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Hi Reader,

In September, a WriteCME Pro member posted to celebrate finishing her first CME project. She loved digging into the research, and said writing the test questions was the hardest part.

That’s a milestone worth naming, but most of us don’t stop long enough to name our own milestones. Sound familiar?

Her post took me straight back to my own first content project: A text-based test-and-teach activity on multiple sclerosis. It was doubly satisfying, because my dad lived with MS for 30 years, although sadly without access to the range of medications currently available.

Your 2026 already has the data

In October, this newsletter reviewed how a needs assessment can drop from 100 hours to 15, and how one stalled faculty approval can empty a writer’s calendar.

You can find both of these numbers in your own year: in your invoices, your project folders and your inbox. And you can use this information to start planning for 2027.

I know it's only October, but I encourage you to start thinking about 2027 now. Here's a four-step year-end review process to get you started.

1. Count before you reflect. Before you decide how the year felt, write down:

• how many CME projects you completed
• which deliverable types
• how many clients you had
• how many came back
• which therapeutic areas you worked in
• your favorite project
• Your hardest project
• what each type of project taught you

2. Review four areas:

• Wellbeing: How many projects a month felt manageable? When and how did you truly unplug?
• Knowledge: Which information sources are most reliable? Where do you need to sharpen your own knowledge base?
• Craft: Which skills grew, and what format do you want to try next?
• Business: Did your rates match the value you delivered? Where did your work come from? How did your contracts, scoping and invoicing hold up when a project slipped?

3. Rate your clients. List each 2026 client by category/type, number of projects, whether they came back, and a fit score from 1 to 5. Then decide who you want more of and who to phase out. Pick an outreach rhythm you can keep up even in a busy month.

4. Include 2027 events and check-ins in your calendar. Mark the CME events that matter to you, your clients’ busy seasons and the time you’re protecting for yourself. Then book four 30-minute quarterly check-ins. At each one, ask:

• What moved forward?
• What’s stuck, and why?
• What will I adjust?
• What are my top three priorities for next quarter?

Pro tip: If you don't already do this, try logging hours by deliverable type in 2027. By the time you do 2028's review, you will have real numbers for needs assessments, slide decks, and outcomes reports, which will help you determine what to charge and how many projects a month you can schedule.

🗺️ Tool Spotlight: 2027 CME Writer Planning Kit

Every step above comes from the 2027 CME Writer Planning Kit. This spiral bound book gives you a structured way to look back at your work, decide where you want to go next, and turn that direction into a plan you can follow all year.

• 2026 Year in Review
• Deliverable Growth Map
• Client Mix & Pipeline
• 2027 CME Calendar
• Visibility Plan
• Quarterly Check-ins

👉 Get the 2027 CME Writer Planning Kit​

What’s your 2026 milestone?

Warmly,

WriteCME Roadmap is a GPS for new and seasoned medical writers who want to craft a sustainably profitable CME writing career.

This book is perfect for:

• Clinicians, scientists, and academics exploring a new career path
• New and experienced medical writers ready to break into the field
• Lifelong learners and information synthesizers who love to write
• Problem-solvers passionate about helping healthcare professionals improve patient outcomes

Alexandra Howson PhD, FACEhp is a writer, researcher, and podcaster who shares her deep expertise in health care and education with new-to-the-field or CME-curious professionals to help them create educational content with confidence. She hosts Write Medicine, the premier podcast for CME/CPD professionals like you, and runs WriteCME Pro, a professional development program with the only CPD-certified curriculum for CME writers.

Connect with Alex

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