Physician STJR Graduate Now Book Author, Writing Coach, and Consultant
When Naveed Saleh graduated from medical school in 2006, he knew his path would be unconventional. Today, as a graduate of the STJR program, he is a freelance writer and editor who published a book earlier this year.
Naveed said his book, The Complete Guide to Article Writing: How to Write Successful Articles for Online and Print Markets, complements what journalists learn in the classroom. It is a guide, he said, to story structure and style, publishing, and writer-editor relationships. In it he also offers advice on freelancing for different markets.
Naveed recalled that the STJR program helped him move from a life of medical rotations to a “new world” where he could pursue his passion and talent for writing and have a more flexible lifestyle.
“I feel like I was chosen,” Naveed said. “It was going to be inevitable that I ended up writing or doing something very similar.”
Naveed considers himself a physician who chose to specialize in writing and editing, and he sees his combination of backgrounds as integral to his profession. The key to being a successful science writer, he said, is “finding your interest in science and merging that with your professional desire to write.”
As a full-time freelance writer and editor, Naveed works with a variety of publications, physicians, and researchers. He also blogsfor Psychology Today; founded and directs the San Diego Writers Institute; and teaches, develops coursework, and provides one-on-one author consultations for Writer’s Digest. His book was published by F+W Media/Writer’s Digest Books.
“My goal—through my writing, the teachings I do, and the seminars that I will do—is to help other professionals learn how to write better,” Naveed said.
Naveed attained his MS in STJR in 2010. He also has an AB in biology from Cornell University and an MD from Wayne State University School of Medicine.