Suggested Speakers
- Eva Holland | @evaholland
Freelance
People may think #FreelanceLife is glamorous, but it's a lot of admin work and 18-hour days. Join us for some practical freelancing advice
Session Description
Freelancing workshops tend to focus on pitching, how to get clients to pay you and high-end publications to publish you, and the more philosophical nature of freelancing and its place in journalism… but few shed light on the day-to-day realities of being a freelancer. I’m proposing an informal, public-conversation style discussion that will focus on less-glamorous subjects, such as: Paying your taxes, how to save for retirement, having a contingency fund, how to keep track of assignments and money, self-care, the importance of having some semblance of a routine and normal life, fighting for more money, contracts, etc.
The format would include a moderator (me) and a couple of guest speakers to get the conversation started, but attendees would be encouraged to ask questions throughout. The speakers may not have the answers a particular attendee is seeking, but another attendee may.
Eva is a suggestion because she is a hard-working freelancer I know of through the Canadian media scene, but American and European freelancer suggestions are welcome — especially for when it comes to talking about taxation. Since I’m Canadian I know nothing of American taxation. I would prefer not to have household names on the panel because it’s the middle-of-the-pack journalists who could probably use the most help and have the most insight to provide.
How does your submission contribute to the diversity of the conference?
It speaks to journalists who don't have staff jobs, so I suppose the first piece of diversity relates to economic diversity. I find conferences' programming in general is disproportionately aimed at people who do have staff jobs. But with more journalists losing their positions and entering the freelance market for the first time in their lives, it's more important than ever to give people a proper foundation on which to build their careers. As well, women make up the majority of freelancers, according to Freelancers Union. https://www.fastcompany.com/3043455/why-are-more-women-than-men-freelancing