Why specialising as a medical editor can increase demand for your services

If you’re a freelancer, you’ve probably already noticed that the world of copyediting and proofreading is extremely broad and vast. Fiction and non-fiction books, ecommerce, marketing, advertising, technology: the types of copyediting you can do are endless. It is tempting to try it all and be a ‘generalist editor’, but specialising can set you apart from the competition. My previous article on finding a niche argued that having an area of expertise will make you more attractive to potential clients. This follow-up article discusses my own particular niche, medical editing.

Choose something you enjoy

I have a degree in human biology, and I spent some years as a medical writer and editor in the medical communications and medico-legal industries, so you’d think medical editing would have been an obvious choice for my niche. But I had also worked in other industries like technology, human rights and marketing, and I had copyedited books ranging from religion to art history, so actually I had quite a lot to draw on and to choose from. What it boiled down to in the end was what I enjoyed most and found most interesting, and that was medical stuff. So first and foremost, if you’re struggling to pinpoint a niche, choose an area that you will enjoy.

Okay, let’s get into why I think you should consider specialising as a medical editor:

1. You become the go-to expert

When you specialise in a specific field like medical editing, you position yourself as an expert in that area. Healthcare clients will always prefer someone with a deep understanding of the terminology, their target audience and the objective of their work. Specialising means you can offer not just editing services, but expertise in the medical field, which is invaluable.

2. Increased demand for your services

The medical-writing field is enormous, and there’s always a demand for skilled copyeditors to handle everything from research papers to patient-education materials. By specialising in medical editing, you tap into an industry with constant demand. Whether you’re working with healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical companies or medico-legal experts, there are lots of opportunities requiring expert knowledge in medical language and standards.

3. Stronger client relationships

When you become a specialist, your clients come to see you as a trusted partner in their work. Your clients won’t just see you as someone who ‘fixes typos’; they’ll see you as a crucial asset.

4. Higher earning potential

Having a specialism often means you can command a higher fee than a generalist editor. As a medical editor, you’re not just editing for grammar and punctuation; you need to understand medical terminology and concepts, and how they are conveyed to different audiences such as patients, healthcare professionals and solicitors or the court. This kind of expertise is highly valuable.

5. Opportunities for continuous learning

Specialising in medical editing means you’ll have continuous learning opportunities, both in medical style guides and language, and in the medical field itself. It is such an interesting field to work in because it’s constantly evolving.

6. Less competition

Let’s be honest. Freelance copyediting and proofreading is a really popular career choice, and competition for work is fierce. While there are plenty of generalist editors, there are far fewer specialist medical editors. Specialisation means you'll have more opportunities for work, rather than competing for every job.

How to get started in medical editing

Have a relevant background: Specialising is great, but you do need to have suitable knowledge. You don’t need to be a doctor, but a a relevant degree or PhD will usually give you credibility, as will having worked in an industry such as medical communications or healthcare.

Gain experience: Work on a variety of medical editing projects to build your portfolio. There are many different areas of medical editing you can work in. For example, I specialise in medico-legal reports, medical communications, public health and medical news. But there are many other medical areas you can specialise in, such as regulatory editing, medical marketing, research, publications, continuing education for HCPs and grant proposals, to name a few.

Join professional networks: Consider becoming a member of an organisation like the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). Such networks can provide you with valuable resources, job leads and professional development.

Market your niche: When promoting your services, be sure to highlight your medical editing expertise. Tailor your website and social media profiles to reflect your focus on medical editing, making it clear to potential clients that you understand the specifics of their industry.

Conclusion

In the competitive world of freelance copyediting and proofreading, specialisation is a strategy that can offer you numerous benefits: higher rates, steady work and the satisfaction of becoming an expert in a highly valued field. By focusing on medical editing, you position yourself in an industry with high demand for skilled professionals.

---

A note on terminology: The terms medical copyeditor, medical proofreader and medical editor are often confused and used interchangeably. To add to the confusion, there are yet other terms used for different niches such as plain-English editor, medico-legal copyeditor or editorial assistant (the latter is commonly used in medical communications). I personally use medical editor to describe my role, and medical editing to describe both medical copyediting and medical proofreading, as this suggests a hybrid approach as per my own clients' preferences ... plus, it's simpler! See here for more detail on the traditional differences between proofreading and copyediting.

---

To learn more about me and my background, please take a closer look here.