What Excerpta Medica Expects From Freelance Medical Writers

What Excerpta MedicaExpects From

Freelance Medical Writers

Joanna Bligh, MEd, RT, CMA Senior Medical Writer/Editor

Rosa Real, MDMedical Director

www.excerptamedica.com

OverviewPart I• Have you got what it takes?

– Minimum qualifications for freelance medical writers (FMW) at Excerpta Medica

• Database plunge – Matching FMW with Excerpta Medica Team– Scope of project– Target journal/audience

• We’re still at it! • The Excerpta Medica writing processPart II• Always the editor

– Examples of FMW and Excerpta Medica e-mail communication


Part I

Freelance Medical Writers (FMW) and the

Excerpta Medica Team Structure


How To Get in the Door: Minimum Qualifications for FMWKey elements

High educationalbackground Excellent writing skillsExperience

ProfessionalismCreativityAccessibility

Great attitude Organization skills Responsibility


Minimum Qualifications for FMW (cont’d)

Degree status

• MD (clinician, academian, or researcher)

• PhD

• PharmD

• MPH

• MS in scientific area

• Clinician (NP, PA, RN, allied health professional)

• BA in journalism


Minimum Qualifications for FMW (cont’d)

Experience• At least 5 years of writing experience• How many papers have you authored or written?• For what audiences? • In what journals?

– Impact factor– Peer reviewed vs non-peer reviewed

• Writing for non-print (eg, Web sites) • ACCME Guidelines• Review articles vs original research • Writing samples


Matching FMW With an Excerpta Medica Team

Medical Director

In-house Medical

Writer/Editor

Freelance Medical Writer

Medical Copyeditor

Program Manager

Strategic Communication Director

Client

Excerpta MedicaTeam structure


Matching FMW With an Excerpta Medica Team (cont’d)

Scope of project• Choose FMW based on

– Therapeutic area of expertise; based on degree status AND writing experience

– Experience writing for particular type of target journal

– Familiarity with writing article in particular genre (eg, review, original research, sales manual, continuing medical education [CME] vs non-CME)

– Background in writing for specific target audience (eg, consumers, sales representatives, clinicians, other healthcare professionals)


Project Development at Excerpta Medica

• Business Development proposal approved

• Teams chosen; start-up meetings take place

– Deliverables discussed

• Target journal and physician/authors selected

• List of objectives for project content

• Identify branding messages from client – Timelines reviewed

– Budget discussed

AND

– Medical writer chosen from Excerpta Medica’s freelance writer database (if needed)


Project Development at Excerpta Medica(cont’d)

Conference call with FMW

• Contract discussions

– Signed contract and confidentiality agreement

• Content discussion

• Timelines

• Remuneration


Inter-writer Variability



Conference call with FMW (cont’d)

• Physician/author involvement

– Affiliation

– Research; published literature; clinical background

– Specific focus related to theme of article

• Client/pharmaceutical company involvement

– Branding messages to be included




• Content review

– Detailed outline provided by Excerpta Medica; generally 1500 words, 50–75 references (approved by client and physician/author)

– References (RefMan format)

– Article specifications

• Word count

• Excerpta Medica Style Guide for Writers

– Discuss style of journal

– Target audience

– Expectation of deliverables (eg, manuscript submission or reviewers’ comments from journal)


Project Development at Excerpta Medica(cont’d)Conference call with FMW (cont’d)

• Timeline

– Clearly stated, must be honored; however, if extra time is needed, Excerpta Medica is contacted immediately

• First draft manuscript must meet the Team’s approval

– If the draft is not approved by the Team, rewrite is required

• Remuneration

– Based on contract, not hourly fee

– May be offered bonus for completion prior to expected date (eg, 2 weeks)

– Fee may be based on number of drafts

– FMW can invoice after draft is approved by Team

– Range: $3–$5K (4000-word review manuscript)




• Writing queries from FMW

– Team will provide contact information of either Medical Director, in-house Medical Writer/Editor, or other Team member for any communication during business and non-business hours

– Queries may include medical content, RefManformatting, clarification of project, etc.

– DO NOT send superfluous queries



Dear Ms. Bligh:

Enjoyed "meeting" you and appreciate your thinking and advice. I realized after we'd signed off that there were a couple of "procedural" issues that might be worth raising --one relatively important, the others relatively minor:

1. This concerns referencing: I'm very hopeful this method will be OK. I've found that in working on the *draft* of a medical paper, it's much easier (and, for me, greatly preferable) to use the kind of referencing system used in psychology and the humanities than the numbering system used in the medical literature. The reason for this is that it'spretty much of a nightmare to work with a referencing system that orders citations by first use, second use, etc. until everyone has agreed what the final wording and sequence of the text will be and what specific references will be used to support each point…


• Example of superfluous query

Email1.doc



Conference call with FMW (cont’d) • Generally open for discussion

– Payment range– Writing time– Number of drafts

• Excerpta Medica’s wish list • Maintain a group of 10 available FMW who are

frequently used, are intimately familiar with the Excerpta Medica writing process, and are versatile

• Send critique of FMW’s work


Project Development at Excerpta Medica: Summary

Program Management

Opens project

Project Medical ResearchManagement + Group* + Analyst

Start-up Meetings

• Issue project timelines and set up account folders• Literature search• Prepare outline • Send outline to client• Obtain articles• Enters into RefMan Database

Medical Group

• Initiates author contact• Provides approved outline

•• Identifies Identifies FMWFMW

Medical Group

• FMW conference call• Sends materials to FMW

FMW

Submits first draft

Medical Group

• Reviews draft to ensure client/author objectives• Returns to FMW for rewrite, as needed

Editorial

• Copyediting• Fact-checking• Permissions

Medical Group

• Reviews draft• Forwards to client and author

Client/Author

• Makes comments• Revisions are returned

Client/Author

Final approvals

Client

Medical - Legal review

FMWSubmits second draft, as needed

Journal submission

FMW = Freelance Medical Writer.* Medical Group = Strategic Communication Director; Medical Director; and Medical Writer/Editor.


Part II

The Do’s and Don’ts of Communication


Examples of E-mail: Do’s

Dear Ms. Bligh:I am submitting for your consideration my resume and writing samples in response to Excerpta Medica’s call for freelance medical writers…

Sincerely, Annette Vios

Medical WriterNew York, NYmedicalwriter.com

FMW and ExcerptaMedicaintercommunication

• Make your first contact with a perspective agency a beautiful thing

Email2.doc


Examples of E-mail: Don’ts

“Joanna, hi. Just checking in to see about those writing projects that were coming. What’s happening? Appreciate you getting back to me…”

FMW and Excerpta MedicaIntercommunication(cont’d)

• Too familiar

Email3.doc


FMW and Excerpta Medica intercommunication (cont’d)

• Don’t send a file so large that most computers can’t read it

• This came from an FMW as a holiday card:

Examples of E-mail: Don’ts (cont’d)



To Whom It May Concern:When I graduated from medical school, I never thought I would do anything but deliver babies. Quickly, reality set in. Babies are born at 3 AM, and I prefer to sleep. I transitioned into what my colleagues call the “dark side,” but couldn’t be happier. I enjoy educating physicians to improve patient care. Bringing my medical experience into the pharmaceutical industry is my ultimate career goal…

FMW and Excerpta Medicaintercommunication (cont’d)

• Too much information

Email4.doc



Hi, Joanna, I got an email from a colleague about your need for freelance medical writing staff…Thanks,Torrance


• Please don’t use my first name if I don’t know who you are; this is an example of a first communication

Email5.doc



Joanna, I saw your notice for medicle writers via a web site…Thanks.Paul


• Make sure your first communication by e-mail is copyedited

Email6.doc



Dr. Bligh:

Thank you for your e-mail requesting…

Best regards, Cynthia


• Be careful about making mistakes in the title, name, or affiliation of the person you are communicating with

Email7.doc



Dear Dr. Green:

Thank you for your resume…

Sincerely, Joanna BlighSr. Medical WriterExcerpta Medica685 Rt 202/206Bridgewater, NJ 08807


• Follow the writing format of the sender

Email8.doc



[no greeting]

There are two writing samples attached…

Donna


• Follow the writing format of the sender

Email8.doc


Summary

When seeking work from an agency or medical education company as an FMW, make sure you • Clearly indicate your degree status after your name

• Emphasize your breadth of experience and therapeutic areas of interest

• Highlight your needs in completion of the project (eg, timelines, fees, listening in on physician/author conference calls, or contacting Excerpta Medica Team members)

• Think before you communicate by e-mail; how will your message be received by a busy staff member?

Documents

What Excerpta Medica Expects From Freelance Medical Writers