2018 Public Lending Right Program registration open February 15 to May 1

February 15, 2018 Editor News advicefreelance compensationplrpublic lending right program

Canadian authors, illustrators and photographers with published books should invest some time over the next few weeks to register for the Public Lending Right Program. The program is a Canada Council for the Arts program that distributes payments to Canadian creators in compensation for the lending out of their books through Canadian public libraries.

This year's registration period runs from February 15 to May 1. In order to register, you'll need to fill out and mail in a signed registration form along with photocopies of the title page, copyright page and table of contents of the book or books you've contributed to. It's worth taking the time to do the paperwork -- the average payment to authors last year was $563.

For details on eligibility criteria or the application process, see the Public Lending Right Program's website.

Urban Worker Project Skillshare in Vancouver March 1

February 14, 2018 Editor Event eventfreelance contractsfreelance financesskillshareurban worker project

Vancouver freelancers and independent creative workers, mark your calendars for an Urban Worker Project Skillshare on March 1.This day-long event will feature workshops and roundtables that will help independent workers develop the skills they need to build successful businesses and thrive in the changing world of work.The Skillshare is scheduled…

CMG Freelance members get access to free photography training through KelbyOne

January 31, 2018 Editor News cmgfreelancekelbyonelynda.comprofessional development

Are you a professional photographer in need of a skills upgrade? Or would you like to improve your photography abilities in order to diversify your freelance business?One of the benefits of membership in CMG Freelance is access to the online training platform KelbyOne, which has over 700 training modules on photography, Photoshop and Lightroom.CMG…

Winter Media Mixer February 13 in Toronto

January 25, 2018 Editor Event cwa canadaeventfreelance media mixermedia mixer

Toronto-area media students and freelancers, you're invited to a free mixer on Tuesday, February 13 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Watson's (388 Richmond St W).Enjoy free snacks and drinks as you make connections with your colleagues working in the media. There will be mentors from several media outlets in attendance, including VICE, CBC, Corus…

Webinar: Reporting on Labour Issues with Sara Mojtehedzadeh

January 12, 2018 Editor Event cmg freelancelabour reportingwebinar

When Toronto Star reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh went undercover on the croissant production line in a Toronto factory, she learned firsthand what workers were experiencing."I was really conscious of keeping up with the pace of production and not losing my job and doing things right and making sure I didn't get fired," she told Story Board during a…

The Born Freelancer on Making New Year’s Resolutions

January 10, 2018 Editor Advice adviceborn freelancerfreelance lifefreelance resolutionsnew year's resolutions

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? We'd love to hear from you in the comments. The trouble with most New Year's resolutions is that they are almost always doomed. They are unrealistic and wholly out of character. And of…

National Writers Union takes action against Nautilus Magazine for non-payment of freelancers

December 14, 2017 Editor News freelance compensationnational writers unionnon-paymenttrouble spots

The National Writers Union is taking action this week against U.S. science magazine Nautilus for non-payment of freelance writers. Nineteen writers say they are collectively owed $50,000 by the magazine. Some say they have been waiting for payment for over a year.The NWU, an American trade union that represents freelance writers, published an open…

Freelance journalists needed for research study

December 12, 2017 Editor News freelance research projectryerson

If you've been working as a freelance journalist for 5 years or less -- or if you graduated from a Canadian journalism school in the last 5 years -- you may be eligible to participate in a research study being carried out at Ryerson University. The study is looking at both freelance journalists who have completed journalism school and emerging…

National Writers Union pushes ahead with effort to get freelancers paid

December 07, 2017 Editor News #ebonyowesfreelance compensationnational writers unionnon-paymenttrouble spots

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.Thirty-eight freelancers filed a lawsuit against Ebony in September along with the NWU, an American trade union that represents…

The Born Freelancer on Drawing a Line in the Sand

November 30, 2017 Editor Advice adviceborn freelancerfreelance contractsnegotiatingthe born freelancer

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? We'd love to hear from you in the comments.Sooner or later it will happen.Every working freelancer will eventually confront employer demands so egregious, so patently unfair, that they…