Writing in the Life Sciences

Abstract

0 YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER! Lots of people want to write. Most would-be writers never make it. Harsh words! But let's look at the odds. One large publishing house receives about 8,000 over-thetransom or unsolicited manuscripts each year. Of these some 20 or 30 are given serious consideration. Two or three eventually get published. Another example: Esquire magazine receives 12,000 unsolicited fiction pieces each year. The magazine has space for about two dozen stories during the year. Of these, half are supplied by literary agents. Ten are commissioned in advance. Two stories are selected from the over-the-transom flood. A newcomer trying to break into Esquire faces 6,000:1 odds against him. Nevertheless, some happy anecdotes show the other side of the coin. A trickle of newcomers do break into print constantly. Sherry W. Arden, an editor at William Morrow, agreed, simply as a friendly gesture, to read a manuscript written by the mother of an old friend. The book, Such A Life, was the memoir of a Jewish grandmother. Arden expected to leaf quickly through an amateurish work, then return it with a kindly rejection note. But the editor found herself caught up by the charm of the book. She ran to her publisher and insisted that the house must the work. Such A Life will be out this spring. Watch for it. So if you really want to write, don't let the adverse odds discourage you. Before you plunge in, however, evaluate both the field that you want to break into and your own resources. You might ask yourself these questions: Why do I want to write? To contribute to my professional field and to advance professionally? For fun or to release my creative urge? To make some extra money? To make a living as a writer? These objectives are all quite different. For workers in science and in other academic disciplines, of course, professional contributions are essential. Many professional journals exist to accomodate the flood of papers that scholars produce. These journals vary in quality. Some have exceedingly high standards; others are less demanding. Yet, the same writing skills are called for at all levels and in all fields. Unfortunately, much professional writing is dreary, pedestrian, labored, turgid, trivial-hardly worth publishing. Since academics must publish or perish, many would profit by devoting attention to developing the writing skills discussed below. Do I want to write for fun? If you aren't looking for pay, local newspapers will often accept contributions. The papers may even volunteer a fee. Articles on science and health are particularly welcome. Popular interest in these fields is high, and knowledgeable science writers are rare on individual newspapers. Most science articles are supplied by syndicates or by nation-wide press associations. The transition from newspaper writing for free to writing for fee is an easy and natural one. Don't expect to make much money, however. Some years ago I did a two-or-three-times-a-week science column for my local paper for $5 a column. This is hardly a living wage, yet it is perhaps above average. The paper can buy a syndicated column for even less. Yet when a column appears daily in 600 papers, and the writer splits 50-50 with the syndicate, one sees that the returns from syndication can be substantial. Here is an example of a transition to professional writing: When Herbert Axelrod was a graduate student in biology at NYU, he prepared some notes on aquarium care for his professor. A publisher's representative happened to see the notes and was intrigued by them. They came out as Tropical Fish As A Hobby (McGraw-Hill, 1952). From this beginning Axelrod developed a highly successful series of booklets on biological hobbies. The booklets, and related magazines, are published by Axelrod's own company, TFH Publications. Do I want to write for magazines? Should you want to do magazine articles, it is imperative that you pick your Stanley L. Weinberg, 156 East Alta Vista, Ottumwa, Iowa 52501, received his B.S. degree in biology from City College of New York in 1933, and his M.A. from Northeast Missouri State College in 1971. He has taught biology and science education at both the secondary and college levels, and has written extensively on scientific topics for magazines and newspapers. Weinberg's major publications inIcclude Biology: An Inquiry Into the Nature of Life, published in 1965;, and Action Biology, published in 1974. He was vice president of NABT in 1971, and holds memberships in the National Science Teachers Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Weinberg is also a regular contributor to ABT's book review section. ? Stanley L. Weinberg 1978