How to Write Successful Health and Science Articles
My Medium Day talk will help you improve your credibility and build a following
Hey folks, this is a special extra post I was not expecting to send. I wrote this for Medium and first published it there. But I figured it would be interesting for those of you who write about health and science, so here you go. If you write about other topics, well… much of this applies to you, too, I figure…
Some professions seem a lot easier than they really are. Writing is one of them. Especially writing about health and wellness, and science more broadly.
Writing successfully about health and science, and doing it well week after week, year after year — in a responsible and credible way that informs and entertains readers — is more challenging than many writers realize. A key difference: There’s often a ton of research out there — some good, some bad, and much of it revealing less than what the abstract or the press release might claim.
This means a writer has to work diligently to get beyond what they think they know and what appears to be true in one study or in the echo chambers of influencers and certain clickbaity dot-coms that repeat supposed facts over and over. Skepticism and intellectual humility are vital traits for anyone who purports to tell readers how things work, and especially how readers ought to think about and manage their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
This requires a specific mindset: It’s not about getting readers. It’s about serving them.
In my 2024 Medium Day session (check out the dozens of other speakers and topics!) I will share some of the basics I’ve learned in more than 30 years as a health and science journalist, editor and media executive. I’ve seen the data, worked with hundreds of writers and led the launch and growth of several publications, and I have a good idea what serves readers well, on a story-by-story basis, and more importantly over the long run of a career, as writers work to grow their skills and build a following in a sustainable manner.
[UPDATE: My Aug. 17 Medium Talk went well. The recording is here.]
Among the many things I look for when taking on new health and science writers for my Medium publications, beyond great basic writing ability:
Quality over quantity. Some writers are more productive and prolific than others, but there’s a limit to the number of high-quality, accurate, informative, insightful, useful articles a writer can crank out. When I see writers churning out articles daily, I wonder how much thought and care really goes into each one. I have to assume it’s not much. Excessive quantity is the mark of a “content creator” who takes an assembly line approach to writing, which doesn’t align with the desires of Medium readers.
Thorough research. Personal perspectives can be very effective on Medium, where readers prize lived experience and great storytelling. Some writers do very well by sharing their own views and experiences and sticking to just that. Great! There’s nothing wrong with that approach. But it’s not my bag, as an editor, a publisher, or a reader. I love a good tale, but the focus of my writing and my publications is on serious reporting, researching and writing in order to serve readers looking to glean factual information and actionable advice. I want to see credibility beyond and behind personal perspectives, which includes research into the actual science of a thing which, when woven artfully into a story, with or without personal anecdotes, boosts usefulness and credibility. All this can be done in an entertaining manner, too. Writing can be informative, serious, thorough and fun.
Proper citations. It’s easy to find a study or a survey or a quote that supports just about any point you want to make. When I see a story premised on simplistic “study says” citations, as a reader (and an editor) I wonder if the writer even looked at any of the studies, whether they confirmed the validity of those studies, whether they poked around to see if there was other research that supported or refuted whatever random bit of potentially hokey research they’ve cited without offering any detail about its makers.
Honesty and integrity. In an era where so many people question the integrity of science, more than ever a science writer must find the nuance in every topic, separate fact from myth, sort legitimate findings and consensus views from questionable claims and outright misinformation. Writing about health, in particular, is a monumental responsibility. Cheerleading for a flawed drug or questionable therapy, failing to mention side effects, skimming the surface of a topic without acknowledging what the science really shows, citing some whacky “expert” who said something juicy without providing adequate context — you can kill people.
I don’t mean to be a buzzkill. A health and science writer must also come at the craft with tremendous enthusiasm. Science is cool! Explaining the universe is a blast. Helping improve people’s wellness by explaining healthy behaviors and habits and mindsets is an amazing and rewarding profession. None of that obviates the need for high standards.
Those few factors just scratch the surface of what goes into good health and science writing, of course. But hey, we’ve only got 30 minutes to discuss the topic on Medium Day.
In my brief talk and the subsequent live Q&A, we’ll also cover best practices for headlines, ledes and outlines, and especially the need for a strong, unique hook and premise to avoid writing an article that is lost in a sea of competition with similar pieces. I’ll challenge you to ask yourself: Why this article, right now, by you? Are you an expert? Or are you a conduit for the experts? Have you done extensive research? And we’ll discuss the need for clarity and factual accuracy to build credibility and grow your audience.
Sounds like a lot! And it is. Great health and science writing involves much more than waxing on about what’s on your mind, or simply what you think will get attention. It’s a craft unto itself, a wonderful and weighty one. I look forward to talking with you about it.
My session, How to Write Successful Health and Science Articles, starts at 3:30 p.m. ET this Saturday. You can register for Medium Day here (it’s free). [UPDATE: The event is done. The recording of my talk is here.]
Cheers,
Rob
Will be there. Thank you.