Your Sample is Your Spark

When I started my freelance medical writing journey, I did not fully appreciate the power of a free sample. At the time, fanciful ideas of working with a wide array of clients felt like a faraway fantasy. After a couple of months, however, the satisfaction of landing my first few assignments was replaced with restlessness. Although I was still grateful to have received those opportunities, the sample section of my newly minted medical writer’s website was as bare as supermarket shelf before a massive storm. In the eyes of prospective clients everywhere, I was still a nobody. Who would risk engaging someone without a record? As a novice writer-for-hire, I found myself in what can be a familiar bind. Every single word I wrote was confidential and remained the intellectual property of my clients. Consequently, the tantalizingly easy solution of uploading copies of my sold projects to the portfolio section of my website was unacceptable – unless I wanted to torpedo my practice before it escaped the figurative launchpad.

Thinking back to my training as an undergraduate research assistant at Georgetown, I reluctantly accepted the reality that I was going to need to write for free. Because I intended to work in continuing medical education (CME), it was immediately obvious to try my hand at writing a needs assessment. These shorter documents are generally seen as less lucrative projects in this subfield of medical writing, as compensation is lower and these assignments require writers to conduct research on what are often unfamiliar topics. That said, the demand for these documents is high among CME companies, as these persuasive, analytical pieces are key ingredients of educational grant applications. Moreover, they are often entry-level assignments for medical writers with no established relationship with a medical education company. During my training, I was told that I was willing and able to write convincing, winning needs assessments, I would become a coveted asset to my future clients.

With that goal in mind, I decided to write a sample needs assessment on multiple sclerosis. From a personal standpoint, I wished to write about this disabling neurological disease after my aunt died from the disease only a few months before. From a strictly strategic standpoint, the topic is exceedingly fundable. After reviewing research online on PubMed, I noticed that several treatments had emerged for the condition over the course of the last 2 years. Additionally, some scientific literature suggested that there remain many challenges in the diagnosis and management of patients with condition. Using that information, it became easy to justify the need for further education for physicians.

Structuring a needs assessment while writing for free can be challenging, although there are resources available to help with this task. To get a better sense for the process and format, I highly recommend enrolling in a commercial program like Write & Prosper’s How to Write Needs Assessments Like a Pro. This targeted, online course provides a framework for identifying gaps, writing learning objectives, and assembling a needs assessment from scratch. Although the course costs several hundred dollars, it may help to view it as an essential investment in yourself as a writer. An added bonus of the course is having the opportunity to correspond personally with the teacher. As a tuition-paying student, you can send Jennifer Gregg, PhD your sample, and she will provide substantive feedback for future drafts.

If your budget precludes enrolling in a degree program or an online course, you can ask an experienced CME writer for feedback. It’s unlikely that such help will be free, but purchasing one round of review is probably more affordable than an in-depth course or certificate program. No matter which strategy you pursue, I advise having a fellow medical writer evaluate your work before sharing it with a prospective client. Winning a professional colleague’s genuine approval can do wonders for your self-confidence and elevates the chance that your pitches will be successful.

To close, I would be remiss to not mention how transformative a single free sample can be for a freelance CME writer. After writing my first, publicly available needs assessment, I gained 3 new clients in the span of 3 months, doubled my earnings on a trailing 6-month basis, and more recently earned the privilege to write on larger projects that pay much more than needs assessments. To say that writing for free was the best decision I made in my early freelancing journey would be an understatement. If you choose to do so too, your return on investment will be nearly immediate if you can write well, pitch aggressively, and please your newfound clients. If you’re new to the field, make writing a strong sample needs assessment your first priority. You will almost certainly be astonished at how quickly and decisively fortune shifts in your favor.