What’s in your contract?
Libel notice served to Toronto Life should give freelance writers pause for thought York University’s recent libel notice to Toronto Life should serve as a sobering reminder for Canadian freelance writers. The article at issue – a feature on sexual assault at York – was written by freelance contributor Katherine Laidlaw. Fortunately for Laidlaw, […]
The E-Book Show Down: Part Three
E-books are emerging as the latest battleground between writers and print publishers seeking to monetize online content. In this “reset” moment, writers need to be sure they set a fair precedent early on. Read Part One and Part Two of this three-part series. By Derek Finkle The Walrus In late October, The Walrus approached […]
The E-Book Show Down: Part Two
E-books are emerging as the latest battleground between writers and print publishers seeking to monetize online content. In this “reset” moment, writers need to be sure they set a fair precedent early on. Read Part One of this three-part series here. By Derek Finkle Toronto Life By early 2012, we had three writers […]
The E-Book Show Down: Part One
E-books are emerging as the latest battleground between writers and print publishers seeking to monetize online content. In this “reset” moment, writers need to be sure they set a fair precedent early on. By Derek Finkle October 2010 was a watershed month for e-books. That’s when Amazon announced that Kindle e-books had outsold hardcover […]
Finding Karla’s Paula Todd talks ebooks and the future of journalism
Paula Todd, the author of Finding Karla,
Signer beware: Libel clauses in some freelance contracts leave writers holding the bag
Clauses that make writers wholly responsible for defamatory language in magazine articles have been popping up in freelance contracts for a while now. Last fall, we mentioned that The Grid, owned by Torstar Corp., was distributing new freelance agreements with clauses that could leave writers exposed to counter-suits in the event a libel suit was […]
Profile of CBC’s Kirstine Stewart continues CWG’s nonfiction ebook series
All eyes are on the CBC after the federal government announced it would cut 10 per cent of its budget. It’s likely Kirstine Stewart, the broadcaster’s executive vice-president in charge of English programming, is feeling the weight of that gaze more than anyone else at the CBC. In a story that first appeared in Toronto […]
Canadian Writers Group launches ebook venture with Russell Smith’s Blindsided
In May last year, the Canadian Writers Group’s Derek Finkle was talking about the need for a long-form journalism platform in Canada similar to sites like Byliner and The Atavist operating in the U.S. This week, CWG launched a series of non-fiction ebooks with novelist and Globe columnist Russell Smith’s Blindsided, a story of about […]
Settlement reached between writer Patricia Pearson and Rogers Publishing
When freelancer Patricia Pearson wrote an article called “It’s Just Nuts” for Chatelaine in 2009, she probably didn’t think a dispute that followed from that piece would end more than two year later. But late last year Pearson — with the help of legal representation from the Canadian Media Guild and support from the Canadian […]
CWG negotiates new deal with Reader’s Digest
It doesn’t happen every day, so when writers make gains after negotiating with a publication, it’s a story worth sharing. Working with Reader’s Digest managing editor Derek Webster, Derek Finkle negotiated a new pay grid on behalf of writers represented by the Canadian Writers Group this fall. Shortly before Webster left the magazine in October, […]
