The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #24 — Caitlin Kelly
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.
Caitlin Kelly is a Canadian writer based in New York City. She has been writing for clients such as The New York Times, Smithsonian, More, and Marie Claire for over 20 years. She is a prolific blogger with more than 15,000 blog followers worldwide. She also works as a writing teacher and a private writing coach. Caitlin took the time to speak with Story Board recently about writing rates, building your online presence and the importance of having a posse. The conversation was fascinating and wide-ranging. Here are some highlights:
On tweeting:
When I wake up, the very first thing I do is I flip open the laptop and I tweet. I don’t tweet automatically, I see what people are doing. And the reason I do that is that I’m really interested in what’s going on in the world. The minute I wake up, even if it’s 6 in the morning, it’s already 11 in England, France, or beyond. So that helps me see what’s going on globally and it helps me jump into conversations that are already ongoing. And there’s a reason that I do this. I don’t tweet because it’s a fun thing to do. I enjoy it, but it’s strategic. I want to be out there. There’s a motto that I came up with and it’s three things: “be visible, be audible, and be credible.”
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Freelancer’s Survival Guide Master Class next weekend in Vancouver
If you live in the Vancouver area and are new to freelancing, there’s a crash course coming up this weekend that will teach you everything you need to know to set yourself up as an independent creative worker.
Award-winning freelance food and travel journalist (and CMG Freelance Branch president) Don Genova is leading this day-long seminar, called The Freelancer’s Survival Guide, as part of The Tyee’s fall Master Class series.
The course is scheduled for this Saturday, October 3rd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch and coffee (and post-class beer) are included in the $200 registration fee. The fee for this workshop also includes a year-long membership in the CMG Freelance Branch (worth $150).
If you are already a member of CMG Freelance, you qualify for a $50 discount on the course. If you’re a member and you’re interested in signing up for the course, please email freelance@cmg.ca for a discount code before you register.
To register for the Freelancer’s Survival Guide, check out this page on The Tyee’s website.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sept 22-28
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:
- La Presse to cut 158 positions as it eliminates weekday paper [Montreal Gazette]
- Mohamed Fahmy to teach at University of British Columbia [Metro Vancouver]
- Media union raises alarm over CBC real estate selloff plans [Globe and Mail]
- The Western Magazine Awards have been cancelled [Masthead]
- CBC announces plans to sell off all buildings in midst of election campaign [CMG]
- The Productivity Tips That Have Helped My Business [The Freelance Hustle]
- Mohamed Fahmy, Canadian journalist, pardoned by Egyptian president [CBC]
- New $3,000 award for freelance photojournalists [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- What to do when a client “dumps” you [Freelancers Union]
- Raise your freelance writing rates: 4 steps to help you get paid what you’re worth [The Write Life]
- 10 ways to stay healthy while working from home [Mashable]
- ThinkProgress to Unionize With Writers Guild of America [New York Times]
- Why isolation is a more serious problem for freelancers than you think [Fast Company]
- Beware of Byline Snatchers: How to Protect Your Freelance Writing Identity [The Write Life]
- Do Freelance Writers Need Insurance? [Freelance Writing Jobs]
Last week on Story Board:
- The savvy freelancer: Being clever about recycling extra material. Tips from Rose Eveleth: Successful freelancers need a diversity of skills. One specialized skill that has always intrigued me is the ability to repurpose similar material in multiple places…
- Vancouver social for factual TV workers: If you’re in Vancouver and work in factual television, you’re invited to a social gathering and information session hosted by the Canadian Media Guild next week…
- Vancouver freelancer meet-up next Tuesday: Vancouver freelancers, there’s a casual meet-up happening next Tuesday, September 29th at 6 pmat the Big Rock Urban Brewery, at 310 W 4th Ave…
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 savvy freelancer: Being clever about recycling extra material. Tips from Rose Eveleth.
by Lesley Evans Ogden
Rose Eveleth shares sage advice about freelancing over breakfast in Calgary. Photo by Lesley Evans Ogden
Successful freelancers need a diversity of skills. One specialized skill that has always intrigued me is the ability to repurpose similar material in multiple places. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, mainly because I’ve realized I’m not very good at it. As a feature writer who frequently conducts long interviews with interesting experts, I’m forever collecting intriguing extra tidbits that make me think “wow, cool, that’s a great story in itself.” Sadly, the vast majority of those ideas are never used, so lately I’ve been wondering how to make better use of that bonus material.
That skill of successfully “recycling” material is one of the things that intrigues me about Rose Eveleth, an incredibly prolific freelance journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the producer of the podcast “Meanwhile in the Future,” for Gizmodo, a podcast editor for Story Collider, a columnist at BBC Future, the founder and creator of Science Studio, an editor at Smithsonian Magazine, and a contributor at a myriad of other places. Lately I’ve seen her stories on prosthetics and body implants pop up in BBC Future, Nova on PBS, Motherboard, Mosaic, Gizmodo, The Atlantic, and Modern Farmer to mention just a few. When I contacted Eveleth by email to ask about her skill of cleverly repurposing new aspects of the same topic, she said, “It’s something I think about constantly.”
I had the pleasure of meeting Eveleth this weekend at a reunion in Calgary celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Banff Science Communications Program. Eveleth has been a faculty member with that program since 2014. She majored in genetics in her undergraduate degree, then completed a Master’s in science reporting at NYU in 2012. “I’ve been freelancing ever since,” Eveleth says, “and I love it. I would not do anything else.”
While sitting down with me over breakfast, Eveleth generously shared some tips on how she ingeniously makes use of the “extras” from one story as material for the next.
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Vancouver social for factual TV workers
If you’re in Vancouver and work in factual television, you’re invited to a social gathering and information session hosted by the Canadian Media Guild next week. Come and enjoy a drink and some snacks and learn more about the CMG’s campaign for fairness in the factual television industry.
The event is scheduled for next Thursday, October 1st, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Wicklow Pub (610 Stamps Landing Vancouver).
You’ll be able to pick up a copy of the new Guide to working in Canadian factual TV production and have any of your questions about the CMG’s campaign answered.
Please register for this free event on this Eventbrite page.
Vancouver freelancer meet-up next Tuesday
Vancouver freelancers, there’s a casual meet-up happening next Tuesday, September 29th at 6 pm at the Big Rock Urban Brewery, at 310 W 4th Ave.
If you’re in the Vancouver area, you’re invited to drop by for an evening of conversation and freelance camaraderie. Members of CMG Freelance have booked a private room for the event. When you arrive, ask the host or hostess for directions the upstairs boardroom.
You’ll be able to order food and drinks in the boardroom, and the group will move into the general pub area after 8 p.m. for more conversation.
Hope to see you there!
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sept 15-21
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:
- Former Olympic boss John Furlong wins defamation case filed by journalist [Vancouver Observer]
- Freelance journalist who sued John Furlong loses defamation case [Globe and Mail]
- CBC President Hubert Lacroix: Public Broadcasters ‘Risk Being Boiled To Death’ [Huffington Post]
- Quebec’s La Presse to scrap weekday print edition to focus on app [Globe and Mail]
- Toronto Star pins hopes of younger audience on new tablet app [Globe and Mail]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- No Unions, No Problem. How Freelancers Are Fighting For Their Rights [Mediashift]
- Facebook launches Signal, a tool to help journalists sort through the noise [Poynter]
- Writers and Editors Discuss the Delicate Dance of Story Rewrites [The Freelancer]
- Seven secrets of podcasting success [Medium] (via @NiemanLab)
- Dispirited but not defeated [Cuaderno Inedito]
- 3 symptoms of freelance burnout [Freelancers Union]
- How to Write About Anything: 5 steps for researching a new topic [The Write Life]
- The productivity paradox: Quality vs. Quantity [Freelancers Union]
- Could Working on Retainer Help You Build a Reliable Freelance Business? [The Write Life]
Last week on Story Board:
- Free podcasting webinar for CMG Freelance and CWA Associate Members: Wanna be a podcaster? JP Davidson’s upcoming podcasting webinar will help get you started… or take you to the next level…
- Two CMG Freelance members nominated for prestigious Prix Italia: Two members of CMG Freelance have been nominated for the prestigious Prix Italia radio award this year, one of them in a brand new category that is of special interest to freelancers.
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.
Free podcasting webinar for CMG Freelance and CWA Associate Members
Wanna be a podcaster?
JP Davidson’s upcoming podcasting webinar will help get you started… or take you to the next level.
In this hour-long workshop, Davidson — a podcaster, radio producer and founder of the Canadian Sound & Story Workshop — will offer insights into the state of the industry, the resources available, and the best ways to launch and monetize your podcast.
The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30th from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT.
It will be recorded and made available for playback for interested members who are unable to participate live.
This webinar is free for both CWA Associate Members and members of CMG Freelance. If you’re already a member, you can register for the event on this Eventbrite page.
CWA Associate Membership is free for students, volunteers and emerging media workers. You can sign up for membership right here.
For information about the price and benefits of CMG Freelance membership check out the CMG Freelance website.
Two CMG Freelance members nominated for prestigious Prix Italia
Two members of CMG Freelance have been nominated for the prestigious Prix Italia radio award this year, one of them in a brand new category that is of special interest to freelancers.
Vancouver radio producer Willow Yamauchi is nominated in the Best Documentary category for Deaf Jam, a documentary about deaf musicians that was broadcast on CBC’s The Current earlier this year. Yamauchi’s documentary has also been nominated for a Jack Webster Award, a prize that honours outstanding journalism in British Columbia.
Toronto-based radio producer Veronica Simmonds is also nominated for a Prix Italia. Her piece Dr. Clock, about a horologist living in Halifax Nova Scotia, is up for an award in a brand new category called New Radio Formats.
This new category is significant for freelancers because it is open to independents. Previously, only broadcasters were eligible to nominate pieces for awards.
We wish our members the best of luck in their categories! The 67th annual Prix Italia awards ceremony takes place in Torino, Italy next Thursday, September 24th.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sept 9-14
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:
- Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Start Here [Freelance Hustle]
- Writers Vote: Election “How To” for TWUC Members [TWUC]
- Glacier Media to close three more B.C. community newspapers [Globe and Mail]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Here’s Why the Freelancer Economy is on the Rise [Fast Company]
- Are matching donations key to crowdfunding journalism? Beacon is betting on it. [Poynter]
- Staying Healthy as a Freelance Writer: 9 Important Self-Care Strategies [The Write Life]
- 5 Things To Consider If You Are Planning To Freelance [Jobs & Hire] (via @Mediabistro)
- 12 tips for writing fast – or at least faster [Poynter]
- The Not-To-Do List: 9 Habits to Stop Now [Four Hour Work Week] (via @LuigiBenetton)
- Greenpeace hires team of investigative journalists [The Guardian]
- 6 steps to kickstart your fall [Freelancers Union]
- Budgeting for the Self-Employed [The Every Girl] (via @KayliBarth)
- The Unionization of Digital Media [The Nation]
- If You Don’t Click on This Story, I Don’t Get Paid [The Awl]
Last week on Story Board:
- Students’ voices can create change in the fight for fair wages: TIFF offers a wealth of opportunities for students and aspiring newbies as it takes over downtown Toronto with screenings, meetings, deals, and parties. As the excitement and hype ignite the city many of us dream of attending TIFF as industry professionals…
- The Born Freelancer Looks Back Over Four Years, Part 2:Having had some time off to pause and reflect, today I would like to conclude my look back on columns I have written as “The Born Freelancer”…
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.
