Negotiating payments from biotech firm to write papers

[whiteguyfromFL]

As a dual MD/MBA student currently applying to residency in ophthalmology, I've been working with a startup this past year and also did a summer internship with a leading ophtho VC firm. Through the VC, I received an offer to be paid to write research papers for a more established surgical company in the field. Given that the research is actually very interesting/high impact and that I will need to publish a lot during residency anyway, I am obviously interested in the opportunity (might as well get paid for something I'm going to do anyway). I currently receive $30/hr for the startup I have been working with handling business development/marketing (also have very small equity), but am wondering how to negotiate my fee for this new company. ANY income is a blessing at this point in my career, so it is hard to embrace that I do in fact have a valuable/marketable knowledge base now. But I also feel that at a certain point, I need to acknowledge that my time is pretty valuable now. I'm about to have a call with the CEO to discuss payment and feel as if I am finally at the point where I can request truly reasonable reimbursement for my time. I was going to start off by saying I need at least $60/hr but am afraid I will be selling myself short. Any advice on how to negotiate this and what a reasonable first number would be to throw out there? Do I just throw out $100/hr and see what happens?

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[lumya]

Do you know what the current market salary is for someone who would be doing work in that field? I would ask for 1.5x that as a consultant. I'm staying on at my old company in a niche field in a consulting capacity and I asked for that and ended up a little short but with the ability to renegotiate every year.