A Q&A with freelance writer Cole Kazdin
by Brittany Duggan
Cole Kazdin is a writer, performer and four-time Emmy winning television journalist. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she regularly contributes to VICE, MEL Magazine and Refinery29.
Kazdin has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Cosmopolitan and has produced television for HBO Documentaries and ABC Network News. She performs in her own one-woman plays and also coaches and teaches writing.
Storytelling is at the crux of all of her freelance ventures and she recently took the time to speak with Story Board about non-stop pitching, the importance of being on the ground, and why Twitter is not for her.
You left network news two years ago and you’re now a full-time freelance writer. What does freelancing look like for you?
Freelancing for me is constantly pitching — as a writer, your value is your ideas. Just about every relationship I now have with an editor started with a cold pitch, and not just an idea but something more fleshed out. I would say 99 percent of what I write are stories that I have pitched, not stories that get assigned to me.
Any tips on pitching?
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 27-July 4
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Ryan McMahon has big plans for his Indigenous media platform [J-Source]
- It’s time to start The Conversation in Canada [J-Source]
- The Toronto Star, “surprised by low numbers,” is shutting down Star Touch, its expensive tablet app [Nieman Lab]
- Community media only needs a little to do a lot — but even limited funding is disappearing, experts say [J-Source]
- New tools to help precarious workers figure out everything from taxes to pension [Metro Toronto]
- Banff Centre to offer inaugural investigative journalism course this fall [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 4 smart tips to help you take your freelance writing career full time [The Write Life]
- How to become a digital nomad without slowing down your career [Freelancers Union]
- Why You Can’t Get a Job Without Solid Writing Skills [Mediabistro]
- Can Journalists Live Without Twitter? [Poynter]
- Is a science blog still a viable path to science journalism? [The Open Notebook]
- 82 rules for all freelancers to live by [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- Toronto media mixer on July 10: Digital security for journalists and filmmakers — In an era of mass surveillance and targeted intrusions, our privacy as media workers – and the security of our sources – is constantly threatened. How do we manage the risks while still reporting the stories that need to be told…
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.
Toronto media mixer: Digital security for journalists and filmmakers
In an era of mass surveillance and targeted intrusions, our privacy as media workers – and the security of our sources – is constantly threatened. How do we manage the risks while still reporting the stories that need to be told?
Toronto-area journalists and filmmakers are invited to a mixer and round table discussion on this subject called Protecting Our Sources and Ourselves on Monday, July 10th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Page One Cafe (106 Mutual St).
This event will bring together technologists, journalists and filmmakers to define and tackle these challenges, discuss best practices for safe digital research and communication, and address the responsibility that news organizations have to ensure that freelancers and employees have access to the support, resources and training they need to report more safely.
Tickets for the event are free, but please register to reserve your space at this link. There will be time before and after the panel to network and chat with other freelancers, media workers, students, and featured mentors. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Speakers at the event include filmmaker Dylan Reibling, photojournalist Annie Sakkab, and technologist and community organizer Nasma Ahmed. The panel will be moderated by award-winning freelance writer and radio producer Susana Ferreira.
Some of the featured mentors who will be at the event are journalist Basil Rehan, journalist and filmmaker Andrea Schmidt, and technology reporter Matt Braga.
If you’re not in Toronto, stay tuned to Story Board. We’ll be posting a summary shortly after the event with a roundup of some of the panelists’ best advice.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 20-26
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Here’s what the New York Times has learned covering Canada so far [J-Source]
- The Gig Is Up: How the Freelance Economy Is Changing Work [Vancouver Magazine]
- New poll finds Canadians still think they’ll get the news even if their local newspaper disappears [J-Source]
- Student/young media union members of CWA Canada support recommendations of Youth Employment Report [CMG Freelance]
- The Trudeau government’s access to information reform doesn’t expand transparency like they promised [Vice]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 7 Things I Learned Being A So-So Freelance Sportswriter [Medium]
- Daily Mail refuses to pay freelance journalist for republishing parts of her work [Guardian]
- Journalist Brooke Hauser On What It Takes To Write a Celebrity Profile [Mediabistro]
- An unlikely big player in digital media: unions [CJR]
- How to Know It’s Time to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates [Freelance Writing Gigs]
- The Real Source of Writer’s Block (And an Exercise to Beat It) [The Write Life]
- What makes a great interview? This podcaster sat down with interviewing legends to find out [Poynter]
- Vice Media secures $450M investment from private-equity firm TPG [Wall Street Journal]
- Why Freelance Writers Should Learn How to Create Videos [Freelance Writing Gigs]
- Study: 65% of independent workers chose freelancing because they wanted to [HR Dive]
Recently on Story Board:
- Webinar — Facebook for Journalists: How could you be using Facebook to promote your work more effectively? Tune into our upcoming webinar with Katt Stearns to find out. Facebook for Journalists is scheduled for Thursday, June 29th at 3:00 p.m. EST…
- The fine line of the follow up: Following up with editors after sending a story pitch can be anxiety-inducing. “Why have I not heard back?” “Is it a bad idea?” “Are they just too busy?” Ultimately, the radio silence you hear after sending a pitch is likely because of a combination of busy schedules, email overload, and – unfortunately for freelancers – a bunch of factors specific to each editor…
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.
Webinar: Facebook for journalists
How could you be using Facebook to promote your work more effectively? Tune into our upcoming webinar with Katt Stearns to find out.
Facebook for Journalists is scheduled for Thursday, June 29th at 3:00 p.m. EST.
During this session, Katt will dive into what is working right now on Facebook and what’s not. You’ll learn how to beat the Facebook algorithm so your content can be seen and heard more. She will also share the #1 strategy you need to be incorporating into your marketing today.
Katt Stearns is the founder of Katt Stearns Consulting. She has worked with numerous small and medium sized organizations helping them develop marketing strategies to share their stories and grow their organizations. Katt is the recipient of the 2015 Canadian Digital Marketer of the Year Award and was also nominated for the 2014 British Columbia Small Business Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year. You can connect with Katt on Twitter at @KattStearns.
Register for the webinar at this link. CMG Freelance and CWA Canada Associate Members can use their membership numbers to register.
For a limited time, CMG Freelance is making live viewing of our webinars available to non-members. If you’d like to watch this one, you can use the special code “Storyboard” in place of a membership number.
Archived webinars are available for viewing by CMG Freelance and CWA Canada Associate Members on this members-only page on the CMG Freelance website. Subjects of previous webinars include contract negotiation, freelance finances and digital security for freelancers.
Students, volunteers and emerging media workers can sign up for a free CWA Associate Membership right here.
For information about the price and benefits of CMG Freelance membership check out the CMG Freelance website.
The fine line of the follow-up
by Brittany Duggan
Following up with editors after sending a story pitch can be anxiety-inducing.
“Why have I not heard back?”
“Is it a bad idea?”
“Are they just too busy?”
Ultimately, the radio silence you hear after sending a pitch is likely because of a combination of busy schedules, email overload, and – unfortunately for freelancers – a bunch of factors specific to each editor.
There’s no magic rule to the follow up question. But because it’s such an important step, it helps to know what editors think. After all, editors love hearing about a great story idea just as much as you love pitching one. What they don’t love is being hounded. It’s a fine line.
Here’s what a few Canadian editors had to say on the topic.
Editors weigh in
“I advise people to not get too pushy too early,” says Janet Smith, arts editor at Vancouver’s Georgia Straight. “It can take me a production schedule of several days before I can get sorting through pitches. And then, if I am very interested in a story, I often tell the person they will have to wait till I have space and not to lose faith. Nagging me during that time is usually not necessary.”
Smith says it’s fine to follow up by email until you get some response but consider the workflow of the outlet you’re pitching to.
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 13-19
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Announcing the National Media Awards Foundation [Magazine Awards]
- New radio stations to serve urban Indigenous communities in 5 cities: CRTC [CBC]
- Magazines Canada breaks new ground by holding its annual general meeting online [Canadian Magazines]
- Making CBC/Radio-Canada reflect Canada’s diversity [CMG]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Think Like a Journalist to Improve Your Writing [The Write Life]
- Why Freelance Writers Should Learn How to Create Videos [Freelance Writing Gigs]
- Study: 65% of independent workers chose freelancing because they wanted to [HR Dive]
- Why freelancing skills should be taught early [Freelancers Union]
- Ebony owes freelancers more than $200,000, union claims [Chicago Tribune]
- Unfounded: How police forces co-ordinated one response to the Globe’s queries [Globe and Mail]
- 5 Things You Learn To Accept As a Freelancer [Mediabistro]
- How to earn 2X more as a freelancer [Freelancers Union]
- 10 Handy Conversation Starters for Introverted Writers [The Write Life]
Recently on Story Board:
- Privacy and digital security at the border: Though media workers such as journalists and filmmakers have long faced occupational and digital security and privacy issues while crossing international borders, new challenges to the way they do their work have recently emerged…
- The Born Freelancer reads “This I Know” by Terry O’Reilly: O’Reilly takes the potentially mundane topic of marketing/advertising and turns it into a weekly half hour of fascinating history, pop culture and invaluable lessons on the radio. So when I heard that he had distilled the essence of his considerable experience into a new book I sought it out immediately. Having read it from cover to cover, it is something I can now confidently urge every freelancer to read…
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.
Privacy and digital security at the border
By Shelley Pascual
Though media workers such as journalists and filmmakers have long faced occupational and digital security and privacy issues while crossing international borders, new challenges to the way they do their work have recently emerged.
Now, you might also encounter challenges when you arrive in your country of origin, said Harlo Holmes, the director of newsroom digital security at the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
Holmes led an evening workshop in Toronto at Ryerson University’s Transmedia Zone on June 12th which covered common privacy and security scenarios media workers might face at borders. Participants in the interactive workshop also got tips on the tools they need in order to protect their work.
Community-based organization Off Assignment Toronto hosted the workshop. It was sponsored, in part, by CMG Freelance and CJFE.
Here’s a summary of the key points Holmes mentioned:
The importance of digital security
The Born Freelancer Reads “This I Know” by Terry O’Reilly
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? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
In the interests of full disclosure I must admit, first and foremost, that I am a huge fan of Terry O’Reilly’s exceptionally enjoyable CBC Radio series, “Under The Influence” upon which his new book “This I Know” is based.
O’Reilly takes the potentially mundane topic of marketing/advertising and turns it into a weekly half hour of fascinating history, pop culture and invaluable lessons (if you’re paying close attention) on the radio. So when I heard that he had distilled the essence of his considerable experience into a new book I sought it out immediately.
Well, what I actually did was to go to my local public library to put it on hold.
Given the considerable number of other listeners who had apparently had the same brain wave, alas some time ahead of me, this meant I would get around to reading a copy in perhaps a year or so.
Unable to wait, I bought it. I believe it’s the first book I have ever bought on marketing.
Having read it from cover to cover, it is something I can now confidently urge every freelancer to read. (I will also be re-reading it frequently in the weeks and months ahead.)
So who is Terry O’Reilly?
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 6-12
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- After living abroad, I can’t find a journalism job in Canada [J-Source]
- Feasibility report on a magazine paid internship program [Magazines Canada]
- Student media is at the forefront of reporting on sexual assault on campus [J-Source]
- Canada’s Access to Information Act has ‘never been in worse shape,’ CBC’s Dean Beeby says [CBC]
- Desperately needed labour reform measures fall short for temporary, contract workers. New report backs stronger role for unions [Social Planning Toronto]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- A simple question to help you figure out what to write [The Write Life]
- Summer vacation is for freelancers too [Freelancers Union]
- Freelance Journalist Arrested During D.C. Protest Faces 75 Years In Prison [Huffington Post]
- You Can Do Both! 3 Ways to Balance Creative Writing and Freelancing [The Write Life]
- How to build a solid network [Freelancers Union]
- The question all freelancers should ask themselves [Freelancers Union]
- Ebony pushes Black writers’ patience to the limit [CJR]
- Things I’ve learned after being mistreated as an independent contractor [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- Toronto workshop – Privacy and digital security at the border: Toronto-area freelancers are invited to a free, hands-on workshop about digital security and privacy for journalists when crossing borders. It’s scheduled for June 12th from 6:15-9:30 pm at the Transmedia Zone…
- Freelancers’ social night in Vancouver June 19: Vancouver-area freelancers, come out for a social evening with peers and colleagues on Monday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at Central City Brewing…
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.
