Yes, we are worthy: making it in the freelance world

September 06, 2013 Editor Event compensationeventfreelance life

Hey you lucky, lucky Toronto freelancers, there's another great event coming up for you in September.

Yes, we are worthy: making it in the freelance world will be an evening of discussion with bestselling author Ann Douglas (writer of the popular Story Board post "Why I Am No Longer Writing The Column I Loved for The Toronto Star") and Nicole Cohen, an assistant professor and researcher of cultural work and media labour.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, 24 September 2013 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Hart House on the U of T campus. It's co-sponsored by the Canadian Media Guild, Cultural Workers Organize and the Canadian Writers Group.

Discussion topics will range from compensation to finding freelance opportunities to the benefits of finding a freelance network.

Refreshments will be served and tickets are free. But space is limited, so register here if you'd like to attend.

Freelancers outside of Toronto: don't despair. We'll post highlights from the event here on Story Board soon afterwards.

Links roundup! Image resources for bloggers

September 05, 2013 Editor Advice bloggingcreative commonsimagesphotographypublic domain

[caption id="attachment_7298" align="alignright" width="280"] Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net[/caption]If you have a blog -- and there are some who think that all freelance writers, authors and journalists should -- you might have an image problem. Specifically, unless you're a photographer, it can be hard to find decent pictures to…

The Born Freelancer on Playing the Long Game

August 30, 2013 Editor Advice adviceborn freelancerfreelance life

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? Your input is welcome in the comments. A freelance colleague of mine recently told me that he was sitting on what might be the biggest story of his career. So, I asked, why had…

Canadian Intern Association holds first Vancouver meeting

August 28, 2013 Editor Event canadian intern associationcompensationeventgetting paidinternships

The Canadian Intern Association is holding its first Vancouver meeting tonight at the Firehall Branch of the public library.The Association was founded last year by University of Ottawa law student Claire Seaborn, who noticed a dearth of advocacy groups to address the growing problem of illegal unpaid internships. Over the past year, the group…

Freelancers and crowdfunding

August 23, 2013 Editor Compensation crowdfundingjournalismsuccess stories

We all know how tough a career in journalism has become over the past few years. Newspapers are in poor shape, many magazines are struggling, and CBC has been hit with budget cut after budget cut. This week, J-Source took a close look at how all of this affects freelancers, with a post on the challenges faced by freelance investigative…

Toronto Freelance Survival seminar set for September 25

August 21, 2013 Editor Event cmgeventfreelance survival series

Freelancers in Toronto and surrounding areas take note: there's a day-long seminar approaching that's designed to help you make the most of your skills and talents.The Freelance Survival Series is scheduled for Wednesday September 25th from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Lillian H. Smith Public Library in Toronto. The event,…

Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer August 7-12

August 12, 2013 Editor News newsoff the wire

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: Northern newspapers are surviving -- and some thriving -- in the Internet Age [J-Source] Student newspapers adapt to drop in…

The Born Freelancer on Remaking Radio Drama in Canada, Part 1

August 09, 2013 Editor Advice adviceborn freelancerradio drama

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? Your input is welcome in the comments. As a followup to my previous post about "The Rebirth of Radio Drama in Canada", freelance writer and former CBC Radio drama and…

The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #11 - Erin Millar

August 08, 2013 Editor Advice 5-minute freelanceradvicefreelance lifefreelancer q&a

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. 1. What’s the most important thing you’ve done over the years to develop your skills as a writer? I don’t have any particular moment... but just writing a…

Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer July 30-August 6

August 06, 2013 Editor News newsoff the wire

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: Carleton launches crowdfunding campaign to build J-Source/ProjetJ office [J-Source] CBC meteorologist breaks Guinness World Record for…