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: 

• Instead of mourning local news, try paying for it [J-Source]
• How to Write a Good Pitch: Tips from the Editor of The Atlantic [Banff Centre]
• Less than half of Canada's prime-age workers kept a full time job for all of 2015 [Huffington Post]
• Call for entries: 41st National Magazine Awards [Magazine Awards]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• How to get late payments for your freelance work - no crowbar required [Poynter]
• 7 Secrets to Turning New Clients Into Repeat Customers [The Write Life]
• 10 tips for successful collaboration among journalists [Medium]
• 8 ways freelancers can stand out from competitors and get more clients [Freelancers Union]
• 7 Signs You Should Keep Writing as a Side Hustle [The Write Life]
• Spent: An innovative app for the gig economy [Forbes]

Recently on Story Board:

• National Writers Union pushes ahead with effort to get freelancers paid: The National Writers Union has been forging ahead this fall with a campaign to get a group of freelancers the $85,000 they say they are collectively owed by Ebony for work that has been published in the magazine...
• 2018 National Magazine Awards submissions open: Have you written a great piece of magazine journalism this year? If your publisher isn’t planning to enter it for a National Magazine Award, you should consider entering it yourself… and once again you’ll get a discount on your entry fees...

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.