‘Advice’
The Born Freelancer on the Rebirth of Radio Drama in Canada
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Just over a year ago I wrote about the death of drama at CBC Radio, that is, the format – not any behind the scenes […]
“A topic is not a story.” A post mortem of a postmortem on Columbia.
by Lesley Evans Ogden One of the most difficult but also most valuable lessons I’ve learned in making the transition from scientist to science journalist is that a topic is not a story. Scientists are often driven by passion for topics – bat behavior, particle acceleration, human genome sequencing… Journalists, in contrast, need a […]
The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #10 – Amy Jo Ehman
In this regular feature, Story Board asks Canadian writers to share a few details about their work habits and their strategies for navigating the ups and downs of freelance life. 1. What’s the most important thing you’ve done over the years to develop your skills as a writer? I worked as a journalist before I became […]
The Born Freelancer on the Art of Collaboration, Pt 3
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Several months ago I wrote about the art of collaborative partnerships (Part One is here; Part Two is here). It seems to be a topic of continuing […]
Traits of a successful freelancer. Have you got what it takes?
by Lesley Evans Ogden In May I had the good fortune of spending a week at the Santa Fe Science Writer’s Workshop. There I joined a class of 52 students whose minds were expanded by learning from top American science journalists – staff or freelancers for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and MIT’s […]
The Born Freelancer on the Art of the Cold Call
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Several posts back I interviewed a marketing guru and we discussed various forms of marketing. What he didn’t mention were some of the old school […]
Travel writing links roundup
If you’re planning to write about your summer travels this year, take a break from prowling for flight sales and hotel deals and check out a few of these travel writing posts we’ve run across recently: • From the travel site Matador, here’s a post with 22 tips on how to become a travel writer… it’s a great […]
Start-ups focus on getting freelance writers paid
Last week we told you about Contently, a company that matches freelancers with brands and publishers who need writers. One of their tools allows writers to collect their fee instantly, as soon as their work has been approved. We had a comment from a Story Board reader confirming that the system works. Instant payment. No waiting […]
How I Freelance with a Day Job
by Daniela DiStefano For more than three years I’ve been a happy part-time freelancer. What started as a way to exercise my passion for writing and build my portfolio in University developed into a steady and profitable part-time business that’s now a highly rewarding part of my career. I didn’t become a freelancer overnight. […]
Writers who do data journalism increasingly in demand
By H.G. Watson Any freelance journalist has tools they rely on, whether it is a specific brand of pens or an addiction to Google News. But at the Ink + Beyond and Canadian Association of Journalists conference in Ottawa on May 2-4, Fred Vallance-Jones and David McKie encouraged writers to add a few new […]
