Making sense of chemistry

Sarah Houlton is a freelance journalist who specialises in chemistry and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. She writes every month for the US magazine Pharmaceutical Executive and the publication she used to edit, Manufacturing Chemist. She also writes for a variety of other magazines, including Chemistry World. 

Sarah is Science Writer in Residence in the University of Cambridge's chemistry department, where she edits the alumni magazine, Chem@Cam.

Q With science journalism and communication becoming ever more popular, do you ever struggle to find work?

A I've been very lucky - I have enough regular work to pay the bills, and sufficient other work to make life interesting!

I became a journalist after my PhD in organic synthesis from Imperial College, as assistant editor on the Journal of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in Bradford. It's part learned journal and part magazine, and I was working on the magazine section.

After a couple of years, I moved back to London
to work for the pharmaceutical industry magazine Manufacturing Chemist, eventually becoming its editor. I left to go freelance seven years ago. That was a bit hairy to start with, but it's a small world and I've been fortunate that work has found me.

Q What advice would you give to someone try to establish themselves as a freelance science writer?

A The simple answer is get a job and gain a reputation as a writer. You would have to be very lucky to leave university and make a living straight away as a freelance. Even if the job happens to be an obscure trade magazine, it's a good place to start.

Once you've got that first job and gained some experience, you are more likely to be able to move on to another magazine that may be more relevant to your interests, as happened to me.

Q A lot of what you write is about pharmaceuticals, which can be an emotive and sensitive subject. Do you come across many barriers in conducting interviews?

A Because I have a background in the industry, I have a pretty good understanding of the issues involved. The biggest problem is that it can be difficult to find people, particularly in big pharmaceutical companies, who are allowed to talk to you. 

Companies can be quite protective about what they want say, even to journalists who are essentially pro-industry.

Q How does your residency at Cambridge chemistry department work?

A I produce a magazine three times a year called Chem@Cam. It's largely an alumni magazine, and we also send it out to senior people at chemistry-related companies and organisations. 

It's an interesting job as the content is a great mixture of news, science, gossip and reminiscences, and I write, edit, design and produce the whole thing. 

Most of the academics are pretty good at talking about their science! The biggest challenge I have as a former organic chemist is understanding what the theoretical chemists do, and then making it understandable for a wider audience, some of whom graduated more than half a century ago.