Information on the Freelance Center is now much easier to find thanks to AHCJ’s brand-new website. With the end of the year approaching, I thought now would be the perfect opportunity to highlight the latest freelance resources.
Market guides
I have updated or revised several market guides, including guides for Leaps, MedPage Today, The New York Times and AARP. I also have added two new market guides for publications that pay relatively well. They are:
- Chemical & Engineering News: Editors at this print magazine and website, owned by the American Chemical Society, welcome feature pitches about biotech or pharmaceutical industries and the chemistry of their products. For example, the publication ran a story about finding better biomarkers — molecules in people’s blood — for diagnosing diabetes. Editors are also interested in stories about atmospheric and environmental chemistry and the impact on public health. For feature stories, which usually range from 800 to 2,000 words, the publication pays a minimum of $1.60 a word for a single-source piece, such as a Q&A, and at least $1.90 a word for a multi-source article.
- Harvard Public Health: This mostly digital publication from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health seeks stories about public health. They can be features, scene-driven narratives, investigations, trend analyses, Q&As and more. Freelance fees for reported stories start at $1 a word and go up from there, depending on the complexity of the piece and other factors. The length of most articles is between 800 to 1,500 words. Q&As may be a bit shorter.
Lunch and Learns
AHCJ’s monthly Lunch and Learns for freelancers continue. They are held on the third Thursday of most months at noon CT. The Zoom link is always the same. These meetings are not recorded so that participants can feel free to speak frankly. I do post general summaries of the main points from each meeting.
- September: Finding editors calling for pitches on social media
During this Lunch and Learn, freelancers discussed how to use social media to find editors who are calling for pitches. AHCJ freelance committee member, board member and Lunch and Learn co-organizer Tammy Worth asked freelance writer and editor Kaitlyn Arford to sit in. Arford writes a weekly newsletter of opportunities for freelancers, and she shared many useful tips. - October: Using generative AI tools
In this Lunch and Learn, freelancers discussed the appropriate tasks for generative AI, the mechanics of using ChatGPT, the accuracy of generative AI tools, privacy concerns and specific AI applications for health care writers. Participants who have been experimenting with AI apps shared their experiences. - November: Mining medical studies for story ideas
In this Lunch and Learn, participants talked with Tara Halle, AHCJ’s Health Beat Leader on infectious diseases who has educated journalists about understanding medical studies. They also discussed how to decipher whether studies are worth covering and how and where to find ones that could generate story ideas.
Tip sheets
- How to prepare to report on a medical research conference: This explainer offers advice on what to do in the weeks before and during a conference to make for an easier, less hectic experience.
- What freelancers need to know about media liability insurance: Three media liability insurance executives explain what this type of insurance is, the risks it covers, what it costs and how to buy it.
Grants & fellowships
- American Heart Association travel stipend
U.S. freelancers who qualify for embargoed access to the association’s news materials are welcome to apply for a $2,500 travel stipend to attend one of its five select scientific conferences. - The Ferriss — UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowships
This program offers 10 reporting grants worth $10,000 annually to journalists who cover narratively rich stories on the science, policy, business and culture of the rapidly changing field of psychedelics. - The Good Science Project —Johns Hopkins MA in Science Writing Fellowship
Johns Hopkins is providing $5,000 reporting grants for feature-length magazine articles that reveal flaws in current science policy, practice, or funding and identify solutions. - The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists
This fund, part of the International Women’s Media Foundation, awards grants on a rolling basis to women and nonbinary journalists for professional development opportunities, investigative reporting and media development initiatives. Applications may take up to 8 weeks to process. - NIHCM Journalism Grants
The National Institute of Health Care Management Health Reporting provides funding for health reporting, educational opportunities for health care reporters and for support of documentary films and their public engagement campaigns. - The Pulitzer Center Bringing Stories Home Grants
Local news outlets and freelancers are eligible to receive grants for data, investigative and accountability journalism that shines a light on systemic issues at the local level.
Don’t hesitate to email me if there is a market guide, tip sheet or grant opportunity you would like me to add.
