2017 Dave Greber Freelance Writers Awards open for submissions

March 14, 2017 Editor News awardsdave greber freelance writers awardsfreelance awards

After taking a break in 2016, the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Awards are back this year. Submissions for the 2017 awards opened this week.

Created in 2004 in the memory of freelance writer Dave Greber, the awards are given to writers of social justice-related non-fiction. There are two awards — one for books and one for magazines. The book award is for $5000 and the magazine award is for $2000. Work that has not yet been completed for publication is also eligible for submission.

Applicants must be residents of Canada and spend 70% of their working time as self-employed freelance writers in order to be eligible for the awards.

The closing date for submissions is Friday June 16, 2017 at 5:00 P.M. PST.

Check out the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Awards submission guidelines for more information or to submit your work for an award.

Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Mar 7-13

March 13, 2017 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: Postmedia plans to lay-off 54 staff at Vancouver Sun and The Province [J-Source] Postmedia cuts non-unionized staff benefits [J-Source] Journalist…

Freelance Finance: By the hour, or by the word?

March 10, 2017 Editor Advice advicefreelance compensationgetting paid

by Steven ThrendyleRecently, a Vancouver-based company called Grizzly Coast Media created a bit of a stir online when it started posting jobs for freelancers that paid $50 for anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 words per story. If you take five hours to write 1500 words, you’re making $10 an hour. In Vancouver, where the typical one bedroom apartment…

Webinar: Storytelling for brands

March 09, 2017 Editor Event eventstorytellingwebinar

Brand storytelling can be a lucrative industry for freelancers. Now, more than ever, brands are seeking the advice of artists (writers, podcasters, graphic designers, photographers) to help tell their stories in ways that authentically connect. The next in our series of professional development webinars will help you find success in this field. …

Off the Page, with journalist Simon Diotte

March 08, 2017 Editor Journalism freelancer q&aoff the pagesimon diotte

Off the Page is an interview series featuring National Magazine Award winners. This week we’re chatting with Montreal writer and editor Simon Diotte. He gained recognition for his 2016 National Magazine Award-winning travel story “Sur les traces d’un écrivain voyageur” (“In the Footsteps of a Travel Writer”) published in Oxygène,…

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March 06, 2017 Editor News newsoff the wire

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March 02, 2017 Editor News e-lancer writesfreelance compensationfreelance lifenational council for the training of journalistsnuj

This post is the eleventh in a series called “E-Lancer Writes,” exploring the working conditions, rights and collective organizing strategies of freelance journalists, interns and other low-wage or temporary digital media workers.By Errol SalamonNew data confirm that the number of freelance journalists has increased across the UK since 2000 and…

Freelancers’ social night in Vancouver March 7

February 28, 2017 Editor Event eventfreelance meet-upfreelance mixer

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Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Feb 21-27

February 27, 2017 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: Canadian journalists can learn a lot from the US media’s Trump coverage [J-Source] Magazine freelancers say Edmonton publisher too slow to pay…

Off the Page, with investigative journalist Virgil Grandfield

February 23, 2017 Editor Journalism freelancer q&anational magazine awardsoff the pagevirgil grandfield

Off the Page is a regular interview series featuring National Magazine Award winners. In this interview we chat with freelance journalist Virgil Grandfield, who won the 2016 National Magazine Award for Investigative Reporting.In his award-winning investigative story “The Cage” (Eighteen Bridges) Virgil Grandfield describes one particular day of…