Getting Started in Science Journalism

Are you new to science writing? Or are you just thinking about getting into the field and wondering what it’s all about? The Open Notebook has published hundreds of articles and other resources aimed at helping science journalists sharpen their skills—and helping newcomers get started. This page contains a subset of those resources, with a focus on what’s most relevant to people who are getting started in science journalism. Dig in!

Breaking In

Photo of what appears to be a graduation ceremony, we can only see the typical squared hats of the graduates.

Do You Need a Science Degree to Be a Science Reporter?

Aneri Pattani

Trading the Pipette for the Pen: Transitioning from Science to Science Writing

Julia Rosen

On the Origin of Science Writers

TON Editors

Entering Science Writing as a Child of Immigrants

Vanessa Vieites

Tip Sheet for Newcomers to Science Writing

Shira Feder

A stack of several scientific journals, one bookmarked. The titles are not visible.

One Size Does Not Fit All: How to Make Sense of Different Kinds of Scientific Studies

Kelly Tyrrell

Nice Niche: How to Build and Keep Up with a Beat

Knvul Sheikh

Alaina Levine standing in the Biosphere 2, a research facility of the University of Arizona.

How to Use Reporting Skills from Any Beat for Science Journalism

Aneri Pattani

3D illustration of a conceptual maze, with black pawns from a chess set moving between nodes on a surface. A direct path across the surface is shown in gold.

How to Break into English-Language Media as a Non-Native-English Speaker

Humberto Basilio

Ask TON: What Does a Science Writing Master’s Program Get You?

TON Editors

GIF image of Tom Hanks, text reads "T. Hanks".

Finding and Landing the Right Internship in Science Writing

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

A close-up photo of a compass sitting on a map.

The Intern’s Survival Guide

Rachael Lallensack

A close up of a globe and a metal meridian running around it.

Why Is It So Hard for Foreign Journalists to Break into U.S. and European Outlets?

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

Join the Science Writers Database

Our free, public database of journalists, writers, editors, and others who cover science will help you expand your network, find freelancers and other potential colleagues, and more. Join today!

Finding Ideas

Zoomed image of the story decision flowchart.

Is This a Story? How to Evaluate Your Ideas Before You Pitch

Mallory Pickett

Beyond the Press-Release Rat Race: Fresh Ways to Cover Science News

Julia Rosen

Ask TON: Saving String

TON Editors

Close-up of a man's hand sharpening a knife.

Sharpening Ideas: From Topic to Story

Dan Ferber

Image of people arranged in the shape of a circle, with a white background.

Finding the Science in Any Story

Kate Morgan

Ask TON: From Idea to Story

TON Editors

Brown recycling symbol on a tan background.

Repurposing Story Ideas for Multiple Venues

Alla Katsnelson

Pitching

Ask TON: Repitching Killed Stories

TON Editors

Gender Differences in Pitching: Results from the TON Pitching Habits Survey

Jane C. Hu

Close-up photograph of a stack of old magazines.

Picking a Publication to Pitch

Celia Ford

A window with the words WHAT IS YOUR STORY written in neon blue on the glass.

Ask TON: How Do I Write a Good Pitch Letter?

TON Editors

Ask TON: How Soon to Repitch an Editor?

TON Editors

Ask TON: How Much Time Should I Spend Preparing a Pitch?

TON Editors

A young woman sits on a denim beanbag looking at a laptop. On the table in front is a cellphone and a plant.

Going Digital: Inside New Science Journalism Outlets

Rachel Zamzow

A glass bottle with a rolled-up message inside, wedged in the sand on a beach.

Making First Contact with Editors

Abdullahi Tsanni

A baseball pitcher winding up for his pitch.

Pitching Errors: How Not to Pitch

Laura Helmuth

Want to Be Pitch Perfect?

To tell a compelling story to readers, you first need to sell your idea to an editor. The Open Notebook’s Pitch Database contains 312 successful news and feature pitches a wide range of publications. Each one is accompanied by a link to the resulting published story. Search or browse our database and discover how other journalists have succeeded in selling their stories.