A Freelancer’s Guide to Content Marketing
by Steven Threndyle Freelancers perusing job listings on Indeed or Glassdoor will often come across content marketing writing gigs. It’s a job that requires the imagination of an advertising copywriter, the inquisitiveness and writing discipline of a journalist and a bit of an understanding of data science. Increasingly, this kind of writing is being outsourced […]
Always be closing: How to keep marketing even when busy with projects
By Nkiru Asika Halloween may be over, but there is nothing more frightening to a freelance writer than the deathly spectre of no work on the horizon; when your clients literally go ghost. It’s tempting, when you have client work, to forget all about marketing and simply bury yourself in the writing. But that is […]
Getting freelance work with the CBC
Freelancing for CBC isn’t as easy as it used to be, but there are still gigs to be found at the Mother Corp. The “Getting Work With the CBC” panel at the recent Level Up conference in Toronto offered some insights into just where to find it. The panel was part of a two-day conference […]
Freelance contracts a hot topic at Level Up conference in Toronto
It’s frustrating to give up lucrative assignments, but are indemnification clauses worth the risks they pose to your assets?
Reporting responsibly on labour and class
An impoverished landscape By Zaid Noorsumar Alex Press had to do a lot of convincing to get the Washington Post to run her story about 260,000 UPS workers who were threatening to strike. The American workers were fighting a treacherous new contract that would have repercussions not only for unions but for working people in general. […]
Freelancing Financial Success: “Dance your power dance and then say your number”
Follow your interests… and ask for more money. Those are the keys to financial success in freelancing, according to Toronto-based freelance journalist David Hayes and investment and lifestyle writer and editor Rita Silvan. The two were part of a panel discussion called “Freelancing Financial Success” at the recent Level Up conference in Toronto. The session, […]
The Born Freelancer Gives Assurance on Insurance
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 think Sara Tatelman’s recent two-parter on liability and insurance for freelancers is a must-read. It is a topic of paramount importance for all freelancers […]
How to respond when a publication wants you to indemnify them
By Sara Tatelman Congratulations — a new editor is really excited about your pitch, and you’re really excited to get paid to investigate something you care about. All that’s left is to sign the contract. But then you read it, all nine pages, and your heart sinks. The contract requires you to indemnify the publisher […]
The rise of indemnification clauses in freelance contracts
By Sara Tatelman When Toronto journalist Jesse Brown wanted to break the Jian Ghomeshi story, he knew couldn’t do so on his independent podcast Canadaland. At the time, he didn’t have any libel insurance, and several lawyers told him that while he could take steps to ensure he could win a libel lawsuit, provided he […]
The state of the travel writing industry
by Monte Stewart Mike Fisher has a decision to make. He is among disgruntled veteran freelancers who say well-paying travel writing opportunities are becoming increasingly rare due to revamped newspaper travel sections with reduced budgets, the outsourcing of editing services, and the proliferation of online publications that expect free stories, among other factors. “It’s […]
