Jacqueline Hewett, Freelancer of the Fortnight 24 November 2011
Why did you choose to become a freelancer?
I didn’t actively choose to become a freelancer. I left the Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP) and my job as the editor of a business-to-business magazine and website to go on maternity leave in April 2009. I had my daughter in May 2009, and in the same month, I found out that the IOPP was planning to sell its business-to-business magazines business, including my title. This meant that I ended up leaving the company. I tentatively set myself up as a freelance journalist in March 2010 and haven’t looked back.
If you trained, where? If not, how did you become a freelancer?
All of my training was on-the-job working under several different editors. I finished my PhD in laser physics at the University of St Andrews in September 2001 and started at IOPP in October 2001. I was lucky that my first job was as a news reporter on a business-to-business magazine specialising in all aspects of the laser business. It was a perfect match for my scientific background. I knew I didn’t want to continue in research and I felt like I had found the ideal job. I loved speaking to people about their research and breakthroughs, and felt I could relate to how much unseen effort and work was behind their achievements thanks to my background. Much of my training was learning the art of translating technical material into plain English suitable for a general audience.
Do you specialise in any particular field and what areas do you write about?
I specialise in writing about science and technology in general. I write about many different topics within this field such as optics, photonics, laser technology, nanotechnology, solar energy and materials science. I also write about medical physics, which includes areas such as radiation therapy and biomedical imaging. The articles I write are not all about basic research. I write about the business and financial side of things, applications and also scientific policy issues.
Which publications have you been published in?
I contribute regularly to optics.org and medicalphysicsweb.org. I maintain an up-to-date list of all my submissions on my personal website.
Which articles, in which publication, are you the most proud of?
At the end of 2010, I wrote all of the copy for a document entitled "50 years of lasers in Scotland" on a tight deadline. This was a 12-page document looking at the economic impact the laser industry has on the Scottish economy. I was particularly proud when this was published, as it was formally launched by Jim Mather MSP, Scotland's Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism and a copy was presented to US Energy Secretary Steve Chu.
What are the best and worst aspects of freelancing?
The best aspect has to be the flexibility of the job and taking on as much work as I feel comfortable with. The worst aspects are the lonely times working from home and missing out on office banter. There is also the uncertainty of exactly how much money you will make and when it will come in. For me, and perhaps others with a young family, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Do you have any interesting anecdotes in relation to your experience as a freelancer?
One of the joys of writing about the optics industry is speaking to start-up companies. These companies may only have two or three employees and an article can make a real difference. One of the best responses I have had from a start-up is that the article I produced after spending just 15 minutes on the phone has given them years of business. It gives me an enormous buzz to know that my words can have that kind of impact.
Senior Desk Editor - International News Desk
