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: 

• National Post newsroom staff file to unionize [CWA Canada]
• Vice urges RCMP to drop demand for materials if accused terrorist long dead [J-Source]
• Journalism Jobs: September 20 [J-Source]
• Questions to ask yourself if you’re looking to write a book [Content Writers Group]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• Slay and Get Paid: How Introverts Can Kill It at Negotiating [Skillcrush]
• The Three Biggest Pitch Mistakes This Author Sees Every Day [The Write Life]
• Think Local, Write Global [Mediabistro]
• What I’ve learned in my first year as a freelance journalist [Medium]
• What to do when you hit freelancer burnout [Freelancers Union]
• How to Stop Getting Distracted While You Work [Megan Minns]
• How Your Flexibility is Actually Hurting Your Writing Career [The Write Life]
• Pitch Your Niche: Write What You Love, Love What You Write [Mediabistro]

Recently on Story Board:

• Call for interviews with freelance and contract media workers: Have you worked as a freelance or contract employee in digital journalism in Canada or the United States at any time between 2013 and 2017? Researcher Errol Salamon would like to hear about your experiences for a textbook on labour issues facing media workers in North America..
• The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #35 -- Geoff Dembicki: Geoff Dembicki got into journalism at a strange time. He graduated from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2008, when the financial crisis and other troubles were causing the folding and downsizing of newspapers around the world...

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.