Marisa Wikramanayake

writer, journalist & editor ~ I help you tell stories.

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  • Blog,  Editing,  Freelancing,  MEAA

    Your working rights as an editor

    May 10, 2019 / No Comments

    Marisa Wikramanayake <h1>Your working rights as an editor</h1> <h2>A summary of my presentation at the 2019 IpEd Conference in Melbourne</h2> At the Institute of Professional Editors' Conferences there are often multiple streams of sessions and you always miss out on something.  Samya Ibrahim of DjedPress was quite kind to film my ten minute top speed spin through working rights for editors but it will be some time before we have the video.  In the meantime, here is a quick summary of what I spoke about for your information. In Australia, the rights you have as an editor, vary depending on whether you are a freelancer or an employee working in-house.…

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    An update on Gin & Tonic

    January 24, 2019

    MEAA news for February 2019

    February 28, 2019

    How to deal with late payments as a freelancer

    January 26, 2019
  • Events,  Freelancing,  IPEd 2017

    Freelancing panel at IPEd 2017

    September 14, 2017 / 1 Comment

    I’m not necessarily going to write these notes out in order but here is a quick run down of my bootstrapping for a freelancing business. Use tech to bring freelancing work to you: I find that my work comes through being the first person to email someone as soon as an opportunity comes up. I also find it useful to work across time zones. So how do you bootstrap this? And for free? Facebook groups: figure out which group has the most posts for the sort of work you want to do popping up and change its settings so that you are notified by Facebook of new posts popping up.…

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    6 May 2013: MediaPass Student Industry Day

    April 16, 2013

    The Writing Calendar: June 2016

    June 9, 2016

    Diverse and need a writing group?

    October 23, 2016
  • Freelancing,  Journalism

    The Unconvential Guide to Freelance Journalism: Part 2 – setting up the business

    December 8, 2015 / No Comments

    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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    25+ ways I automate my workflow, or how I am trying to become a cyborg

    May 23, 2013
    An image of two hands writing in front of a computer screen with a phone on top of papers on a desk

    How to easily track pitches in Google Sheets as a freelance journalist

    January 7, 2021

    Freelancing panel at IPEd 2017

    September 14, 2017
  • Marisa Wikramanayake waiting to present during the IPEd Conference freelancing workshop in 2013
    Australian Women Writers Challenge,  Book Reviews,  Events,  IPEd Con 2013,  Journalism,  Political journalism,  Projects,  Science journalism,  Updates

    Where have I been?

    May 5, 2013 / No Comments

    Recovering mostly. The conference is over. But the organisation part of it isn’t. There are accounts to be finalised and even now, still a lot of emails to answer. So let me digress to answer the most often asked question via email now: Conference proceedings will be posted on the website and you will all be emailed to be told when they get uploaded.  But what else have I been up to? Well, I have had a particularly weird and busy time of it and a lot of it has involved writing. So without further ado, here is the list: I have reviewed:  Amanda Curtin’s Elemental which will end up in…

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    A real bookshop by Elsie esq via Flickr

    Capering criminally with the challenge: what I read for Australian Women Writers 2013

    January 3, 2014

    AWW 2013: Interview with Amanda Curtin

    February 1, 2013

    AWW 2013: Interview with author Marj McRae

    January 17, 2013
  • Events,  Freelancing,  Updates

    6 May 2013: MediaPass Student Industry Day

    April 16, 2013 / No Comments

    Apparently I am “amazing”. So amazing in fact that the Walkley team have asked me to be part of the Young Journalists Panel this year at the MediaPass Student Industry Day. Where: State Library of WA, Perth When: 6 May 2013 – 9 am onwards Who else will be there? Colleen Egan is the keynote speaker for a start and Patrick Horneman will be there as well. Who can attend: Anyone who is a journalism or communications student at undergraduate/postgraduate level. How: Sign up here. Cost: FREE. What will I be speaking on? My experiences as a freelancer and why I got into it and how and then answering questions.…

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    Marisa Wikramanayake waiting to present during the IPEd Conference freelancing workshop in 2013

    Where have I been?

    May 5, 2013

    The Writing Calendar: June 2016

    June 9, 2016

    Where you will find me in October 2018

    October 11, 2018
  • IPEd Con 2013,  Projects

    The Rockstar Freelance Lifestyle

    April 10, 2013 / No Comments

    Speakers/Presenters: Sarah J H Fletcher, Abigail Nathan, Patrick Horneman, Karen Strain, Dinesh Aggarwal and Marisa Wikramanayake The idea originally came about via a Twitter discussion between Sarah, Abigail and I. We had met at Sydney in 2011 where Abigail had the both equally pleasurable and painful experience of helping to plan a conference and I was about to embark on it myself. But then there was much waving of hands. We wanted to make it fun as well as helpful. And I ran into Patrick Horneman at the MediaPass Student Industry days for journalism graduates and students where I was expounding on freelancing as a journalist and he was expounding…

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    The final #ipedcon2013 Program!

    April 6, 2013

    Rapping for the 6th IPEd National Editors' Conference, 2013

    November 14, 2012

    What do you mean there is a conference in four days' time?

    April 6, 2013
  • IPEd Con 2013,  Projects

    Twitter feed for the Wednesday Workshops

    April 10, 2013 / No Comments

    The Wednesday workshops have started. Refresh the page to keep seeing the latest tweets and photos. As always, please check the main conference blog for all the posts, tweets and photos. Tweets about “#ipedcon2013 OR #rockstarfreelancelifestyle”

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    The Rockstar Freelance Lifestyle

    April 10, 2013

    Interview with Nury Vittachi on the 6th IPEd National Editors' Conference 2013

    March 2, 2013

    How to network at an editors' conference

    January 14, 2013
  • Freelancing

    Freelancing Friday: How to set your freelancing rates (Australia)

    January 1, 2010 / 5 Comments

    Marisa Wikramanayake is a freelance writer and editor based in Perth, Western Australia. In this post, she provides a detailed worksheet on how to set an hourly rate while taking into account living and business expenses, tax rates, superannuation, savings, profits, and annual and weekly income. Other freelancers need only put in the figures where required.

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    The NYWF-ty List

    October 11, 2018
    A mug full of coffee on an open planner

    How I am planning for the next financial year as a freelancer – despite Covid-19

    June 26, 2020
    Marisa Wikramanayake works on a story as a journalist and in this post showing you how to write a freelance pitch

    How to write a freelance pitch to an editor

    September 17, 2021

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