Workshop: Writing Science for Non-Scientists

Want to expand your writing skills? Interested in getting your science into the hands of the masses?

This workshop was facilated by Dr. Lee Foote and Dr. Sarah Elmeligi and featured the wisdom from our Expert Presenters: Kevin Van Tighem, Ken Bailey. This engaging and interesting workshop shared perspective and experience in regards to publishing scientific work and perspectives in magazines, books, online forums, and traditional media. Some advice tidbits included:

1. Take a step back. Realize that writing a process that lasts your whole life. Thinking about building your writing portfolio over the long term.
2. Start with magazines and articles that tell stories where scientific information is a foundational component.
3. Pitch to publishers in a way that convinces them to take a risk in publishing your work.
4. Think beyond Canada. There are markets around the world and with online magazines, there could be opportunities for you to publish in areas you haven’t even thought of yet! The possibilities are endless.
5. Consider the quality of images included in your work. Your personal photos may be great, but think about partnering with a photographer who can be a part communicating your work visually.
6. Stay on target and write within the parameters of your credibility and knowledge.
7. Publishing is a business, so treat it that way when you are approaching publishers and editors.

There was so much more that we discussed in this workshop. The conversation was rich and the advice from Kevin and Ken was top notch! Check out the video in our members area!

An annual membership is only $20 – become a member here.

Expert bios:

Kevin Van Tighem, a former superintendent of Banff National Park, has written more than 200 articles, stories, and essays on conservation and wildlife which have garnered him many awards, including Western Magazine Awards, Outdoor Writers of Canada book and magazine awards, and the Journey Award for Fiction. He is the author of Bears Without Fear, The Homeward Wolf, Heart Waters: Sources of the Bow River, Our Place: Changing the Nature of Alberta, and Wild Roses Are Worth It: Alberta Reconsidered. He lives with his wife, Gail, in Canmore, Alberta.

Outdoor Canada’s long-time hunting editor Ken Bailey has travelled all over Canada—and the world—with rifle, shotgun and fly rod in hand. Recognized as one of Canada’s most accomplished outdoor writers, he’s also the author of No Place Like Home, an award-winning book celebrating the abundance and diversity of hunting and angling experiences Canada has to offer. In his professional career, Ken spent more than 30 years conserving wildlife, fish and their habitats across Canada.