science, but they need help with expressing themselves in writing. Many healthcare publishing companies are also eager to find excellent wordsmiths, editors and writers.