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: 

• No more waffling, big Canadian media [Craig Silverman]
• Despite print advertising woes, Torstar profit rises slightly [Globe and Mail] (via @jembradshaw)
• Magazine Project takes a look at the industry’s Past, Present and Future [Masthead]

 

From the U.S. and beyond:

• 8 Jedi Mind Tricks For Freelancers (And Star Wars Nerds) [Contently]
• 8 Myths About Freelancing You Need to Know Now [LinkedIn] (via @LuigiBenetton)
• 5 Powerful Writing Techniques That Bring Stories to Life [The Write Life] 
• Show them what you're worth! 4 ways to earn more as a freelance writer [Freelancers Union]
• Keeping your inner critic in check [Explore Create Repeat]
• Contently Launches A Nonprofit Arm To Do Investigative Journalism [Forbes] (via @NiemanLab)
• Writing no longer buys a champagne lifestyle [The Guardian] (via @twuc)
• Ask a Freelancer: How to Deal With Picky Editors [Contently]
• Here's An Easy Way To Improve Your Writing Immensely [Business Insider] (via @writersdotca)
• What if you doubled your rate?...Like right now? [Freelancers Union] 
• 90% of freelancers specialize to get more clients [Freelancers Union]
• An experienced freelancer's guide to finding clients [Lifehacker]

 

Last week on Story Board:

• The Born Freelancer on Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation: Several months ago I wrote about the new Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation, known as CASL, with which every freelancer who uses email or social media to communicate with clients or potential clients should be aware. Its penalties are severe enough to make anyone affected think twice about ignoring it; its language convoluted enough to make anyone in the highly paid legal profession jump for joy...
• The Professional 'Selfie'... is it time to invest?: As freelancers, we know that our work comes from the connections we build. Who you know is almost always as important as what you know. But however you manage to find your clients, the image you present online is extremely important.... 

 

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.