Off the Wire: April 2025
We’re revitalizing our series, Off the Wire. Here, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus. Who needs a water cooler?
As the election unfolds, so too does the landscape of freelance and media work in Canada. This month, we’re tracking major developments that impact independent workers—from sweeping tax reporting changes and new gig economy legislation to media layoffs and the closure of community newspapers.
With freelance participation on the rise and regulations tightening, it’s more important than ever to stay informed. Here are the latest stories shaping the future of freelancing and media in Canada.
Freelancing stories from around the web
- Nearly 700,000 Canadians engage in gig work through digital platforms in 2024 [News Minimalist]
- Canada’s gig economy: How some workers are responding to stricter tax requirements [CP24]
- How to Start Freelancing Trends in Canada 2025: A Look into the Future of WorkFreelancing in Canada: Detailed Guide on Steps & Legal Requirements [Freel]
- Bell Media eliminates 98 jobs, mostly in ‘service and corporate departments’ [Canadian Press]
- 3 Metro Vancouver community news outlets to close as parent company cites ‘financial challenges’ [CBC]
Recently published on Story Board
- Eight ways to keep things simple for freelance writers by Julie Barlow: Over three decades as self-employed writers, we have realized that simplifying things is key to keeping our business running smoothly. These eight ideas will help you avoid headaches and keep on top of your ever-growing list of tasks.
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to robyn@robynroste.com.
Eight ways to keep things simple for freelance writers
This article about keeping things simple for freelance writers is by Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau, the authors of Going Solo: Everything You Need to Start Your Business and Succeed as Your Own Boss. Prize-winning authors and journalists, the pair have been running a freelance writing business for over three decades.
Managing a small business means wearing many professional hats. In addition to writing, you are your own sales manager, publicist, contract negotiator, accounts receivable manager, bookkeeper, accountant, president, IT department and more.
Multitasking can become overwhelming. But while some of the challenges writers face—like writer’s block and tough editors—are unique, self-employed writers grapple with many of the same problems common to all freelance workers.
Eight ways to keep things simple for freelance writers
Over three decades as self-employed writers, we have realized that simplifying things is key to keeping our business running smoothly. These eight ideas will help you avoid headaches and keep on top of your ever-growing list of tasks.
Shut the door
It’s amazing how many self-employed workers work in areas of heavy traffic at home. During the pandemic we watched in horror as our editors set up shop on kitchen tables. Self-employed writers need a room with a door that they can shut. It’s more important than having a fancy office, and the only way to make your home office peaceful and productive.
Use folders
We’re not talking about paper folders (although we still do use those). Folders can be digital or physical. We all need these “boxes” to store things, not just bills and receipts, but ideas, reflections, and resources. In our business of creating ideas, we use folders to store newspaper articles, notes about books we want to read, notes on books we have read, but also people we want to meet, events and workshops we want to attend, notes from meetings, and more. Folders make information handy and easy to locate.
File every day
Whether notes or bills or receipts, freelancers should always take a little time out of their day to file. Self-employed workers who don’t do this feel the pain when tax time rolls around. Filing is a fundamental freelance skill, the key to having peace of mind and being productive. To avoid a messy mountain of receipts, bills and deductible expenses, make filing part of your routine and do a little every day.
Clean out your client list
For most small businesses, finding new clients is the name of the game. But for writers, dispensing with bad clients can be just as important. Does a client take you for granted? Ask for special favours, “as a friend”? Pay too slowly? Every small business owner should do some occasional house clearing and purge customers who make life complicated or don’t deserve your business.
Pick one social media platform
There is no easier way to fritter away valuable time than by going down too many social media rabbit holes. With newer, sharper, more interesting platforms popping up all the time, it’s tempting to jump on board. Most social media experts today recommend you concentrate on one (or two) platforms that work.
Hire a freelance IT specialist
If there’s one person who truly helps us breath easier, it’s our computer technician (who is also self-employed). He is the IT department we don’t get as self-employed workers. He assesses our IT needs, recommends tools, delivers hardware to our door, and is on call when our computers break down—or are stolen. When that happened recently, he helped find a replacement and untangle the mess of lost passwords for us in a snap. We don’t need him every day, but he’s always there when disaster strikes.
Get an external webmaster
There is nothing more terrifying and potentially disastrous than a website hack. We pay a modest monthly fee to a skilled and reliable webmaster who solves glitches and answers questions in a snap. He costs less than a housekeeper and helps us avoid serious headaches in the complex world of computer security. Google and YouTube are no substitute for an experienced security professional.
Don’t forget your purpose
This might be the most crucial advice of all. In the thousands of decisions that you make as a small business owner, staying focused on what you really want to do is the most important. Having a clear purpose—defining your goals and interests—is like a compass that guides your decisions and makes managing your business much so much simpler.
Off the Wire: March 2025
We’re revitalizing our series, Off the Wire. Here, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus. Who needs a water cooler?
New regulations and industry shifts in Canada are shaping how independent workers operate. From tax reporting changes affecting gig workers to emerging trends in freelance work, staying informed is essential to business success. This month, we’ve rounded up key articles that highlight the latest developments, including new tax rules for digital platform workers, insights into how Canadian gig workers are responding to these changes, and what the future holds for freelancers in 2025.
Freelancing stories from around the web
- How Canada’s Gig Worker Law Is Reshaping Business Compliance [People2.0]
- Canada: Job Gains Fizzle Ahead of Tariff Troubles [Desjardins]
- Around a third (30%) of Canadian gig workers didn’t plan to report all gig income this tax season; 71% had change-of-heart upon learning about new rules mandating gig platforms to share users’ earnings with CRA, reveals new H&R Block Canada survey [Cision]
- Latest Freelance Statistics 2025 – Industry Size & Trends [DemandSage]
Recently published on Story Board
- 16 ways to say no as a freelance writer (and why you would need to) by Julie Barlow: All successful self-employed creators know: sometimes you have push back. It’s a big ask for beginners trying to build a client list. But if the price is wrong, conditions are less than ideal, or timing is off, saying “no” to an assignment or contract can make a sale—on your terms
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to robyn@robynroste.com.
Webinar: Contracts and Negotiations for Freelancers
“The Devil is in the details!” That describes the importance that successful negotiations play in getting contracts that are comprehensible, unambiguous, and mutually beneficial.
That’s the ideal. Reality is often far off the mark.
Our panelists have been negotiating and focusing on the fine print for decades.
Our Presenters
- Don Genova
- donalee Moulton
- Paul McLaughlin
Come prepared to pick their brains for tips and tricks to help you from being robbed by the stroke of a pen.
CFG Experts Panel – Finding And Getting Grants
- Online: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
- 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time
- $10 for CFG members; $15 for affiliate organizations; $25 for members of the general public
You can register for this webinar right here.
Learn more about the cost and benefits of membership in the CFG on this webpage.
The link to the Zoom webinar will be sent to you via email about half an hour before the start time.
Please check your spam or junk folders if you can’t find the email, and contact organizer@canadianfreelanceguild.ca if you haven’t received the link 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. This webinar will be recorded and posted to the CFG Video-On-Demand site. Once posted, all paid registrants will receive a link and instructions on how to view.
16 ways to say no as a freelance writer (and why you would need to)
This article about ways to say no is by Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau, authors of Going Solo: Everything You Need to Start Your Business and Succeed as Your Own Boss.
Why would any freelancer ever want to say “no”?
All successful self-employed creators know: sometimes you have push back. It’s a big ask for beginners trying to build a client list. But if the price is wrong, conditions are less than ideal, or timing is off, saying “no” to an assignment or contract can make a sale—on your terms.
As self-employed writers who have been negotiating contracts for over three decades, we have come up with 16 ways to say no without closing the door.
16 ways to say no
- I don’t have time
- This is not my specialty/I don’t do this type of work
- I don’t understand the order
- The order is not realistic
- The project is not interesting enough/I’m not interested
- The deadline is too short
- The deadline is too long
- The job doesn’t pay enough
- The job involves more work than I’m being paid for
- The terms are not good
- There were problems with the last order
- My partner won’t let me work at that price
- The expenses are too high for me
- I know of three other buyers/sellers who would be interested
- I can’t start working on it until next month
- And, finally, the bomb: I don’t like the way you are treating me
You’ll notice each “no” on the list invites a counteroffer. You are not closing the door, just asking for a higher fee or better conditions.
But before you decide which No to use, there are a few things to consider.
Be ready to explain why you’re saying no
No matter how you say no, you must be able to back it up. The more specific you are, the better. For example, we explain to some clients that we have minimum rates and won’t take on any work for less.
Make sure it’s the right no
If the previous job for a client didn’t go well or a customer isn’t paying enough, it won’t help to say their order is too small, or you don’t have time. You might end up with a bigger order that you have to deliver to an unreliable customer. It’s better to be honest from the outset.
Expand if there are several nos
There could be more than one problem with an offer from a client. If that’s the case, make sure you spell them all out from the outset. If you keep coming up with new reasons to say No as negotiations go along, you will lose credibility.
Make sure the conditions are right for you
Sometimes the conditions for saying no are just not there. If you are financially tight or don’t have much work, you might not be able to turn down a specific project. If you are just starting out in your field, you may not have the reputation you need to do the kind of work you want. So be realistic in your negotiations. Just don’t shy away from having frank discussions with clients and pushing back. This will let you figure out how much the client is willing to buy, how much they are willing to pay, what their other options are and how quickly they need your project or service—all factors that could push up your price.
Stick to your guns
Jean-Benoît once refused a writing project with a friend because the conditions were all wrong: the idea wasn’t very good, and the deadline was impossible. The friend responded by pushing Jean-Benoît even harder, saying “I’ll be stuck if you don’t do it,” and “you’re the only person who can do it.” Jean-Benoît relented. He regretted it. Everything went wrong and the project ended up taking too much of his valuable time. Jean-Benoît should have heeded his instinct and stuck to his hard no.
Sometimes the answer is “yes”
When you start out, you will probably end up saying yes to terms that you know are not ideal. That’s normal. There’s a price to pay for building your reputation. But you shouldn’t say “yes” without at trying to turn things to your advantage first. Go back through the list of “nos” and see if there’s one that fits the circumstances. And don’t forget, there are better offers out there, things will get easier, and knowing your nos will make you a better negotiator.
Off the Wire: February 2025
We’re revitalizing our series, Off the Wire. Here, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus. Who needs a water cooler?
Freelancing stories from around the web
- Canadian news publishers sue OpenAI over alleged copyright infringement [AP]
- Freelance Trends 2025 [Freelancer Club]
- These Writing Trends Are Reshaping Freelance Success [Freelance Writing Canada]
- The Rise of Gig Economy Work in Canada | Freelance & Contract Jobs [Kassen Recruitment]
- Freelancing Trends, Market Size & Statistics for 2025 [ClientManager]
- The Future of Freelancing: Trends to Watch in 2025 [Freelance.ca]
Recently published on Story Board
- 4 Pitch Templates for Freelance Writers by Robyn Roste: Learn what makes a good pitch, how to pitch, and grab four pitch templates to get started
- Forget time, try these 3 tips for working on energy management by Suzanne Bowness: With New Year’s Resolutions solidly in the rear-view mirror, consider adding “energy management” to your goals list instead
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to robyn@robynroste.com.
Webinar: Finding And Getting Grants
We have three panelists who’ve been down the grants path more than a few times, and are ready to share their deep and extensive expertise.
Our Presenters
- Michelle Muir—Proposal Specialist
- Virginia (Ginny) McGowan, PhD—Writer/Researcher/Entrepreneur
- Kelly Henderson—Grant Writer
We do our best to answer as many questions as possible.
Take advantage of decades of experience to learn about this potentially important income stream for you, and for your clients.
CFG Experts Panel – Finding And Getting Grants
- Online: Tuesday, March 4, 2025
- 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time
- $10 for CFG members and affiliate organizations; $25 for members of the general public
You can register for this webinar right here.
Learn more about the cost and benefits of membership in the CFG on this webpage.
The link to the Zoom webinar will be sent to you via email about half an hour before the start time.
Please check your spam or junk folders if you can’t find the email, and contact organizer@canadianfreelanceguild.ca if you haven’t received the link 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. This webinar will be recorded and posted to the CFG Video-On-Demand site. Once posted, all paid registrants will receive a link and instructions on how to view.
4 Pitch Templates for Freelance Writers
by Robyn Roste
Although pitching isn’t the only way freelancers find paid work, it’s an important skill to master.
As much as I’ve tried to avoid it over the years, pitching in some way, shape or form is a large component of my freelance business and something I need to continually practice and improve at.
Industry lingo
Pitches, also called queries, are used most-often in journalism and refer to specific story ideas for an individual publication. The freelancer crafts a pitch, which includes a headline, a brief outline and the scope or source ideas if necessary. If the freelancer is unknown to the editor, the pitch also includes samples related to the beat they’re pitching or the writer’s experience.
However, for business writing, copywriting, content marketing and other types of freelance writing, letters of inquiry are more common. This is because writers in these situations are pitching themselves and what they can do for the company, organization or trade magazine on a freelance basis. Rather than sending one-off story ideas, these freelancers look to build relationships with editors and marketing managers as they tend to assign work rather than accept story pitches.
Regardless of whether it’s a journalism story or a copywriting gig, pitching your story or yourself is both an art and a science mixed with a bit of good timing.
What makes a good pitch?
Webinar: It’s Tax Time For Freelancers
What’s changed? What qualifies for expenses? How can you get through this without setting your hair on fire?
Our Presenters
- Sandy Yang is a well-known personal financial writer
- Dr. Nadine Robinson started her career teaching accouning
Come with your questions and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.
CFG Experts Panel – It’s Tax Time For Freelancers
- Online: Thursday, February 6, 2025
- 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time
- $10 for CFG members and affiliate organizations; $25 for members of the general public
You can register for this webinar right here.
Learn more about the cost and benefits of membership in the CFG on this webpage.
The link to the Zoom webinar will be sent to you via email about half an hour before the start time.
Please check your spam or junk folders if you can’t find the email, and contact organizer@canadianfreelanceguild.ca if you haven’t received the link 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. This webinar will be recorded and posted to the CFG Video-On-Demand site. Once posted, all paid registrants will receive a link and instructions on how to view.
Webinar: Author Michelle Waitzman and Be as Happy as Your Dog
If you’ve ever envied your dog’s seemingly ideal life, you’re in luck. In her new book, Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology, author Michelle Waitzman shows how we can capture dogs’ joyfulness and their ability to make the most of every day.
Waitzman brings together the latest research on dog behaviour and the leading psychological experts in the growing field of positive psychology to explain how we can ramp up our happiness and make it last by adopting a more dog-like attitude.
All About Canadian Books host Crystal Fletcher talks to Michelle about what drove her to write her book, and how she took it from concept to reality.
Our Presenters
- Crystal Fletcher, president of All About Canadian Books (AACB)
- Michelle Waitzman, author of Be as Happy as Your Dog
CFG Books and AACB Present: Author Michelle Waitzman and ‘Be as Happy as Your Dog’
- Online: Thursday, January 30, 2025
- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time
- Free for CFG members; $5 for members of the general public
You can register for this webinar right here.
Learn more about the cost and benefits of membership in the CFG on this webpage.
The link to the Zoom webinar will be sent to you via email about half an hour before the start time.
Please check your spam or junk folders if you can’t find the email, and contact organizer@canadianfreelanceguild.ca if you haven’t received the link 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. This webinar will be recorded and posted to the CFG Video-On-Demand site. Once posted, all paid registrants will receive a link and instructions on how to view.
