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Author declaration and disclosures: The author notes no  
commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in 
relation to this article.

Author contact: kfeemster@greenfirecompany.com 

Jam Session for Early- to Mid-Career Freelancers 
Session Moderator
Jennifer Minarcik, MS / Principal, Jennifer Minarcik 
Biomedical Communications, LLC, Moorestown, NJ

By Suzanne Morris, DVM, MWC
About 15 freelancers and freelancers-to-be gathered at the 
AMWA 2022 Southeast Regional Conference in June to share 
their early freelance career experiences. Some of the partici-
pants had just decided to take the freelance plunge and were 
eager for tips on setting up a new business whereas others 
with more experience were wanting to share lessons learned. 
Session facilitator Jennifer Minarcik, MS, started the discus-
sion by divulging some of the assumptions she had when she 
first started her freelancing career. She spoke to the misper-
ception that freelance medical writers are all in competition 
with each other by pointing out the diversity of medical writ-
ing genres represented by the session’s participants.
 Acknowledging that the varied nature of freelance med-
ical writing lends to camaraderie rather than competitive-
ness among freelance medical writers led to a discussion 
of networking. Although making connections with other 
freelancers may not translate to immediate work, network-
ing can develop leads, elevate a freelancer’s marketplace 
presence, and unearth other benefits. One of the more valu-
able of these benefits may be finding a good mentor. The 
more experienced session participants extolled the bene-
fits of mentorship in guiding their early freelancing careers. 
But how does a new freelancer go about finding a mentor? 
Those who had who have benefitted from mentorship 
described a relationship which naturally developed from a 
networking connection.
 Another early career misstep Minarcik discussed was the 
compulsion to take on every project, and the consequent 
erosion of the work-personal life border. Minarcik and the 
other more seasoned freelancers agreed that project selec-
tivity fosters a reasonable work schedule and, potentially, 
better clients. Because part of cultivating a work-life balance 
entails supporting work hour productivity, the discussion 
then turned to productivity strategies. For example, creating 
a schedule with built-in time to respond to distractions like 
emails supports productivity during work hours. Protecting 
work time also may require establishing boundaries with 
clients by responding to clients only during set work hours 
or at set times during the week.

 The conversation turned to some of the other nuts-and-
bolts of running a freelance business. As with most free-
lance medical writing discussions, the topic of contracts 
arose, albeit briefly. The take-home message for new free-
lancers was to carefully review contracts, particularly with 
respect to payment parameters. Some of the freelancer 
participants who were just forming their businesses asked 
for advice on insurance and accounting. The responses 
from the more seasoned participants were mixed—few had 
insurance, and several used accounting services and soft-
ware. But the consensus was that some form of accounting 
assistance was very helpful.
 Inevitably, the discussion turned to what may be the 
most daunting aspect of freelance medical writing or free-
lancing in general: marketing. The importance of presence 
online, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, was dis-
cussed at length by several seasoned freelancers. For intro-
verts averse to overt self-promotion, a less intimidating 
approach may be simply posting about topics of interest, 
which creates an online presence and can garner attention. 
Another strategy was to investigate companies associated 
with relevant forms of medical writing on LinkedIn and 
make connections with their employees. Whether to solicit 
potential clients through email was a point of debate, with 
the more experienced freelancers advising that if done, it 
should be targeted and could backfire by annoying the tar-
geted client. The discussion of marketing repeatedly circled 
back to value of networking, which can be done online and 
in person through, for example, AMWA events. And in keep-
ing with its overriding theme, this AMWA session ended 
with participants exchanging their business cards.

Suzanne Morris is the owner of Concrete Medical Writing, LLC, 
in St. Petersburg, FL.

Author declaration and disclosures: The authors note no  
commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in 
relation to this article.

Author contact: Suzanne@concretemedicalwriting.com 

Public Relations in Medical Communication
Speaker
Katrina R. Burton, BS / Public Relations Program Director

By Lisa Kuhns, PhD
According to the Public Relations Society of America, orga-
nizations and their publics use public relations as a com-
munication strategy to build relationships that are mutually 
beneficial. Medical communicators help educate the public 
by sharing relevant health information through their own 
writing, and those with a marketing and public relations 

http://www.amwajournal.org


AMWAJournal.org     58Public Relations in Medical Communication

(PR) background offer a unique skill set to health care insti-
tutions. Those trained in health care PR can expand their 
reach through a variety of platforms, including earned 
media, owned media, and bought media, using public rela-
tions as a tool to educate the public on medical and public 
health information.
 PR plays a critical role in health care because it allows 
institutions and organizations to raise awareness about 
health, share groundbreaking research, and help people 
take control of their own health. A new treatment is less 
impactful if the public is not aware of its launch. PR also 
helps to highlight important health initiatives, reach under-
served populations, and amplify the effectiveness of com-
munity and hospital-based programs and treatments. A 
story of patients sharing their health care journey because 
of the latest treatment may offer hope to others on the same 
journey. Accurate and factual information on health ini-
tiatives, research developments, and patient programming 
helps build trust in the medical community. Thus, health 
care PR helps spread information that can help people live 
healthier and more fulfilling lives.
 In her presentation at the 2022 AMWA Southeast 
Regional Conference, Katrina R. Burton, Program Director 
of PR at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer 
Center, explained why it is important for medical communi-
cators to understand the dynamics of how PR can leverage 
relationships between medical institutions and the public. 
Her presentation described best practices for developing a  
strategic PR plan, discussed how to identify and engage  
with stakeholders, and provided tips on how to build  
media relationships.

Best Practices for Developing a Public Relations Plan
PR experts within a department typically develop a PR or 
media plan. Burton discussed the components of develop-
ing a winning plan. In her words, the plan begins by deter-
mining the “it” or the “what” that is being promoted. The 
“it” can be a/an

• Clinical or patient program

• Award or recognition

• Research study

• Sponsorship or partnership

• Important milestone

• Patient and clinical services

• Facility opening or launch

• Patient testimony

 Once the “it” has been determined, the stakeholders are 
engaged, and the supporters or collaborators are identified.

 The PR plan also should include the costs and budget. 
Costs can depend on what is being promoted and may be 
known or discoverable. Stakeholders and collaborators may 
be involved, and the budget may involve different depart-
ments, divisions, and institutions. The funds may come from 
grants or donors.
 To complete the PR plan, the target audience must be 
identified, key messages developed, a timeline and delivera-
bles determined, and the desired communication channels 
established. The communication channels selected may 
depend on the target audience, content, and timelines.

Building Relationships to Execute the Public 
Relations Strategy
Every good plan involves more than the PR expert. In fact, 
it involves a multitude of people who are experts in social 
media, the web, video, photography, and more. Burton 
emphasized relationships are the fundamental component 
of any PR role and important for a successful plan. Building 
relationships with the internal team, media, and influencers 
helps to facilitate the plan’s implementation. Relationships 
also help to build rapport and trust, open communication 
channels, and strengthen an organization’s personal brand. 
“Operating in the public relations space as a medical com-
municator is an opportunity to enhance outreach oppor-
tunities, engage with stakeholders, and build collaborative 
relationships,” said Burton. “It also provides an opportu-
nity to share impactful stories of hope and important health 
information to help people live healthier lives.”
 Building relationships also defines roles and helps 
manage expectations. Importantly, establishing good rela-
tionships creates loyalty. “For me, building relationships 
with media is understanding their beat or area of focus, 
learning their reporting style, being familiar with the type of 
stories they cover, knowing their audience, and understand-
ing how they engage on social media and with others,” said 
Burton. “The stories I pitch to media are important to me, 
and I want them to be just as important to media, who in 
turn cares about their audience.”

Lisa Kuhns is a Freelance Medical Writer at LGK Medical 
Writing, LLC, based in Woodbine, GA.

Author declaration and disclosures: The author notes no com-
mercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in rela-
tion to this article.

Author contact: lisa@lgkmedicalwriting.com

http://www.amwajournal.org



