Below is a short directory of multimedia organizations that use freelance writers. The directory was compiled by asking for listings on the NASW listservs, talking to NASW members who have freelanced for particular companies, and contacting organizations represented at the NASW professional programs the last two years.
This is by no means a complete directory, and by listing these organizations, neither NASW, ScienceWriters, nor I are implying that we recommend them. I simply wanted to give those of you interested in pursuing multimedia a starting point. It makes me very happy to tell you that editors at most of these media outlets told me they are looking for freelance science writers right now.-Mary Knudson
13810 SE Eastgate Way
Bellevue, WA 98005
Jeff Herr, Senior Editor
Query by e-mail: jeffhe@starwave.com
This brand new Web site is set to launch April 2, 1997. Looking for science news, updates and feature stories from freelance writers. No URL at our press time, but the site will be found through www.starwave.com.
13810 SE Eastgate Way
Bellevue, WA 98005
Jeff Herr, managing editor
Query by e-mail: jeffhe@starwave.com
Outside Online is an extension of Outside magazine with online-only stories. Interested in science stories that take the reader outdoors, such as stories about forest ecosystems, unusual fish and wildlife research, earth sciences, and stories that explain complex biotic communities. Uses breaking news, explanatory narratives and quirky features. Typical pay is $125 for a 500-750-word piece. Photos $50 per image used. Http://outside.starwave.com
Contact Jon Franklin by e-mail: jonfranklin@bylines.org
An Internet gallery of literary nonfiction, as well as writing about such nonfiction. This demonstration project was not up and running as we went to press, but may be by the time you receive this issue of ScienceWriters. This outlet is very unlike any other you may contact. For one thing, it will accept a 30,000-word article or even a book, and also considerably shorter articles. Bylines is managed and published by Jon Franklin, two-time Pulitzer winner, and George Rodgers, Franklin's editor for many years at the former Baltimore Evening Sun. The venture is associated with Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting. Bylines will sell individual stories direct to the consumer who cruises the contents and pays a small fee for downloading a story. "Bylines doesn't pay advances, but will return at least half its income to the authors," Franklin says. "That is, we will keep track of who buys what and give the writer the lion's share of what he or she sells. It's a pretty radical idea. We're selling journalism on consignment, basically." He and Rodgers want a mix of original and previously published works. To submit a piece to Bylines, send a summary of it to jonfranklin@bylines.org. Franklin and Rodgers can also send you more information about the type of pieces they want.
7700 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
John Keefe, science editor
Query by e-mail: jkeefe@online.discovery.com
Suggest topics in physical and earth sciences. Experienced multimedia writers/producers get preference. Competitive Web rates for package- an idea and writing/producing it. Check out the Web site at http://www.discovery.com.
835 Penobscot Building
645 Griswold Street
Detroit, Michigan 48226
1-800-347-4253
313-961-2242
Contact Donna Olendorf at ext. 1517. She is currently looking for writers in the fields of health, medicine, and biology, and wants writers to do biographies of mathematicians. Gale Research produces science reference books, essays and biographies for print, CD-ROMs, and online. Their audience is high school and junior college students and the general public. Length of writing assignments varies from short digests to full length encyclopedia essays and biographies. Send cover letter, resume and writing samples.
936 Eastwind Drive
Westerville, Ohio 43081
1-800-848-1567
614-890-1111
Contact Paul Scopa, ext. 4955 or by e-mail: pscopa@mcgraw-hill.com
CD-ROM textbook writing and editing; features. Writer may do a series of chapters (a unit), or interview all scientists for a book and hand in the interviews, but not write the chapters. A degree in the pertinent science is usually required for writing chapters, but not for writing features and interviewing scientists.
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
Charlene Laino, health and science editor
E-mail: charlene.laino@msnbc.com
Pitch ideas by e-mail on wide range of topics from health and medicine to physical sciences and environmental and earth sciences. Interested in breaking news written on tight deadline and also enterprise and informational features not written on deadline. Writer should keep in mind need for video and audio elements and possibility for slide shows. All articles under 1,000 words. Pay ranges from $.75 to $1 a word, negotiated based on experience. Before querying, check out the site: http://www.msnbc.com/news/LIF_Front.asp
Science Magazine's daily on-line news service
Richard Stone, editor
Produces about six stories a day for two Web sites: www.sciencenow.org and www.apnet.com/inscight. Check out the sites before pitching story ideas to rstone@aaas.org. Or call Richard Stone at 202-326-6593. Wants original news stories pegged to hot papers in embargoed journals, press conferences, reports, or breaking science events. Items run from 100 to 300+ words and pay $150, regardless of length. Stories may be expanded into articles for Science magazine by Science staff and/or the author, in which case the author receives additional payment.