Writing is an enjoyable and low stress way for physicians to supplement their income. Writing can be done from home at hours of your own choosing, does not require Boards or an active practice (or even an active license), and what you learn while writing often makes you a better clinician. In this unique seminar, SEAK will orient you to six different avenues to making money from being a physician writer: Teaching/Consulting/Employment, Self-Publishing, Traditional Publishing (Advances and Royalties), Article Writing, Dramatic Arts (TV, Movies and Plays) and Freelance Technical Writing. All attendees will leave with an action plan on how they can start earning money as a physician writer.

This course includes:

-Almost 17 hours of on-demand instruction (1 year license);

-232-page written manual as both PDF and hard bound copy (USA only for hard copy);

-Ability to submit questions to SEAK;

-Personalized feedback from SEAK on your writing idea;

-Personalized feedback from SEAK on your query letter;

-Personalized feedback from SEAK on your action plan;

-Bonus materials on making money writing for the dramatic arts (movies, TV, plays) and publishing in the time of COVID not covered in the in-person live course;

-Up to 16.75 CME credits; and

-30 Day Money Back Guarantee

At the completion of this course, you will:

- Understand six viable avenues for supplementing or replacing your income through writing: Teaching/Consulting, Self-Publishing, Traditional Publishing (Advances and Royalties), Article Writing,Dramatic Arts (TV, Movies and Plays) and Freelance Technical Writing;

- Get feedback from SEAK on your potential writing ideas;

- Avoid common pitfalls and jump-start your writing career

- Learn proven techniques for promoting yourself and your writing;

- Appreciate what sells, what doesn’t sell and why this occurs;

- Learn how to get paid the maximum amount for your writing, and;

- Develop a personalized action plan to get started and receive feedback from SEAK on your plan.


COURSE CONTENTS:

Introduction

The faculty will explain why GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO DOCTORS WHO WRITE.

Leveraging Your Writing to Build or Expand a Consulting/Teaching Practice and/or Your Clinical Practice

The largest financial return on your writing is often not in the sales of the writing itself. The biggest financial upside often comes from the ancillary income possible from teaching, consulting or your clinical practice resulting from your having “wrote the book on a topic.” The faculty will explain how to use your writing to increase clinical income and/or support lucrative teaching and consulting practices. Several detailed case examples will be presented and discussed by Jim and Professor Krevolin.

The Publishing Landscape, And Why Self-Publishing May Now Be Your Smartest Option

Self-publishing had traditionally been a poor option for authors who were looking to make money from their books, with many readers looking down on “vanity presses” and self-published books. Those days are now long gone. The internet, print on demand, modern word processors and graphic design software, the demise of many brick and mortar bookstores and the explosion of e-books have made self-publishing in many cases your best bet to maximize earnings from writing a book on a non-commercial topic. In this segment the faculty will explain the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing and provide a methodology for determining if self-publishing is your best bet. 

The Nuts and Bolts of Self Publishing: Printing and How to Make Your Book Look Professional

The faculty will explain the advantages and disadvantages of three major options for producing your book – bulk printing, print on demand, and e-books. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be explained. The faculty will also provide practical suggestions for finding the best vendor for assisting with printing and negotiating the best price. Also provided will be suggestions for getting the proper assistance for producing a book that reads well and looks professionally laid out. Different options for performing this work will be explored.

Promoting Yourself and Your Book

If you want your self-published or traditionally published book to sell, you need to be able to promote it. In this segment the faculty will explain numerous strategies for selling your book including, distributors, publicity, generating positive word of mouth, pricing, building buzz, teaching, direct marketing, blogging, speaking, giving interviews, networking, choosing the correct title, and search engine optimization.

How to Self-Evaluate Your Book Idea

Writing and publishing your book are ambitious undertakings. Before doing so, it is a best practice to take a hard look at what you are proposing. In this segment the faculty will provide a step-by-step protocol for critically evaluating your book idea including: feasibility of marketing, competition, delivering exceptional quality, pricing power, availability of distributors, follow-on revenue, and printing costs. Attendees will be invited to share their book ideas with SEAK for feedback.

What Publishers are Looking for — Book Ideas that Sell

Physicians commonly publish both non-fiction and fiction. The faculty will provide an overview and insights for what sells for each of the numerous popular types of fiction and non-fiction works including: trade, textbooks, self-help, thrillers, romance, sci-fi, and children’s. The faculty will explain what sells in various genres, and what does not. The faculty will explain what now drives the publishing industry and what publishers are most interested in. The faculty will provide numerous examples of works of fiction and non-fiction authored by physicians and of successful physician authors. Attendees are invited to share their writing ideas with SEAK.

How to Find the Right Agent

Success with traditional publishers is often heavily dependent on finding the right agent. In the segment the faculty will explain what a good agent does and does not do. Faculty will provide a step-by-step process that helps research, query, and land a motivated agent. Finally, the faculty will give practical tips for how to be a good client and get the most out of your agent. 

How to Draft a Killer Query Letter and Create and Deliver an Irresistible Pitch

The faculty will explain how to write an irresistible query letter. Sample query letters will be provided. Attendees may submit their query letter for feedback.

How to Write Book Proposals That Sell

The faculty will explain in a step-by-step fashion how to write a marketable book proposal. Sample book proposals will be included. The faculty will also discuss the biggest mistakes authors make when writing book proposals.

The Business Side of Traditional Publishing, and Next Steps to Commercial Success

In this section the faculty will explain the issues in a typical publishing contract including territory, term, royalties, advances, payment schedules, competing works, illustrations, warranties and representations, copyright, marketing, foreign rights, titles, and termination. A sample publishing contract will be provided. The final half hour will be spent outlining next steps toward commercial success for attendees. 

Publishing in the Time Of COVID-19

Sorche explains how the pandemic has affected large and small publishers, book sellers, agents, and most importantly, authors, and provides her advice on how COVID-19 should influence your writing.

How to Make Money From Writing Articles and How to Build Your Writing Portfolio

The faculty will give practical suggestions for how to get paid assignments writing articles for magazine and other media. In addition, the faculty will provide specific suggestions regarding how to build one’s portfolio and make yourself more attractive to agents and publishers. 

Publishing Your Dramatic Work - Screenplays, TV Scripts and Plays

Professor Krevolin will explain how making money in the dramatic arts as a writer differs from doing so through books and articles. He will discuss how the industry works including agents, pitches, compensation, contracts, and what sells and what doesn’t sell.  Rich will provide practical tips for how to break into the industry and be successful. Rich will also give tips for producing high quality writing in the dramatic arts.

Freelance Technical Writing — Opportunities Available

The faculty will provide an overview of the many varied types of technical writing that physicians are called upon to perform including: abstracts, posters, marketing materials, editing, CME material, training material, presentations/ slides, proposals, regulatory documents, scripts, web content, news articles, materials for the pharmaceutical industry, and white papers and how these relate to The Pharmaceutical and Medical Communications industries. For each of these areas the faculty will explain what the work consists of, why it is needed and who within each industry would typically hire the physician to perform the work. 

The Business of Freelance Technical Writing — Landing Your First Clients, Negotiating Your Rates, Collecting Fees, and Marketing Your Services

The faculty will provide advice for how to break into this field. The faculty will also explain how to set and negotiate your rates, how and when to collect your fees, how to leverage your clinical skills and experience, how to earn repeat and word of mouth business, how to make yourself more attractive to potential services and how to market your services to both new and existing clients. 

Conclusion — Your Action Plan to Start Earning Money as a Physician Writer

By far, the biggest impediment to making money as a physician writer is inertia. Attendees will be provided frank advice for defeating intertia (GOYA!). In this section, each attendee will also draft a concise action plan to follow to get started as physician writers. Attendees can share their plans with SEAK for feedback. 

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Course Curriculum

  Coursebook
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Course
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Receive Feedback from SEAK on Action Plan, Query Letter and Writing Idea
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Course Evaluation and Certificate of Completion
Available in days
days after you enroll

Continuing Medical Education Information:

SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 16.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This enduring material activity was originally released on July 29, 2020. This enduring material activity was reviewed on July 14, 2023 and terminates on July 14, 2026. 


FACULTY:


Mandy Armitage, MD is a successful medical writer who has experience both as a freelancer and as a full-time employed writer. She most recently served as Medical Director for content at startups Doximity and HealthLoop. Dr. Armitage serves as a consultant for aspiring physician freelance writers and has been a faculty member for SEAK’s “How to Earn Money as Physician Writer” seminar for several years. Prior to transitioning to medical writing, Dr. Armitage practiced nonsurgical sports medicine. She received her MD from Indiana University School of Medicine and her BS in Biology from Purdue.



Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank established Fairbank Literary Representation in 2002. Since then, Ms. Fairbank has had the pleasure of working with a wide, dynamic list, representing multiple best-selling authors, Pulitzer Prize finalists and winners, Edgar recipients, award-winning journalists, and of course her favorite kind of client, the first-time author. Her author/doctor in the spotlight is Dr. Raoul Wientzen and his award-winning debut novel, The Assembler of Parts. In addition to her agenting duties, Ms. Fairbank can be found teaching courses and giving seminars and lectures on the elusive art of the query letter and other such writing/publishing courses. Updated information on Fairbank Literary can be found at www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SorcheFairbank.



Richard Krevolin is an author, playwright, screenwriter, and professor. A graduate of Yale University, Rich went on to earn a masters degree in screenwriting at UCLA’s School of Cinema-Television, and a master’s degree in playwriting from USC. For 15 years, he was a Professor of Screenwriting at USC Cinema/TV School. He is the author of the books, Screenwriting From The Soul (St. Martins Press), Screenwriting in the Land of Oz, and How To Adapt Anything Into A Screenplay (Wiley & Sons). Rich directed the PBS documentary, Making Light in Terezin and wrote and directed the feature film, ATTACHMENTS, starring Academy Award nominated actress Katharine Ross. Rich has extensive experience teaching, coaching and mentoring physician writers. Prof. Krevolin conducts workshops, does private consultations and coaches physician writers. He can be reached at Profk.com, Powerstoryconsulting.com or [email protected] or 310-699-5715.

James J. Mangraviti, Jr., Esq. is the co-author of 31 books. He has had books published by Wolters Kluwer, Aspen, St. Martins, Wiley and Apress. In addition, he has self-published numerous books through his company, SEAK, Inc. Mr. Mangraviti’s titles have generated sales of several million dollars and have helped him to launch, expand, and nurture a successful career in lecturing, customized training and consulting. One of his consulting specialties is showing physicians how to supplement their income. Mr. Mangraviti currently serves as Principal of SEAK, Inc. He received his JD cum laude from Boston College Law School and his BA summa cum laude from Boston College.

Sample Course Clips:

Where Physicians Can Find a Reputable Literary Agent

Why Good Things Come to Those Physicians Who Write!

Technical Freelance Writing Opportunities That Are Available For Physicians

The Differences Amongst TV, Movie and Play Scripts

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Do I need to have an agent to make money through writing?  

A. Absolutely not. One of the key advantages of technical writing and self-publishing is that you do not need to secure an agent to represent you.

Q. Is self-publishing a viable option?  

A. Yes. The publishing industry is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. With the rise of the internet, digital publishing technology and e-books and the rapid demise of brick and mortar booksellers, self-publishing is now a very viable alternative to earning money as a physician writer.

Q. Can I self-publish without breaking the bank?

A. Yes, although you will want to make sure that your final product is polished and professional and reflects well on you.

Q. How much can I make?

A. It depends. A successful technical writer can earn more per hour from writing than from practicing medicine. Successful mass market physician writers like former SEAK Faculty members Michael Palmer, MD and Tess Gerritsen, MD have earned millions of dollars from writing.

Q. Do I need an active medical license to make money as a physician writer.

A. No.

Q. Do I need an active clinical practice to make money as a physician writer.

A. No.

Q. Do I need to be board certified to make money as a physician writer.

A. No.

Q. Are there other financial advantages to writing?

A. Yes. Writing and publishing can establish you as a thought leader and lead to lucrative teaching and consulting opportunities. In addition, writing can lead to offers of full time non-clinical employment and/or help advance your clinical career.

Q. What types of projects can freelance physician technical writers be called upon to assist with?

A. Many different types of projects including: abstracts, posters, marketing materials, editing, CME material, training material, presentations/slides, proposals, regulatory documents, scripts, web content, news articles, materials for the pharmaceutical industry, and white papers.

Q. What can I write about and get paid to do so?

A. Anything that people are willing to pay for. This runs the gamut from technical writing for the pharmaceutical industry to self-help books for the general public to romance novels or thrillers.

Q. What device can I stream on? 

AComputer, tablet or even a phone. 

Q. How long can I watch?

AYou can stream as often as you want for 1 year. 

Q. I have additional questions, who can I call?

A. Call the faculty, Jim Mangraviti, Esq. at 978-276-1234 and he’d be delighted to chat with you.

What Past Participants Had to Say:

“Excellent, definitely met expectations and lit a fire” 

“Fantastic setting and very informative” 

“On point, exactly what I came to hear about” 

“Full of helpful and insightful information” 

“Jim, Thank you for a most excellent program. I always knew anything produced by SEAK is a quality product. I am ready to hone my writing and look to a first book completion.” 

“Jim, The SEAK writing course was excellent, exactly what I needed. Many thanks to you, Sorche, and Mandy for an outstanding seminar.” 

“Hello! I just wanted to write to personally thank all three of you for the outstanding SEAK Writing Course in Clearwater! I cannot believe I learned so much in such a short time! Thank you again for all of your help!!” 

“I am inspired. Your SEAK conference has lit a fire in me and for that, I'm saying THANKS ! Thanks for the how-to.”  

“Excellent seminar and highly recommend to any physicians looking to enhance or change careers” 

“Comprehensive information clearly laid out” 

“Extremely useful, cram packed of useful knowledge, glad to have the manual to supplement info gathered during lectures” 

“Very helpful and inspiring—both to continue working on my novel and to begin some freelance article writing” 

“Speakers were very informative, knowledgeable and made info interesting, clear and concise.” 

“Excellent and useful.” 

“Full of information.” 

“Great, eye opening.” 

“Liked the different segments, very helpful.”“Quite excellent.” 

“Really learned a lot.” 

“Very informative, particularly the emphasis on the business aspects of writing.” 

“Well organized and conceived.” “Very knowledgeable presenters.”  

“Awesome”  

“Excellent … I found it so incredibly helpful”  

“Excellent, definitely met expectations and lit a fire”  

“Fantastic setting and very informative”  

“Wealth of info”  

“On point, exactly what I came to hear about”  

“Full of helpful and insightful information”  

“Very useful information and perspectives”  

“Very well done”  

“Well organized - interactive”  

“Jim, Thank you for a most excellent program. I always knew anything produced by SEAK is a quality product. I am ready to hone my writing and look to a first book completion.”  

“I really enjoyed the conference and found it quite helpful. All of the presenters did such a great job.”  

“Jim, Great course from you all Thank you very much.”  

“I appreciated the candid discussion and the shared, practical information.”  

“Jim, The SEAK writing course was excellent, exactly what I needed. Many thanks to you, Soche, and Mandy for an outstanding seminar.”  

“I am inspired. Your SEAK conference has lit a fire in me and for that, I'm saying THANKS ! Thanks for the how-to.” 

“Thank you so much for what i hope will be a life changing conference!”

“A big TEXAS SIZED- THANK YOU for the Writer’s seminar. It was one of the best I’ve been to, and all the SEAK conferences have been great. The speakers were all excellent. If you ever get tired of teaching us doctor types, you could have a third career as a stand up comedian.”

“Thank you so much for what I hope will be a life changing conference!”

“An amazing workshop!!”

“Excellent information, organized well. Presentations were well done as was the book accompanying the course.”

“Excellent! I was pleasantly surprised of the quality of the material. Manual very detailed and well written with no gaps.”

“Excellent! Invigorating!”

“Excellent, very practical instruction, thorough and entertaining.”

“Helpful and informative”

“Highly inspiring and informative”

“Inspiring and comprehensive.”

“It was relevant, well organized. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The speakers took a genuine interest in the participants, their work and aspirations”

“Motivational, informative”

“Very good!”

“Very helpful in identifying steps”

“Very helpful, lighthearted but info packed.”

“Very interesting and provided totally novel info to someone of my training”

“Enjoyed different perspectives on self and traditional publishing”

“Great job!”

“Overall very good and helpful. Small setting allowed for questions.”

“Really enjoyed the personal touch/interact.”

“Thank you Rich for the 15 minutes that solidified my plan. Thank you Sorche for sharing your experience and expertise. Thank you Jim for developing and providing this outstanding training Thank you Mandy for excellent exposure to writing opportunities.”

“This was the first program I’ve been to with all excellent presenters. All excellent presentations and all helpful information.”

“Packed with relevant information! Can’t think of anything I won’t use in some way.”

“Thank you for speaking personally to the participants.”

“Thanks, Jimmy! What a wonderful course. It was exactly what I needed. I wrote all the character studies and most of the first chapter of my novel on plane ride home to San Francisco. I loved your motivating, can-do attitude. And Sorche is a gem: a gifted speaker, smart, relatable, tough and motivating.”

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Contact SEAK, Inc.: 508-457-1111 [email protected] PO Box 729 Falmouth, MA 02541 www.seak.com