Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sept 27-Oct 3
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:
- Rogers Media reduces Maclean’s, Chatelaine publication schedules and takes four magazines online only [J-Source]
- Rogers Media goes digital-first with a bang in its magazine division [Canadian Magazines]
- Postmedia closes 24 Hours Vancouver office, but free paper to keep printing [J-Source]
- Canada’s access to information regime is systemically broken, says panel [J-Source]
- A new daily dawns on Vancouver Island [Nanaimo Bulletin]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Want to Read More? Do it Efficiently With These Three Apps [The Write Life]
- If a Lawsuit Can Bury Gawker, What Could It Do to a Freelancer? [The Freelancer]
- Why journalists should learn how to code [Journalism.co.uk]
- 5 reasons to share your work-in-progress [Freelancers Union]
- 3 simple tips for better communication with your writing clients [The Write Life]
Recently on Story Board:
- Freelancer meet-up in Vancouver on October 3: Vancouver-area freelancers, come and meet some colleagues for a freelancers’ social night on Monday October 3rd at 6 p.m. at Central City Brewing…
- Are you owed money by Venture Publishing?: In December of 2013 we posted a story about Venture Publishing in Alberta. We’d been hearing from a lot of freelancers who were having trouble getting paid for their work in a timely manner…
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.
Freelancer meet-up in Vancouver on October 3
Vancouver-area freelancers, come and meet some colleagues for a freelancers’ social night on Monday October 3rd at 6 p.m. at Central City Brewing (871 Beatty St).
CMG Freelance members and non-members are all welcome. Join us for an evening of conversation, commiseration and celebration of the freelance lifestyle. We’ll even have door prizes! You could win one of our ‘Exposure Bucks’ t-shirts or a ‘Freelancer’s Toolbox’ notepad.
Please RSVP this week to freelance@cmg.ca to let us know if you can make it. Hope to see you there!
Are you owed money by Venture Publishing?
In December of 2013 we posted a story about Venture Publishing in Alberta. We’d been hearing from a lot of freelancers who were having trouble getting paid for their work in a timely manner.
Three years later, we’re still hearing from freelancers who are waiting as long as 18 months for their invoices to be paid.
Is Venture Publishing remiss in paying for your work in Alberta Venture, Alberta Oil, or any of Venture’s custom publications? If so, the Canadian Media Guild’s Freelance Branch would like to hear from you.
Please email Branch President Don Genova at freelance@cmg.ca. All correspondence will be kept confidential.
The CMG’s Freelance Branch works to improve conditions for freelancers (minimum rates, predictable payment cycles, contract language and more) and garner respect for freelance contributors from peers and engagers.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sept 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:
- Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is part of a journalist’s job, say panelists [J-Source]
- Magazine industry fight over too many awards leads to split – and more awards [Globe and Mail]
- Memo: CBC Aboriginal to be renamed CBC Indigenous [J-Source]
- Canadian Magazine Awards unveiled by Magazines Canada [Canadian Magazines]
- UBC, Globe and Mail win 2016 Online Journalism Awards [J-Source]
- National Magazine Awards announces important changes to board and procedures [Canadian Magazines]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- How One Freelancer Broke Into ‘The New Yorker’ From Afar [The Freelancer]
- 7 ways to be a more productive freelance writer [Mediabistro]
- Freelancers included in NYC anti-discrimination legislation [Freelancers Union]
- Telling visual stories: Photography tips for journalists [Journalism.co.uk]
- ‘Pause, pace, pattern, register’: The power of words in radio storytelling [Journalism.co.uk]
- 5 Keys to Writing a Q&A Piece People Actually Want to Read [The Freelancer]
- How journalists can better protect themselves from doxxing [Journalism.co.uk]
- 7 Comedy-Writing Techniques Nonfiction Writers Can Use [The Write Life]
- The 5 Required Courses You’d Take if You Majored in Freelancing [The Freelancer]
Recently on Story Board:
- The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #32 — Jennifer Van Evra: Jennifer Van Evra is a Vancouver writer, broadcaster and university instructor. Her work has appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver magazine, the Georgia Straight, Mother Jones and more…
- The Born Freelancer on Embracing Procrastination: I can’t believe I haven’t written about this yet. I guess I’ve just been… putting it off. Which makes perfect sense because most of my friends don’t call me “The Born Freelancer.” To them, I’m more “The Born Procrastinator”…
- National Magazine Awards Foundation announces new initiatives: The National Magazine Awards Foundation announced a number of changes this week. In a press release yesterday, the foundation said that the changes are designed to “maintain and advance the NMAF’s 40-year status as the gold standard of creative excellence”…
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.
The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #32 — Jennifer Van Evra
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.
Jennifer Van Evra is a Vancouver writer, broadcaster and university instructor. Her work has appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver magazine, the Georgia Straight, Mother Jones and more.
Since 2000, she has been a producer, reporter and broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where she has covered everything from current affairs to music, and produced award-winning programs, series and documentaries.
She also teaches freelance article writing at the University of British Columbia’s Writing Centre. In 2013, she was awarded the John K. Friesen Excellence in Teaching Award.
She took the time to speak with Story Board last week about pitching, being brave, and going the extra mile.
What would you say is the single most important piece of advice that you give your writing students?
I guess the main point I try to make again and again is that this is completely doable. Early on in my career I had a lot of people that would say “Oh freelance writing is impossible, nobody makes a living doing that. You have to have another job, you have to do something else.”
And fortunately I knew some other freelance writers who were more experienced than I was who said “Just hang on. It’s about perseverance and hard work.” If you can make it through the rough part at the beginning where you’re sort of fumbling through and pitching stories and they’re getting rejected, things get much easier.
Read the rest of this post »
The Born Freelancer on Embracing Procrastination
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.
I can’t believe I haven’t written about this yet.
I guess I’ve just been… putting it off.
Which makes perfect sense because most of my friends don’t call me “The Born Freelancer.” To them, I’m more “The Born Procrastinator.”
Today I’m here to testify that chronic procrastination need not be a deal-breaker when contemplating the freelance lifestyle.
In fact, once recognized and properly harnessed, procrastination can be turned from a negative into a positive – another useful tool in the freelancer’s arsenal. Don’t believe me? I am living proof of it.
Procrastination
First, let’s define it. It usually means to postpone or to delay doing something. For me, it means a subconscious prioritizing of actions I need to take.
And some activities I am simply not yet ready to enact.
Of course there are times procrastination can be a distressing hinderance. But once you understand why you are procrastinating you can use that knowledge to make many of your subsequent actions more successful.
Read the rest of this post »
National Magazine Awards Foundation announces new initiatives
The National Magazine Awards Foundation announced a number of changes this week. The foundation is responsible for the National Magazine Awards, which celebrate their 40th anniversary this year.
In a press release yesterday, the foundation said that the changes are designed to “maintain and advance the NMAF’s 40-year status as the gold standard of creative excellence.”
Changes include refined awards categories, expanded digital publishing awards and an effort to recognize Canadian creators working internationally.
The NMAF also announced several new board members, including Derek Finkle, co-founder of Story Board and founder of the Canadian Writers Group, a literary agency that represents Canadian freelance writers.
More details about the changes to the National Magazine Awards are available on the Canadian Magazines blog.
Last fall, several large magazine publishers — including Rogers, St. Joseph Media and The Walrus — pulled away from the National Magazine Awards and announced their intention to start a new awards program.
News about that new program is expected later this week.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sept 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:
- Walrus fiction editor quits over magazine’s push for “family-friendly” stories [Globe and Mail]
- Anti-TPP day of action highlights threat to journalism [J-Source]
- Why Ian Gill thinks No News is Bad News [J-Source]
- When your recorder fails [J-Source]
- Magazines Canada is announcing new magazine awards program on Sept. 21 [Magazines Canada]
- A new award show for freelancers [Strategy Online]
- Inside Colour Code, the Globe and Mail’s new podcast [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- A Letter To The Editor Who Stopped Responding To My Emails [The Hairpin]
- 3 Signs It’s Time to Kill Your Blog [The Freelancer]
- Following a Story as It Unfurls [The Open Notebook]
- Overlooked outlets where freelancers can pitch their work [IJ Net]
Recently on Story Board:
- Toronto agency creates awards show for freelancers in advertising: A Toronto ad agency noticed that freelancers don’t get enough recognition within the advertising industry. So they decided to do something about it…
- Victoria freelancers: Register for our Perfect Pitch workshop: Victoria-area freelancers, CMG Freelance has a professional development opportunity coming your way next month. Every freelancer — whether new or experienced — can use some pitching practice…
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 agency creates awards show for freelancers in advertising
A Toronto ad agency noticed that freelancers don’t get enough recognition within the advertising industry. So they decided to do something about it.
Co-op Advertising created the the FU Awards — “FU” stands for “Freelancers Unite” — to give people in the advertising world an opportunity to pay tribute to the exceptional freelancers they work with.
The agency released a video this week to publicize the awards show.
“It is a little bit cheeky and brash,” Co-op’s managing director Peter Brough said, when asked about the video during a phone call with Story Board this week.
“It’s a bit of an ‘FU’ to the old way of working and thinking,” he said.
The use of freelancers in the advertising industry, said Brough, has risen sharply over the past ten years.
“There’s a gap as far as how much freelancers add to the world of creative communications and how little they get recognized within that world,” he said.
Nominations are open to freelancers across the country who work in all areas of the advertising and communications industry — from writers, artists and designers to web developers and project managers.
The deadline for nominations is October 10th and the awards show will take place in Toronto in mid-November.
For more details, keep an eye on the Freelancers Unite website.
Victoria Freelancers: Register for our Perfect Pitch workshop
Victoria-area freelancers, CMG Freelance has a professional development opportunity coming your way next month. Every freelancer — whether new or experienced — can use some pitching practice. So join us for The Perfect Pitch, our day-long workshop on pitching.
It’s scheduled for October 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fisgard Street Forum (845 Fisgard Street). You’ll learn how to hone your ideas and craft effective query letters to sell your stories.
The instructor is Don Genova, a 20-year award-winning veteran of freelance journalism and former food columnist for CBC Radio and Television. Don has been an instructor in Freelance Writing at UBC since 2002 and his students have gone on to become contributors to magazines such as the Georgia Straight, EAT Magazine, Edible Vancouver, and many others.
The workshop will be a combination of instruction and participation. Please bring a tablet or laptop and be prepared to do some writing.
Two top Victoria-area writers will join the workshop at the end of the day to meet with participants to provide feedback on their ideas.
