Bri Barbu and I wrote the original “Beginner’s guide to a career in science writing” in 2021 because we wanted more people to know how to go from “I’m studying science” to “I’m going to be a science writer.”
Five years later, it is terribly outdated. We’ve updated the guide and now present: “The beginner’s guide to a career in science writing, 2.0.” We hope you find it helpful.
The beginner’s guide to a career in science writing, 2.0
We sometimes get questions from STEM students about how to become a science writer. We’ve passed down the advice and resources older students and alumni gave us, but this is an inefficient (we are scientists, after all!) and inequitable method of knowledge transfer.
What about the students who don’t know anyone who can help them get started in science writing? Many online “how to become a science writer” resources skip some of the basics, jumping right to internships and fellowships that require a big time commitment and a competitive CV.
So where can you learn more about the craft and business of science writing while still in school or your current job? How can you get the experience necessary to apply for fellowships, internships, or science communication jobs? In this article, we answer five common questions about how to become a science writer.
We’ve collected these answers and resources from talking to other science writers and editors, seeing the right tweets at the right time (RIP Twitter), and learning about the right places to look. That process took us years — hopefully, this piece saves you some time!
How do I publish my first piece?
Most writing jobs, internships, and freelance opportunities require a strong track record of “clips” (writing lingo for “published articles”). Publishing your writing when you’ve never published anything before feels like a classic “need experience to get experience” scenario, but there are plenty of non-intimidating ways to get that first article and start building your portfolio.
First of all, any first clip is better than no first clip. Don’t agonize too much about the right way to publish or getting impressive bylines right out the gate—focus on what works for you and your style. Some people start blogs (or find a blog to write guest posts for, like a ScienceBites site) to practice writing about science in a more conversational style. Social media platforms like Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok are also popular ways for people to dip their toe into science communication, build an audience, and make connections. Brittany got her first clip from a Chemical & Engineering News tweet calling for pitches for grad student essays. This led to more clips and editor introductions down the road.
As a new writer, local opportunities can be your best friend. If you’re a student or work for a university, there’s likely at least one campus publication that would be happy to work with you—that’s how Bri got her very first clip. There may even be specific science communication training workshops on campus or in your area, like ComSciCon. If you’re not affiliated with a university, regional chapters of professional or educational societies are often looking for people to help out with newsletters and blogs.
If you’re a scientist already, you might have some thoughts on scientific life that could help you get your first clip. Both Science and Nature have careers columns and invite people to pitch essays and opinion pieces. For those in the life sciences, The Xylom publishes opinion pieces and The Scientist has opportunities for pieces written by new writers.
Once you have a few clips, you can cold pitch different publications if you have an idea for an article and can prove you can execute it. This Google Doc by Robin Lloyd lists publications that commonly publish science stories, as well as info on pay and other resources for freelancers.
How do I connect with other science communicators?
If you have even the faintest inkling that you want to do science writing or science communication, start seeking out people doing the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, you can contact the research communications or media relations people at your university.
Don’t know where else to find science communicators? They tend to congregate on social media, especially Instagram, Bluesky and LinkedIn. To get started, follow your favorite science journalists and editors, look for posts tagged as #SciComm and join the conversation, or direct message someone whose work you’ve admired from afar. The science communication community is full of fun people who are passionate about what they do and are usually super willing to share advice with newbies.
There are also more targeted science communication communities, such as the BU SciCommers Slack (formerly known as NPR SciCommers) or the Binders Full of Science Writers Facebook group for women and non-gender-conforming folks in science writing. (The Facebook group is currently invite-only, but once you’ve made some connections in the field, you’re likely to find someone who can add you.) The National Association of Science Writers requires five clips for regular membership, but if you’re a student, you can join for a discounted price without clips.
What education do I need to be a science writer?
There’s no single path into science writing—successful science writers can come from a science background, a writing background, or some combination of the two. To see the diversity of paths one can take to becoming a science writer, check out The Open Notebook’s “On The Origin of Science Writers.” Overall, the quality of your clips and your ability to pitch and find opportunities through your network are generally more important to your career than the degrees you have.
That said, a science background gives you many transferable skills that are integral to being a good science writer. An advanced science degree gives you the ability to put together projects on a deadline, understand scholarly articles, interpret and question data, learn about new technical fields quickly, and understand what scientists are trying to communicate about their work. If you’re interested in formal education, there are science writing programs specifically designed for scientists to transition to science writing.
If you don’t have the time or resources to take a formal class, there are plenty of resources for teaching yourself about science writing:
- The Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT has many good resources for science writers, including a module you can use to teach yourself about how fact-checking works in journalism.
- The Open Notebook has tons of articles about getting started in science journalism as well as a free Science Journalism Master Class series that delivers writing courses directly to your inbox.
- The Association of Science Communicators also has a mentorship program and educational courses on communicating science for a moderate fee.
- Sequencer Magazine, a writer-owned science publication, has a mentorship program specifically for scientists or students interested in writing about science for the public. The program includes one-on-one training for a short blog, personal essay, or reported story that will be published on Sequencer’s site, resources and office hours, and an honorarium.
- If you’re a government researcher, an academic, or a grad student, check out The Conversation, where editors will work closely with you on an article on a topic related to your research.
Can I do this for a living?
If you’re just starting out as a writer, you probably shouldn’t quit your day job yet (and with the shrinking number of jobs in the field, will have to be really sure before you do). You can build up your portfolio as a side hustle while you wait for the right opportunity to go full-time — or simply decide whether you want to pursue writing full-time.
Internships can be a great opportunity if you are (1) financially able to take on a short-term position that typically won’t offer benefits and (2) eligible (many, but not all, are targeted towards current undergrad or grad students or people within a year of graduating.) The “big one” for scientists who want to get hands-on journalism experience is the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship (MMF), which is open to current students, postdocs, and recent graduates in the sciences who want to spend a summer working for a media outlet.
Of course, the Mass Media Fellowship is far from the only internship out there. I’ve compiled a list of internship and fellowship opportunities for people with experience ranging from “a few clips” to “one previous fellowship.”
For more opportunities, check out national labs, universities’ research communications offices, local and national scientific societies, museums, conservancy organizations, biotech companies—anywhere there’s science, there are people communicating it. Looking beyond big name publications and top-tier research institutions can turn up unexpected opportunities.
Freelancing full-time can also be an option, but be aware that it takes self-discipline and some business sense. Science writer Wudan Yan’s article about hitting six figures as a freelancer outlines many of the financial ideas you’ll need to keep in mind if you want to make a living from freelancing.
Where can I find more resources?
For science writers, Marianna Limas’ free Science Writing News Roundup newsletter is a goldmine of information. If you want to keep up to date on the latest science writing tips, news, and opportunities (including pitch calls, awards, internships, and jobs — though some of those are behind the modest paywall), the newsletter is an easy way to see those exciting links in one place every week. Dr. Anna Funk, a communications strategist and former editor at Discover, keeps a blog with lots of good advice for new science writers and communicators, including topics like “How to Juggle Your Budding Career AND Your Unfinished Dissertation.”
If you’re looking for advice on applying to the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship specifically, Brittany has put up a page specifically about that here.
We’ve mentioned The Open Notebook several times, but TON’s website (and accompanying book The Craft of Science Writing) is one of the most comprehensive resources out there for science writers. They have articles and resources for just about any situation a writer might face, from pitching—they keep a database of successful pitches to a variety of publications—to covering stories that affect marginalized communities.
Of course, the biggest resource is other people. Don’t be afraid to reach out via DM or email to ask for help. Diving into science writing can be intimidating, but the scicomm community is full of people who are willing to provide advice (for example, us).
Bri Barbu is a physical sciences reporter at Chemical and Engineering News, where she puts her Masters degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan to work reporting on news and trends in—you guessed it—chemistry. She was a 2021 writing intern at Fermilab and a 2021 AAAS Mass Media fellow at Discover Magazine.
Brittany Trang is a health tech reporter at STAT, where she also writes the AI Prognosis newsletter. She was previously a 2022 – 2023 Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellow at STAT and a 2021 AAAS Mass Media Fellow at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She double-majored in English and chemistry at Ohio State and graduated with her PhD in chemistry at Northwestern University in 2022.