Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Feb 11-17

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:

• Writing resources roundup [PWAC Toronto]
• The Business of Freelance Writing: The Query Letter [Paul Lima]
• Top ten checklist for contracting freelance writing [Michelle Greysen]
• Canadians aren’t ready to scrap the CBC: poll [iPolitics]
• What Postmedia’s torching of its parliamentary bureau means for the future of investigative reporting on the Hill [J-Source]

From the U.S. and beyond:

• Philip Hensher stirs debate among authors after refusing to write for free [Guardian] (via @paythewriter)
• Bigger Clients Have Bigger Budgets: A Freelance Writing Myth [All Indie Writers] (via @freelance_hacks)
• 6 Ways to Make Life as a Freelance Writer Less Lonely [The Write Life] (via @freelancersu)
• The Rise of the Freelancer: Stats [Ecoconsultancy] (via @Mediabistro)
• 7 Things To Know About Freelancing Before Quitting Your Job [Forbes] (via @freelance_hacks)
• Personal branding tips for freelancers [Freelancers Union]
• Top 5 Content Management Systems for Freelancers [onextrapixel] (via @freelance_hacks)
• 6 Reasons to Embrace Procrastination [Fast Company]

This week on Story Board:

• Do What You Love? Value Your Work.: Happy Valentine’s Day, freelancers! On this day of homage to all things amorous, let’s take a minute to think about love of our work. There was a brilliant article in Jacobin Magazine last month that scrutinized the popular mantra ”Do What You Love” — advice that’s been offered to job seekers by everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Steve Jobs…
• The Born Freelancer on Email Self-Marketing: I still use old-school email to promote myself to potential new clients as well as for keeping in touch with select past clients. They appear as friendly, newsy “updates” but of course their real purpose is to facilitate future work…
• Freelance Friday #1, Storified: Last Friday was the CMG’s first Freelance Friday workshop in Toronto. It focused on taxes for freelancers and featured a presentation from the dynamic Sunny Widerman, tax preparer and advisor at Personal Tax Advisors in Toronto…

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.