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Building alliances – a panel on organisations working together
So I was asked to be on this panel about building alliances which mostly came about because I had previously contacted IPEd with ideas about how IPEd and MEAA could collaborate. The panel consisted of myself, representing all things MEAA, Juliet Rogers of the ASA, Sherrey Quinn from ANZSI, Queensland Writers Centre’s CEO Katie Woods and the Rosanna Arciuli from the Copyright Agency. In a nutshell we definitely agreed on several points: It was vital for us to band together on several big theme issues because there was power in numbers no matter which organisation spearheaded the issue and campaign. Such big theme issues that we cared about were copyright…
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My year in writing: 2016 and the freelance writer life
Marisa Wikramanayake writes about what 2016 has been like for her as a freelance writer, editor and journalist and what it meant for her career.
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July 2016 Writing Calendar
I decided to put this calendar for the month of June together on a whim. And then people loved it. So this is the monster list of everything even remotely writerly and literary that is going on in Perth and WA in the month of July 2016 from today onwards. So a few quick answers to questions: Will this list always be on this site? MEAA WA is keen to cross-post/host/something along those lines. This will also be cross-posted at Emily Paull‘s site. And possibly on DWOA once we tweak a few things. Can you compile a list for Victoria and Melbourne? Not at this point – no time to spare.…
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Do you want a DWoA writing group?
I want to talk about writing groups today. As you may or may not already be aware, I do attend a regular writing session/group with two friends of mine every Friday. We sit in a bar, I write my book, they write their PhD theses and come four or five pm we have beer.
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The writing plan for June
It’s June today. A June day, today, let’s say since June began the day before yesterday. On this June day my TBR is neither pile nor stack, it is a scatter instead, in bags, on shelves, across the floor, under laptops and beds. It’s also not To Be Read but rather like quantum, a mix between the two, some To Be Read but some also read already so To Be Reviewed. I need a plan.
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The Unconvential Guide to Freelance Journalism: Part 2 – setting up the business
So in Part 1 I explained why I wanted to answer the question of becoming a freelance journalist but also clarify exactly how difficult it can be to work as a freelance journalist. In this part I am going to tell you what, in Australia at least, you need in order to become a freelance journalist and to set up a business. Business type And the first thing you need to know is that yes, you are starting a business. And that you can be all by yourself as a sole trader, work with a couple of others in a partnership arrangement or set up a company with yourself working…
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Freelance rates and experience survey
If you came here via the MEAA e-bulletin link, you have come to the right place. If you are a freelance journalist working for Australian publications, we would like to hear from you. We want to know how much you are being paid at each publication as a freelancer, how often and everything else related to it. And we don’t know want any identifying information about yourself – it is totally anonymous. You can submit data as often as you like about as many publications as you wish to so we can track if there is bias present in how freelancers are paid and if indeed they are paid well.…
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2014 beckons
I don’t know what 2014 is the year of. Apart from being the Year of the Green Wood Horse. And apparently the International Year of Family Farming so please think about where your food and consumer goods come from and whether they are ethically and sustainably produced. But it is 2014 now. 2013 has gone. I was busy in 2013 and so it flew by fast. The editing conference is over and I can breathe again. In December you all nearly decimated my server by loving the How to tell if you are an editor post so much so thanks for that. Clearly humour wins you over. If you want…
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How to get started in journalism
While meandering through Facebook one day, I noticed that a younger friend of mine had tagged me in a status post. I clicked through to see what it was about and why he would feel the need to mention my name. It was the status of a friend of his, a young university student and he had offered my name in the comments on it as part of the advice he had offered to this student’s query. The query was this: Made another application but it doesn’t look like I’ll even get an interview how the fuck am I supposed to become a journalist if no one will hire me without…
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Five reasons to charge a decent rate
Marisa Wikramanayake discusses why you shouldn't be afraid to charge a reasonably higher hourly rate for your work as a freelance writer/editor.
