How to avoid editors’ pet peeves
By Monte Stewart The dreaded phone call usually comes when Mark Reid is right in the middle of doing something. “[After] 45 minutes,” said Reid, editor of Canada’s History magazine, “we’re still talking, because you don’t want to be impolite, and the conversation always ends with: ‘Okay, now, can you send me an email about […]
A refresher on indemnity and liability in contracts
by Don Genova One of my roles as Organizer for the Canadian Freelance Guild is to help members interpret and negotiate contracts they’re asked to sign for the work they are about to do. (Lesson One: Agree on the contract before you start doing the work.) With each contract I review, it’s almost a certainty […]
Review: Two books that will boost your storytelling skills
by Michael Strickland An increase in my pulse rate accompanies the uptick in my attention. I missed that the first time, in the fall of 2019. Now, less than a year later, I’m watching for the subtlest of changes. I sit up a little bit straighter, pajama-clad legs pushing against the familiar couch cushions, as […]
The Born Freelancer on Knowing When to Leave the Party
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. In my last column I wrote about using the current crisis as a catalyst for change by moving into freelancing. Today […]
People before protons: How to pitch a science story
by Monte Stewart Tim Lougheed has been guarding his secret for years. If he has his way, editors will never pry it out of him. “To other people, I will call myself a science writer,” he said. “If I’m selling a story, I will never use that term.” And Lougheed is adamant that he will […]
WEBINAR: Pitching for Success – Sell That Story!
You have the story. You know you can write it and deliver it. But how to get the editor’s attention—and a green light to proceed? CFG Founding Member Sandra Phinney will take you on a journey down the freelance “pitching for success” path in Pitching for Success – Sell That Story. This workshop will cover: today’s most […]
The Born Freelancer on Going from 9-to-5 to Freelance During a Crisis
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. Extreme conditions bring about extreme changes. In many cases, it is the only way to survive. Today I’d like to talk […]
The Born Freelancer Asks, How You Doin’
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. In my last column I talked about how, in many ways, freelancers are equipped for this crisis and its requirements (such as working […]
The Born Freelancer on the COVID-19 Crisis
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. It seems to me we freelancers are in a unique position during this crisis. Unique, in this case, being both good and bad. […]
The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #43 — Tom Hawthorn
by Monte Stewart Award-winning journalist Tom Hawthorn has spent most of his career as a freelancer. He is well-known for contributing obituaries to The Globe and Mail, but also writes about living people for other media outlets. During the 1990s, he served as a staff reporter with two daily newspapers. He has also authored a […]
