The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #39 — Lesley Evans Ogden
In this regular feature, Story Board asks Canadian freelancers to share a few details about their work habits and their strategies for navigating the ups and downs of freelance life.
Lesley Evans Ogden is a B.C.-based science journalist whose clients include Natural History, Scientific American, BBC, Nature, and CBC. Her work can also be found here on Story Board.
She just finished her first documentary for the Nature of Things, called Stay-at-Home Animal Dads. One of her current projects is a World Conference of Science Journalism Fellowship profiling Simon Fraser University associate professor Wendy Palen.
She took the time to speak with Story Board recently about the challenges of managing multiple projects, how to keep your energy levels up, and the importance of aiming high with your pitches.
Why do you freelance?
The primary reason is that the flexibility is something I really love. And I also love being my own boss. I can basically just follow my curiosity. Provided I can convince an editor that it’s a story that is worth writing, then I can work on anything that piques my interest.
You seem to always have a lot of different projects on the go at the same time. How do you keep track of them?
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Post-holiday freelancer meet-up in Vancouver January 29
Vancouver-area freelancers, come and meet some colleagues for a freelancers’ social night on Tuesday January 29th at 5:30 p.m. at Red Racer Taphouse (formerly Central City Brewing at 871 Beatty St).
CMG Freelance members and non-members are all welcome. Get away from your desk and join us for a drink and some conversation with other local freelancers.
Please RSVP this week to freelance@cmg.ca to let us know if you can make it. Hope to see you there!
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Jan 15-21
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Ontario Tuition Reforms Could Spell Disaster For Student Newspapers, Unions [Huffington Post]
- Protecting the workers of the future with portable benefits [Policy Options]
- CWA Associate Members stand in solidarity with Concordia Journalism Student Association [CMG Freelance]
- Unpaid internships no more: step one [The Concordian]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 6 Client Red Flags Freelancers Should Run From [Freelance Writing Jobs]
- Freelance Wars has given us a year of hilarious, oh-too-true GIFs about nightmare clients and spec work – and now it’s over [Digital Arts]
- No, tech companies shouldn’t fund journalism [CJR]
- Why freelancers should embrace slow travel [Freelancers Union]
- Six pieces of honest advice for freelance journalists [Journalism.co.uk]
- Netherlands: Photojournalists on strike to demand decent rates [IFJ]
- The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2019 [The Write Life]
Recently on Story Board:
- Notes from the Decent Work City conference in Seoul: I was part of a panel of speakers who hailed from such diverse locations as Vienna, Austria, Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Tauranga, New Zealand. Each had a story to tell about how their cities have implemented policies aimed at creating fair workplaces…
- Entries open for Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award: Canadian photojournalists with less than five years of experience can now apply for the tenth annual Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award. This six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press head office in Toronto will take place sometime between April and September 2019…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
Notes from the Decent Work City conference in Seoul
by Don Genova
Deep-fried soft-shell crab, freshly fried pork dumplings, skewers of chicken drenched in fiery hot sauce. All served within a cacophony of street food vendors shouting out their offerings in a trendy shopping district of Seoul, South Korea.
As I crunched down on my crisp crab, I considered where I had been just hours before: near the top floor of the ultra-modern design of Seoul City Hall, where my Canadian Media Guild colleague Lise Lareau and I had been asked to speak at an international forum organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on transforming cities for decent work.
Our work with freelancers and factual TV workers had garnered some attention, and our presentations at the conference in early December were designed to share our efforts in making work ‘decent’ and less precarious for the media workers we represent.
I was part of a panel of speakers who hailed from such diverse locations as Vienna, Austria, Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Tauranga, New Zealand. Each had a story to tell about how their cities have implemented policies aimed at creating fair workplaces.
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Entries open for Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award
Canadian photojournalists with less than five years of experience can now apply for the tenth annual Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award. This six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press head office in Toronto will take place sometime between April and September 2019.
Students, freelance photographers and photographers employed at regional or non-daily publications are all eligible to apply. The successful applicant will be paid a weekly salary of approximately $875. The winner will also be invited to attend the annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards on June 13.
You can submit your application until February 22, 2019. The winner will be selected in March. For more information about the application process, check out this page on the Canadian Journalism Foundation website.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Jan 8-14
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Media union hails Godfrey’s step down as Postmedia CEO [CWA Canada]
- Paul Godfrey steps down as Postmedia CEO, will remain executive chair [Globe and Mail]
- Is the future of journalism crowd-funded and community-driven? [Taproot]
- In Canada, police block media from covering break up of indigenous pipeline protest [CPJ]
- VICE launches new legal battle to protect journalist’s materials [Vice]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Why 212 Rejections in a Year Was the Best Thing to Happen to Me [The Freelancer]
- With foreign bureaus slashed, freelancers are filling the void – at their own risk [The Conversation]
- How to pitch a solutions journalism idea to editors [journalism.co.uk]
- Do you sit all day? You need these 5 stretches [Freelancers Union]
- The man behind Vice’s push for freelancer insurance [CJR]
- An in-depth guide to annual planning for freelance businesses [Medium]
- 11 essential things to know before you go full-on freelance [Journo Resources]
- Get Organized So You Can Kill It In 2019: 10 Tips From Real People [Refinery29]
- 7 ways to keep your inbox under control and save your sanity [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Lessons from Katie Jensen and Vicky Mochama of Vocal Fry Studios: If I’m honest, for many years the only thing that kept me from freelancing was the fact that I didn’t feel good enough. No matter how many qualified people told me I was capable, complimented my work and prodded me to keep going, it wasn’t enough to make me feel “credible”…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Lessons from Katie Jensen and Vicky Mochama of Vocal Fry Studios
By Cara Fox
(Twitter photo courtesy of @msangelamc)
If I’m honest, for many years the only thing that kept me from freelancing was the fact that I didn’t feel good enough. No matter how many qualified people told me I was capable, complimented my work and prodded me to keep going, it wasn’t enough to make me feel “credible.”
What I didn’t realize then was that feeling would never fully go away, even after j-school and a handful of successful gigs. In fact, there’s a name for it. It’s called imposter syndrome; the persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved and is a result of your effort or skills.
Last weekend, Katie Jensen and Vicky Mochama spoke about imposter syndrome at the annual Canadian University Press conference, NASH81: Refine.
Founders of Vocal Fry Studios, a Toronto-based podcasting hub that produces media created by under-represented groups, Jensen and Mochama delivered a powerful message to emerging journalists on how to overcome imposter syndrome and forge a rewarding career path in new media.
The Media Doesn’t Reflect Us
“Journalism is like any other industry,” announced Mochama, addressing the gala hall full of eager student journalists at the Hotel Arts in Calgary, AB. “It’s moving forward without being aware of how it’s holding people back.”
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Dec 31-Jan 7
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- CBC Non-fiction prize open for entries [CBC Books]
- 2018 CAJ Awards call for entries [CAJ]
- Call for entries: 2019 Digital Publishing Awards [Digital Publishing Awards]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- How to use a dry spell to your advantage [Freelancers Union]
- 10 Ways for Freelancers to Stay Organized in 2019 [Brand Vixen]
- A Load Of Successful Journalism Pitches To Help You With Yours [Journo Resources]
- Tips for journalists negotiating personal boundaries online [IJNet]
- Why mentorship matters [Freelancers Union]
- Here’s how to brand yourself on Instagram [The Muse]
- 5 tips for becoming a successful digital nomad [Freelancers Union]
- The power of letting go [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- New Years Resolution #1 — Take Care of Yourself First: Those with chronic illness or pain don’t have a choice: they have to try and be as healthy as possible every day. So what’s the best way to manage your health while keeping your freelance career on track?…
- The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #38 — Angela Mombourquette: Angela Mombourquette is a Halifax-based freelance journalist who has written for such publications as The Walrus, Halifax Magazine, and the Chronicle Herald. She is also the author of the book 25 Years of 22 Minutes: An Unauthorized Oral History of This Hour Has 22 Minutes…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
New Year’s Resolution #1: Take Care of Yourself First
By Christine Peets
Toronto-based writer Paul Lima
If you choose to make New Year’s resolutions, you might notice the same themes arising year after year. They often involve trying to be healthier by getting more exercise, eating healthy food, balancing the work/life stuff, etc. etc.
Or, as Jerry Seinfeld would say, “Yada, Yada, Yada.”
Those with chronic illness or pain, however, don’t have a choice: they have to try and be as healthy as possible every day. So what’s the best way to manage your health while keeping your freelance career on track? I contacted three freelancers who all live with chronic illness and pain. They shared some interesting perspectives and strategies for taking care of the work while maintaining their health.
Figure out new ways to work, and be engaged
Paul Lima is a Toronto-based writer, writing instructor and business-writing trainer. He has been freelancing for more than 25 years and in 1998 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Paul has published 20 books, with his latest two being about living with MS.
Paul notes that he has reduced his workload by 50 percent or more. He used to teach longer classes and conduct training sessions that ran from a half-day to two days. Now his classes are not in real time, so he provides material ahead of time and has weekly online contact with his students. His training webinars are now only two hours long. His advice for others who have a chronic illness?
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The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #38 — Angela Mombourquette
In this regular feature, Story Board asks Canadian freelancers to share a few details about their work habits and their strategies for navigating the ups and downs of freelance life.
Angela Mombourquette is a Halifax-based freelance journalist who has written for such publications as The Walrus, Halifax Magazine, and the Chronicle Herald. She is also the author of the book 25 Years of 22 Minutes: An Unauthorized Oral History of This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
She has been working recently as an instructor with the King’s Faculty of Journalism and is starting a job as the non-fiction editor at Nimbus Publishing in January.
Angela won the 2018 Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for the UC Observer feature “Why P.E.I. didn’t provide abortions for 35 years.” She took the time to speak with Story Board recently about her eclectic career, the joy of winning awards as a freelancer, and the value of bumping up your freelance skills through advanced education.
How did your Greber Award-winning story come about?
The backstory to that piece is, in fact, it wasn’t my idea. The magazine came to me. And I had never written for them before. They were looking for a writer from the east coast who wouldn’t write about PEI as an outsider. And so they just found me by searching for Atlantic Canadian writers. So there’s a good reason for anyone who’s a writer to have a website.
The UC Observer, even though it’s rooted in the United Church, is a very secular magazine. But they do publish kind of spiritual-related things and then they also have a social justice bent. They wanted to do a story about what was happening with abortion in PEI.
And were you interested right away?
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