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: 

• Five totally awesome (and free) resources for journalists [J-Source]
• Announcing the 2017 Dave Greber Freelance Writers Awards winners [Dave Greber Awards]
• Here are the journalism books and articles you won't find on your syllabus [J-Source]
• CWA Canada mourns former leader Arnold Amber [CWA Canada]
• How a small New Brunswick company built a client base in Toronto from a $15,000 home office [LinkedIn]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• 7 Social Media Tips For Writers Who Want to Get Noticed [The Write Life]
• Freelancers sue Ebony magazine, claiming $70,000 in unpaid work [Chicago Tribune]
• How to become your editor's MVP [Mediabistro]
• 5 Ways to Bounce Back When You Lose a Freelance-Writing Client [The Write Life]
• Gauging your options after a career setback [Freelancers Union]
• 25 Must-Read Books About Writing [The Write Life]

Recently on Story Board:

• Back to School - the ABC's of CBC Freelance Contracts: With the new broadcast season, more local and national programs, radio, TV or digital, will be engaging freelancers to provide material for their shows in the form of interviews (some with recordings, some not), documentaries, columns, photographs, and research or writing, especially for digital purposes...
• Webinar - Twitter for Journalists: With over 328 million active users and over 500 million tweets published each day, Twitter has become a critical business tool. Yet many individuals and businesses still struggle to find ways to integrate Twitter into their marketing strategy...
• The Born Freelancer on Getting Names Right: Names possess almost magical power unlike any other words. Used correctly, they can help foster confidence, trust, empathy and credibility. Incorrect use can be catastrophic. Remembering and getting names right is a necessary facility for any professional 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.