The New York Times<\/em> was just one of a handful of major outlets to cover the retraction request<\/a>, and gave Dalmeet\u2019s post a hat tip in their own write-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That nod was one of several high-profile scoops and clippings to cement Dalmeet\u2019s reputation in the science journalism community as a leading writer in the niche beat of meta-research and scholarly publishing \u2014 or the processes of science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the age of 28, just a few years after graduating with a Masters in Science Communication from Imperial College London, Dalmeet\u2019s entrepreneurial and business savvy has helped him create a full-time freelancing career writing for some of the most auspicious science titles in the industry including Nature, Science, Physics Today, Undark Magazine and C&EN magazine <\/em>alongside general interest publications like BBC Future, The Guardian, The Observer, The Economist, Slate, Pacific Standard <\/em>and Medium<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s also been shortlisted as \u201cOutstanding Young Journalist\u201d at the Asian Media Awards and \u201cBest Newcomer\u201d Science Journalist award from the Association of British Science Writers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dalmeet shares his experiences, tips and tricks to making a living as a full-time science journalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dalmeet studied biochemistry at University College London. But he quickly realized he didn\u2019t enjoy working in the lab. In his third year, he took a module exploring biosciences in business and media. It would be his lightbulb moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt clicked straight away. I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was the eureka moment, the clicking moment for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After graduating, he applied to the highly competitive MSc Science Communication program at Imperial College London and succeeded in scoring a spot on his second try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The masters program would teach him all about the world of journalism, which up to then was a murky industry, so unlike the one he studied. It would also offer him valuable internships at the BBC, The Observer <\/em>and The Sunday Times.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat course was absolutely essential. I didn\u2019t know enough about journalism at the time. I was the classic science student: I knew about research and journal publications but journalists have unique skills. I would never have been able to learn them on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While attending a talk on biomimicry (design and engineering modeled after nature and its own biological processes) at the Victoria & Albert Museum with a friend, Dalmeet was inspired to request an interview with the speaker, a designer for sportscar marker McLaren. In the beginning, his intention was to learn how to shoot and edit video with a real subject\u2014a practice run, nothing more. But after playing back the footage, he realized he could pitch the piece as a freelancer. Eventually, several unanswered pitches later, BBC Future would take him up on the query and publish both the video interview and a 1,200 word piece on the site.<\/a> It would be the break-through piece Dalmeet needed to give him street cred with future editors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was quite pleased with that piece. It took a lot of work in the end, but it was worth it for the byline. For every freelance pitch on, I was able to include that link in my pitches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After interning at major daily newspapers in London, Dalmeet quickly realized that science writing at dailies is more about playing catch-up to breaking studies and working off of press releases over original reporting and scoops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt a newspaper, you cover stories that every other newspaper is doing. When you\u2019re freelancing, editors are looking for pitches they\u2019re not going to get anywhere else so you get to write unique stories,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s more satisfying to write something that\u2019s not been published in 10 other places.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early on, his strategic decision to focus on meta-research and scholarly publishing helped him carve a niche in the industry, making him the \u201cgo-to guy\u201d in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor a lot of stories I try to be ahead of the game. I\u2019ll know about a study a week or two before the press release even goes out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s because he makes a concerted effort to network online via Twitter, building contacts, looking at what leaders and researchers are working on and tweeting, attending conferences where possible, and reaching out to attendees for information when it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because he\u2019s already made preliminary contact and expressed interest in their work, scientists reach out to him first when their work is ready to be publicized, giving him the scoop over the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After finishing a year-long contract at Retraction Watch covering corrections, Dalmeet returned to freelancing in 2017 a little wiser, a little more experienced. This time, he made a strategic effort to expand his portfolio to as many different media outlets as he could, scoring bylines in publications like Slate, Undark <\/em>magazine, Quanta and Physics Today<\/em> among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy doing that, the big advantage is that you get your byline out there, but you also figure out what the rates are and what type of stories go where.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short time, Dalmeet knew which publications pay the most, pay on time, and which editors respond quickly to pitches, and which take forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recent years, he\u2019s also expanded his habitual range of subjects to technology, genetics and AI, and experimenting with different formats like Q and As and opinion articles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m trying to continually progress and know my field the best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working for $1\/word<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI try not to write for publications that don\u2019t pay well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exception may be a big publication that pays off in name recognition and visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His average is $0.75 to $1\/word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce you\u2019ve established yourself, you\u2019ve written four or five good stories for them and establish a working relationship with an editor, negotiate a higher rate. At this point, you haven\u2019t just popped into their inbox and randomly asking for more money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dalmeet regularly consults http:\/\/whopayswriters.com\/#\/results<\/a> for pay rates at different publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pitch success rate<\/strong> When he first started out, Dalmeet says his pitching average was one out of every 15 pitches. Today, he\u2019s improved his odds considerably and says one out of two pitches usually gets accepted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo be honest, I think over the years I\u2019ve become better at pitching than writing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Science](\"https:\/\/clippings-me-blog.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/dalmeet-700x933.jpg?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBecoming a science journalist: How Dalmeet got his start
<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe big break that helped launch his career<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How Dalmeet chooses what to pitch–and what not to pitch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pitching strategy: Diversify and multiply<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n