It’s time for SpecialtyBuzz again! For those of you who haven’t read my SpecialtyBuzz explanation a godzillion times by now, SpecialtyBuzz is a weekly segment where I post an interview with a freelance writer who specializes in a particular subject matter or type of writing.

Today’s SpecialtyBuzz specialist is Jennifer Larson. Jennifer specializes in health care writing and will educate us on the particulars of writing about health care subjects. Please feel free to ask Jennifer any questions you may have about health care writing in the comments section!

What is your specialty and how did you get started in that particular area?

My specialty is health care writing. I got my start in 1996 when I took a job as a reporter at a health care news journal, and that gave me a good solid background in understanding health care issues. I left the paper in 1998, but I kept the interest in medicine and science and health policy. I do write about other things, but the majority of my freelance work tends to fall into the health care arena.

What are three things a writer needs to know before choosing to specialize in your area of specialty?

I’d say that you need to be willing to learn a lot of complicated details. You may need to take more time to learn about your topic(s) in general before you get started writing about them. Also, you will probably have to learn about privacy rules and other policies than govern health care in today’s environment.

Does writing in your specialty require any particular training or could a layman pick it up?

Obviously I think a layman can pick it up since I’m a layman myself! But if you have a background in the life sciences or any medical or nursing training, that certainly can help a great deal. Some publications even require that background.

Are there any potential pitfalls associated with specializing in your area?

Sure. There are federal privacy statutes (HIPAA) that are a little tricky to navigate. You can’t just walk into a hospital and expect to talk to a patient. You can’t even call a hospital and ask to talk to someone for a story. It can be tedious and time-consuming to navigate the process of actually getting to people to talk to them.

What is the current market for writing in your specialty? Who is buying and who is selling?

The market is probably like most other markets right now. Some places are accepting writers, while others are tightening their belts. I think it’d be hard to say specifically who’s buying and selling, but I would say it’s always worth sending out a query because you just never know.

What do you enjoy most about your specialty?

I love learning about a topic that has direct relevance to all of our lives. It fascinates me. It’s important. Everyone has a stake in health care–everyone.

What do you enjoy least about your specialty?

Occasionally people assume that if you’re not a doctor or a nurse or a PhD, you can’t possibly know enough about your topic to write competently about it. This doesn’t happen to me that often, fortunately, and when it does, I just send them a selection of clips to show them what I’v written in the past.

How would you suggest networking within your specialty?

You could seek out organizations like the Association for Health Care Journalists, an excellent group. You could also join Society for Professional Journalists, since you need to be a good journalist to write about anything, including health care. And I recently discovered the American Medical Writers Association, which I plan to join soon. Also, don’t forget about LinkedIn and Facebook. And get in touch with your friends or acquaintances who work for health care entities (hospitals, clinics, schools, publications) and do a little old-fashioned networking that way, too.

What advice would you give to freelance writers interested in specializing in your area?

Be patient. Health care is a vast, vast arena, and there are so many topics contained within that one heading that I couldn’t even begin to list them. Think about which ones interest you specifically (maybe it’s arthritis, maybe it’s technology, maybe it’s graduate medical education, maybe it’s eating disorders) and get online and do some research for background info. Get familiar with the organizations and associations out there who deal with those issues. And just as a warning: it make take you some time to feel comfortable with the jargon. Just be patient with yourself and understand that it’s okay if it takes you awhile to get up to speed. Then you can start brainstorming for story ideas and putting together some pitches for editors.

Jennifer Larson has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. She’s worked for newspapers, websites, magazines, you name it, and now she’s a freelance writer who lives and works in Nashville, Tenn. You can find her at her blog, jenniferlarsonwrites.wordpress.com.