Two great upcoming workshops for Montreal writers
PWAC Quebec is putting on two workshops for Montreal writers in March and April. I'm currently the Quebec Regional Director for PWAC and am a big supporter of the organization. These two workshops are free for PWAC members (join up!) and are also open to non-members. All the info is below. Email Giancarlo La Giorgia if you want to attend.
Marketing Yourself as a Freelance Writer, a workshop by Helena Katz
Location: Marianopolis College, 4873 Westmount Avenue
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free for members, $15 for non-members
Ever wonder why some people always seem to have work while others are perpetually sitting by the phone like a teenager waiting for a prom date? It's all in the marketing. During this session, reformed introvert and widely published freelance writer Helena Katz will teach you how to pick saleable ideas, find the right markets and shape attention-grabbing pitches for newspapers and magazines.
Helena Katz's pitching technique has landed her assignments with Canadian
Geographic, Homemaker's, More Magazine, Canadian Living, VIA Destinations, British Columbia Magazine and Up Here, among others. She is the author of The Mad Trapper: The Incredible Tale of a Famous Canadian Manhunt, and Gang Wars: Blood and Guts on the Streets of Early New York. She is the president of the Travel Media
Association of Canada and is a former president of PWAC's Quebec chapter. Hélèna was born and raised in Montreal but now lives in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park where bears and bison roam.
Freelancer Boot Camp '09
Location: Marianopolis College, 4873 Westmount Avenue
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Time: 1 to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free for members, $15 for non-members
This half-day workshop presents a series of speakers about important freelancer topics. This year's topics and speakers are:
Hi-tech communication and research tools, by Gazette tech-writer Roberto Rocha
How to economize in tough economic times, by savings maven Sandra Phillips
Web design, search engine optimization and other online marketing skills, by writer and web designer Carole Zabbal
Copyright law, by lawyer Nadine Benny
Breaking through the isolation, by motivational speaker Shari Reinhart
Each speaker will give a presentation and then take questions from audience members.
Workshop: How to Succeed as a Freelance Writer
Starting in March, I will be teaching an eight-week workshop about freelance writing. The course is presented by the Quebec Writers' Federation and costs $170 ($150 for QWF and PWAC members). All the details are below. You can reserve a spot by contacting the QWF office at 514-933-0878 or info@qwf.org.
PITCH, PUBLISH AND GET PAID: HOW TO SUCCEED AS A FREELANCE WRITER
Eight Wednesdays, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. (March 4–April 29— no meeting April 8)
1200 Atwater Avenue, Suite 3
Workshop leader: Craig Silverman
Making a living as a freelance writer requires a diverse skill set. Successful freelancers mix high-quality writing with efficient business practices. This workshop addresses both areas to help participants establish, manage and advance their freelance career.
Participants will develop story ideas, identify potential markets, and write compelling query letters. They will also draft a basic business plan for their writing enterprise. A priority is placed on helping participants pitch and place articles, while at the same time working to develop their business skills.
The workshop will also provide instruction in:
- Forging strong relationships with editors
- Negotiating pay, contracts and copyright
- Building a professional brand
- Networking
- Taxes and accounting
- Branching out into books, film work and other areas
To prepare for the workshop, participants are asked to think about their goals as a freelance writer and develop story ideas that can be turned into pitches during the workshop.
Craig Silverman is an award-winning journalist and author. A columnist for the Globe And Mail, Hour, and Columbia Journalism Review, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Montreal Gazette, Toronto Star, and Report On Business magazine. His book, Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech, won the Arthur Rowse Award for Press Criticism from the National Press Club in Washington. Craig also received a gold medal at the 2008 Canadian National Magazine Awards. His second book, written with Michael Calce, is Mafiaboy: How I Cracked the Internet and Why It’s Still Broken. www.craigsilverman.ca
Welcome
Hey there. Thanks for stopping by. I'm a freelance journalist and author in Montreal, Canada. I serve as an associate editor for PBS MediaShift, a website that reports on trends in new media and journalism. I edit RegretTheError.com and wrote a book of the same name. I'm also the co-author, with Michael Calce, of Mafiaboy: How I Cracked The Internet and Why It's Still Broken. Both books are listed to the right.
I write weekly columns for Hour and Columbia Journalism Review online, and am a former columnist and blogger for The Globe And Mail. Read my bio by clicking on the "About Me" link above, or check out the "Writing Samples" page to read some of my work. If you're interested in speaking with me about an assignment or project, email me at the address listed below.
Recent Writing/Work