With the onset of social media, the public relations profession is experiencing unprecedented change, but the ability to write well remains essential for success. In fact, PR consultants can spend up to 70% of their day writing communications...
You’re already a writer, so you know what to do with words. But what you may not know is how to use keyword-rich phrases to your greatest advantage when you’re writing online. Feeling a little intimidated? You’re not alone. But...
Narrative non-fiction—also called literary journalism or creative non-fiction—are sexy new names for a genre that’s been around as long as the Bible. In fact, the Bible is a good example of the genre. There are some great...
What are white papers? And why should freelancers write them? This brief excerpt from my upcoming e-book sketches in answers to half a dozen key questions about this exciting market.
1: What is a white paper?
A white paper is a...
I’d say it was about 20 minutes.
That’s how long it took me to negotiate a series of assignments for the website of a Canadian magazine at MagNet...
In our hectic lives, it can be easy to dismiss volunteerism as a feel-good luxury for those mythical, alien creatures we call “people with free time.” When juggling career, family, social life and assorted other life commitments, the...
You could say that no fields have changed our lives more than health and science. Every day, there are numerous reports about breakthroughs and discoveries that affect the world at large and our personal well-being.
There will always be an...
This may seem like a story about cold calling, but it’s also a story of facing rejection and finding new friends.
A long-time freelancer, I had taken a few months away from my regular business to finish a major project. On my return...
Many people believe freelance writers serve only periodicals—magazines, newspapers and various online publications. What might not be as obvious to them is who provides the words they read in bank brochures, on company websites and in the...
In today’s “me” society, everyone wants to write about number one—think blogs and Facebook. What about the professional writer who wants to write something personal and get paid for it? Memoir books are popular, but maybe...
I want to tell you how long I've been writing for corporate clients, but that might give away my age and make you wonder if I should still be wearing skirts that don’t cover my knees.
So let me just say that I’ve spent roughly...
I believe in the power of the written word to inform people, to touch their lives, and to change their world. If you’re a journalist, you probably believe in this power, too. Writing for some of...
If you’re flourishing as a non-fiction writer—you’re skilled at conducting research and interviews, you’re reliably meeting deadlines and expectations, and you’re organizing information, opinion or service into...
Putting a smile on people’s faces can be a great way to engage them in your writing. I tend to write funny because I see the world as a funny place. (One of my favorite moments was when my father, after reading a few of my horror stories,...
I sometimes try to decide if I’m more of a writer or an editor at heart—but trying to figure that out is like the clichéd chicken or egg riddle. I belong to both PWAC and EAC. My official title at the magazine I work for is editor,...
I was expecting a mid-January lull in new assignments, but it was not to be: within days of arriving home from holidays, I had requests to improve a faculty website, produce a conference fact sheet, ghostwrite an article for a...
Stress-free productivity: You can do lots of things to approach it, but let me suggest one that you might not have thought about.
Empty your e-mail inbox.
Why? Because you’re using it as a calendar, contact list, task list,...
How do you define success? For freelance writers, it can be measured in many ways: More freedom, perhaps, or the chance to chart your own career course. That may be all the success you need.
But when it comes to cold, hard cash, so many...
The holiday season is over and now it’s time to go back to work.
While no one, with the possible exception of the Mayans, can predict how 2012 will unfold, there are ways to make sure your year starts off well.
Attitude is key:...
December marks an important and happy anniversary for me—although at one time, I wasn’t so sure. One year ago, I was downsized out of a job. It’s a familiar story to many in these troubled economic times, and one that carries...
Writers are all over the map when it comes to blogging, and this is understandable: as a new platform for communication, its value has yet to be convincingly proven. Blogging is a brave new world, a frontier, and those who have forged ahead have...
Google’s new social media platform, Google+, launched this past summer, is one of the tools you can employ as a writer - to get known, get remembered, and build your business.
Think of Google+ as a venue to publish your writing, to...
Hate to speak in public? Sorry, but you can’t afford not to. Speaking in public is like networking on steroids, because every time you speak to a group, you become the expert, the go-to person. Think about what that can do for your business...
When I started my freelance writing career, I did not make much money for the first couple of years. My writing income increased each year over those first few years, but it was a slow climb. In the meantime, I had rent to pay, food to buy and, I...
Do you attend conferences and live events?
As a writer, learning how to network effectively will help you get more writing jobs. Live events are ideal, because you can learn more about someone in a few minutes than you can after months of...
I’m a writer who also works on the other side of the desk—I started my career by working at magazines, and I still edit as a freelancer. My role varies depending on the project. Sometimes, it’s my job to consider queries from...
It’s often said that volunteering is about “giving back”, but as a volunteer on the PWAC Toronto Chapter board since 2005 who’s learned a ton and had so much fun, I sometimes feel like I’m getting way more in return...
The written word is not dead (thank goodness!). But in this “digital” age, selling your writing services—or any services, for that matter—requires more than a website with a witty bio, a few good writing clips and a...
For many years, I have had the privilege of moving in many different writing circles as I continue to explore my own curiosity for my motivation and desire since childhood to become a writer. I still struggle with my place as a writer because not...
I'll admit it. The first time I tried to negotiate my price with a client I was nervous. I didn't want to lose the project! I felt a little like Oliver Twist holding out his soup bowl and tepidly asking, "Please, Sir. May I have some more?...
With the near nuclear meltdown in Japan, oily death in the Gulf of Mexico, disappearing glaciers, and natural habitats in peril, there’s no shortage of bad news about the environment. But, for writers interested in ecology these are,...
I’m delighted to be doing a presentation on social media at PWAC Toronto Chapter's March 22nd, The Digital Shift: A New...
My evidence is purely anecdotal, but it seems to me that an increasing number of my writing colleagues are turning away from magazines and towards books as a means of professional fulfillment. There’s the former technology writer whose how-...
Where would I be without PWAC? It’s a scary thought. I’ve been a freelance writer for four years now. I love it – but I have my days. Every freelancer knows it’s not an easy way to make a living. There’s the...
Editor’s Note:
This post follows PWAC Toronto Chapter’s Freelancers Forum, a one-day...
Recently, a friend asked me to review the copy on a new and improved website she’s launching. Like many of you out there, I often trade my writing abilities for a variety of skills I covet in others. In this way, I don’t pay to have...
As a writer I grapple with words, trying to paint pictures all day long. As an educator and writers’ conference organizer, my struggle is the same. From the earliest days of the Ontario Writers’ Conference, we had confidence in our...
I'm a continuing-education junkie.
I get excited when course calendars arrive in my mailbox, and I read them with a highlighter in hand. To me, they signal another year of opportunities to learn new stuff. I...
Dear Freelance Writers,
My name is Nicole Cohen. I am a doctoral candidate in the graduate program in Communication and Culture at York University. I am also a freelance writer and the co-founder and former co-...
Editor's Note: With PWAC Toronto Chapter's upcoming panel discussion topic, "The Business of Books, we are pleased to feature a guest post from one of PWAC's professional members. People may think that book sales are...
PWAC Toronto Chapter’s October seminar, “Insiders’ Guide to Pitching Magazines,” was an enlightening look at how the editors of consumer magazines and their websites...
I had spent most of an amazing summer up north following Magnet, Canada's National Magazines Conference in June. But I couldn’t wait to get back to the routine which...
When it comes to writing for newspapers and magazines or writing fiction, too many writers sit down in front of the blank screen and try to bash out newsy, clever, colourful, creative copy. But when it comes to writing articles or novels, writing...
As PWAC Toronto Chapter’s vice-president of professional development for the last five years, I’ve enjoyed the great opportunity to lead our chapter’s programming efforts—a role that has provided a broad range of personal...
Kicking back over beer on the patio with fellow writers the other night, it struck me how diverse our membership has become in the decade since I joined ...
NetWords was initiated as an e-mail blast, several years ago, by Paul Lima...
We had planned for a mid-summer launch and finally, we have arrived! So, what do think? A fresh, new and more lively look, right? I think so too – but am proud to say, we're not just another, pretty page!
We're actually a...
GTA Event Listing
Recite an original work of your own at our open mic event or come to hear and cheer fellow...
Good stories can entertain and move us. They can also help us to better understand ourselves and...
Taking place June 5 to 8, 2012, MagNet is Canada's premiere public policy,...
PWAC Seminars
Online registration is now OPEN! Click on the Event Name.
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PWAC members are established and extensively published professional freelance writers, who provide quality content writing, articles and expertise...
Contest Calendar
Writer Groups
American Society of Journalists and Authors
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Authors Association
Canadian Public Relations Society
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers
Editors Association of Canada
Editorial Freelancers Association
Haliburton Highlands Writer & Editors Network
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
Magazines Canada
Markham Village Writers
Newspapers Canada
Oakville Literary Alliance
Outdoor Writers of Canada
PEN Canada
Playwrights Union of Canada
Society of Environmental Journalists
Society for Technical Communication
The Word Guild
The Writers Guild of Canada
The Writers’ Union of Canada
Toronto Romance Writers
Travel Writers Canada
Writers and Editors Network
Writers' Community of Durham Region
Writers Community of York Region