Writing jobs in psychology

[rockandroll]

Hi everyone,

I'm halfway through getting my master's in general/experimental psychology with a social/developmental research focus, and I'm realizing more and more as time goes on that my interest lies in writing about psychology rather than designing and running experiments. I never expected to get a degree in research and come out realizing that I love writing, but that's by far the most consistent piece of feedback that I'm getting from my professors (that I'm a great writer). Frankly, though, this is exciting for me, because writing has always been one my greatest loves since I was very young, and I would love to find a more creative job within psychology. I love my field but am not feeling a career in clinical psych, research, or teaching... Is it possible to work as a psychology writer? My ideal job might be writing well-researched books on specific topics, or being the token social/developmental psych writer at a magazine like Psychology Today- in other words, writing pieces that are both based on relevant scientific research (as I will have a degree in this) while potentially being of interest to non-scientists. Is that a real thing? Does anyone have any ideas for places that I could work? And do you think additional schooling in writing, rather than just psychology, would be required?

[lewin]

The New Yorker has an opening for a science writer.

But seriously, I would start a blog. Science writing for popular audiences is very different than academic writing; see if you can get an audience there first. That'll let you hone your craft.