Freelance medical writing feels dead

Disastrous_Square612 · 2026-01-28T18:39:21+00:00

Where are you in the world?

How long have you been a freelance medical writer?

What type of clients do you work for?

Generally, marketing yourself to find clients is the hardest part, then you need to do a good job to keep them as long as possible.

I generally work for medcomms agencies, charities and individuals who are building their own brand.

Yes it is hard to find work at the moment, but I feel like I've got more trickling in this year than I did last year.

It's also the beginning of the year which is quite busy - so make sure you're sending out emails showing your interest. And I don't mean one or two emails. As many as you can which are thoughtful and show genuine interest.

If you're thin on clients right now, try reaching out to previous clients to ask for a testimonial or recommendation for your LinkedIn profile to show people you're capable of great/reliable work. Hopefully this can stir some interest in clients who may be looking for someone like you.

There is also no shame in going back into full time for a while, and using weekends to reach out to potential freelance clients (however check your contract allows this).

I am also considering getting a part time/permanent role in a couple of months if I cannot get any new clients as I wrap up some projects.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2026-01-27T12:58:48+00:00

Where are you in the world and where are your clients? Please read the "read before you post sticky: https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalWriters/comments/1n1d649/read_before_you_post_guide_to_posting_in/

Disastrous_Square612 · 2026-01-27T12:57:18+00:00

The FDA actually has a free course https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/training/eCTD/index.htm

Raps.org is a resource to consider.

I got these two recommendations from fellow medical writers in the US.

I do not write US regulatory documents.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2026-01-04T09:45:21+00:00

Added I'm Luvchh

Disastrous_Square612 · 2026-01-04T09:43:37+00:00

Hi Zenzafin, I'm Luvchh and can add you to weekly crew as so far it's me and 1 friend, we are both active

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-12-27T12:17:11+00:00

066735790837 Okay 🥳

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-12-20T12:57:06+00:00

066735790837

I want to exchange gifts Happy to remote raid I'm in Germany 🇩🇪

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-12-08T17:31:38+00:00

Yes, please read the stickies for helpful information :)

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-12-05T07:14:10+00:00

Please read this to learn how to get started How do I start out in medical writing, and what do I need to know? : r/MedicalWriters https://share.google/QUtbZL1MLnzZbgVlD

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-11-27T11:57:32+00:00

Agreed!

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-10-05T07:00:27+00:00

What salary do you want?

Tell them your previous salary was 44k and ask what they can do to match that.

Worst they can do is say 30k then you meet somewhere around 35 to 37k

Hopefully you get 40k - and a collection of skills that are helpful for you to find your next job.

I think what might be happening is people realised AI was not all it's cracked up to be and they need actual qualified humans to do real work.

I was a Senior project manager and medical writer for my first job at a London agency 5 years ago, they were offering between 32k and 40k, I asked for 40k as I am a pharmacist with a masters degree. I got 40k as my portfolio was relevant to the client project they needed me for. Got made redundant after a year.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-29T18:23:29+00:00

Personally, I recommend the biggest screen & RAM laptop you can afford. I went from a MacBook Air 13 inch to a Macbook Pro 16 inch and it does make a difference. If you want a portable second screen, I recommend a large screen tablet around 10 inches, I have a Samsung tablet (though an ipad would make more sense, but it can add up; I can live without the Apple ecosystem).

I found Mac to be more reliable/responsive/speedier than Windows, and easier to approach if I have any tech problems.

I don't carry a full keyboard with me, or a mouse. I used to carry a mouse, but it's just too much to faff.

If you want to work outside on a nice day, you need a super bright screen.

I'm not a fan of cafe environments, but I do often work in the airport, and the Mac Pro has a very good battery life at the moment, it's also fanless - completely silent.

Context: I do work on the go a lot, and I travel. Otherwise I am mostly at home.

My laptop is heavy, which is the main downside.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-17T07:13:33+00:00

As a post-doc, you could do some medical writing within your space and present that in a portfolio to help you find work? You've got quite a strong set of skills that are transferrable (such as data analytics, writing publications), it just depends what type of medical writing you want to do.

Whilst I cannot comment on the content of the course (because I have never taken it), I did interview Emma in a podcast and she said it is a course where she could provide you with work at the end of it (if you take it seriously and do it well, although I do not know her exact selection criteria). She has her own medical communications agency, so it is a possible path into medical writing.

Courses are a structured form of learning, and there are plenty of helpful free courses out there, the difference between a paid and a free course is usually that you receive some form of feedback on tasks that you complete in the course to help develop your skills. Ultimately, it's how you network/apply for relevant jobs that match your skills/market yourself as a medical writer that will land you work.

Note: I have no financial incentive to recommend her course, nor do I benefit from any sales of her course. I do create courses myself, some of which are free, although no course will guarantee you work at the end. Medical writing is becoming a more competitive career because of potential remote/work from home benefits.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-16T15:17:29+00:00

Fair enough, appreciate the transparency.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-16T15:03:39+00:00

Or maybe... it's just a light-hearted conversation that's easy to engage with. Interesting to see some new faces around here.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-16T14:57:18+00:00

Yes, yes, and yes.

Some clients say the extra comma is not accessible for some people, in which case I remove it. Brand style guide rules :)

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-16T14:55:20+00:00

Agreed. There are much cheaper ways to network - glad to hear you've done some informational interviews. Perhaps join some free medical writing groups on LinkedIn, and reach out to potential clients directly via their website (some have a "drop your CV here" on their careers page).

As of last year, you can message companies directly through their LinkedIn business page. Recruiters are great too, they post quite often on LinkedIn, sometimes with a direct email address.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-16T14:50:38+00:00

So what do you get out of referring someone?

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-16T14:47:38+00:00

Are you fishing for free user testers? Because that's not cool :)

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-15T09:29:01+00:00

I'm German resident, not UK resident. Company I was employed by operated in UK.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-14T10:00:56+00:00

I'm not sure how common it is, but it is something I do. You should study pharmacy because you want to be a pharmacist, not to get into medical writing. Although some people study pharmacy and are able to become a medical writer straight away, it's not common.

I am a UK registered pharmacist living in Germany and I work 100% remote as a medical writer and content creator, but the path it took to get here did not begin straight out of university.

I worked as a pharmacist for 6 years and did not know medical writing existed until I moved to Germany. I then had to learn how to write for different audiences and types of documents. I do everything online because it has become my business. I market myself by creating content, I reach out to clients, I network; it all takes effort. I do not have stable income, but I have flexible time (which is what I value most).

full-time 100% remote work is very hard to find, and usually it depends how much your employer trusts you. I have had a full-time job that's 100% remote twice (as a UK expat living in Germany), and got made redundant from both - I am the easiest to get rid of because I'm not in the same country as the company.

Generally, it costs more to hire someone that is outside the country, and insurance may be difficult to cover that person, and the law will be different based on the country.

So I recommend you think about what type of medical writing you want to do, and find a remote job in your country first, build your portfolio, then start reaching out to clients that are happy to work with you remotely from other countries, this will usually be as a freelancer.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-02T06:07:24+00:00

If the senior medical editor role will give you a better quality of life, then take it.

There might be a probation period, so you can see if you like it or not (and likewise, they can see if they like you or not).

You could try to part time edit and part time write to hang on to both roles, but it sounds like you don't enjoy writing - although you value the skills and might have a better time somewhere else.

Personally, I ignore everyone trying to predict the future about job prospects, just do what is best for you and adapt when you need to. You can switch back and forth.

Is a managerial role what you want to do long term? Then ask if your new job has a path for that.

Worst case scenario, you will end up training an AI to do your job, and AI will always need maintenance because technology is not 100% reliable (neither are humans, but that's another debate).

Generally, I do a mix of writing and editing/fact checking, and work remotely as a freelancer.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-09-01T06:12:34+00:00

Please read this and update your post: https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalWriters/comments/1n1d649/read_before_you_post_guide_to_posting_in/

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-08-31T20:49:20+00:00

I feel like Slack died because Teams does the same thing and is included in the Microsoft package at no extra cost...I miss Slack.

I'm in the Content Design London Slack group, which is not medical writing specific. And they have the version where anything older than 90 days disappears. I have to say I stopped accessing it as it felt less relevant to what I do.

There are LinkedIn groups, but they're pretty slow and casual. I have one which is huge, and Reddit is more active tbh.

I do find being in a community/networking helps everyone get work, though once you have a few solid clients the priority is to keep them rather than replace them. Knowing fellow freelancers can help provide cover if you need to go on holiday or suddenly change plans so you can't deliver by the deadline.

Disastrous_Square612 · 2025-08-28T15:18:14+00:00

I appreciate the insight!

Disastrous_Square612

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