Count coffee as a food group? Yep, you’re a journalist

December 12, 2011 Editor Bit of fun checklistsfreelance lifejournalism

Your Monday laugh comes courtesy of Chris Ortiz, creator/editor of Stuff Journalists Like. While judges in Oregon might disagree with his 20-item "Checklist for being a 'real' journalist," we think it hits the nail on the head. Some of our favourite "signs":

Corrected a loved one’s grammar in a greeting card
Forgotten what it’s like to have the weekend off
Learned that being told to “fuck off “ and “go to hell” is part of the job
You think it’s normal to work 16 hours a day for 8 hours pay
Have conducted a phone interview while completely naked

Read the full checklist here. Are there any other "signs" you would add to the list?

Hat tip to Jim Romenesko.

Blogger must pay $2.5 million after judge decides she’s not a journalist

December 09, 2011 Editor Journalism anonymous sourcesbloggingjournalismlibelshield lawstrouble spotswigmore test

Freelancers, here's something to consider. If you're not affiliated with a particular publication, are you still a journalist? If you self-publish investigative pieces, or really anything that could be deemed defamatory, are you protected by the law?Crystal Cox, a Portland-based writer, is the target of a lawsuit from Obsidian Finance Group,…

Dealing with gig loss: The Born Freelancer’s 10-step program

December 08, 2011 Editor Advice adviceborn freelancerfreelance lifehealthnetworkingworkflow

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.Getting that first gig is perhaps the novice freelancer's hardest obstacle to overcome. But the endless hours of toil, of self-doubt and of worry…

Call for submissions: Short fiction and artwork for a revenue-sharing publication

December 07, 2011 Editor Compensation anthologiesfictionpitchingrevenue sharingshort storiesvisual artistszenfri

If you're a freelancer who writes short fiction or creates visual art, or if you're interested in unique revenue steams, here's something to consider. ZenFri, a company based out of Winnipeg, is looking for short stories and artwork for their upcoming anthology, Warpaint. Interested writers and artists can consult the submission guidelines for…

A “brave” experiment: Brunswick News puts faith in pay wall

December 05, 2011 Editor Journalism brunswick newsdigitalnewspaperspay walls

Brunswick News, owner of nearly all of New Brunswick's print newspapers, is going to start charging readers to access its content online.The Chronicle Herald's Brett Bundale reported on Friday that the company would activate a "hard" pay wall on its online newspaper editions today. Brunswick News owns 10 French-language weeklies, six…

Digital publications now eligible in most National Magazine Award categories

December 02, 2011 Editor News awardsdigitalnational magazine award foundationnational magazine awardspublishing

The National Magazine Award Foundation opened up the submission process for its 2011 awards yesterday and also announced that this year digital publications can apply to nearly every category.Digital publications can now submit work for consideration in a number of visual and integrated categories, in addition to the written categories that were…

Tumblring toward success

December 01, 2011 Editor Advice advicebloggingsocial mediasocial networkingtumblr

Should I be using Tumblr?It's the question freelancers ask themselves every time they come across another social network or media platform and read that ______ is the new Twitter, or _______ is the best way to find sources, to find out about new gigs, or to reach out to readers. It's tempting to jump right in and try out this hot new thing. There…

Forget about 15 minutes—Canadian visual artists want their five per cent

November 29, 2011 Editor Compensation bill c-11carfacfreelance contractsgetting paidroyaltiestrouble spotsvisual artists

Imagine if, to sell your writing or other media work, you had to give up all re-sale rights, knowing full well that the person you were selling it to would earn far more than you had because of their access to a wider market. If what you're producing is one-of-a-kind, nearly impossible to re-create, and took years of work, it's a maddening…

Do you whistle while you work?

November 28, 2011 Editor Bit of fun freelance lifemusicwork from home

One of the perks of working from home is having more control over your work environment. Sure, there may be other people sharing your space, and the next-door neighbour's barking dog might be a bother from time to time, but for the most part, you are the master of your work space. Want to work in a semi-dark room? Sure! Want to spread your research…

Gifts that keep on giving: the Born Freelancer’s tips on testimonials

November 24, 2011 Editor Advice adviceborn freelancerfreelance lifelinkedinmarketing yourselfnetworkingtestimonials

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.I was looking at some impressive freelancer websites the other day and noticed a common element on the sites that were the most effective at selling…