Freelance writers briefed about plans for new agency to represent them

According to those who were there, former Toro editor Derek Finkle's plans for a freelance writer's agency, to be called the Canadian Writers Group, engendered a good deal of enthusiasm. The first of two off-the-record briefings left veteran freelancer and teacher David Hayes encouraged. He wrote on the listserv of the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers list:

What I like about Derek’s plan is that it’s focused & narrow in scope, making it realistically something that could be up & producing results in a relatively short time frame. It’s also structured after the literary agencies that represent many of us in our book work, a model that we’re both familiar, & comfortable, with.

But also, I find myself wondering if part of the reason we writers suffer is that we tend to assume that the status quo is the way it is, nothing can change, how can we possibly challenge the Rogers & Transcontinentals & St. Joseph’s of the world? (Truth is, I often have felt this. It’s just little old me against these corporations.) But as emerged in the information session, many (most?) photographers have agents & use them for their magazine editorial work as well as their commercial (corporate, advertising) work. So it’s not even a situation that the magazine publishers are entirely unfamiliar with.

We’ve all kvetched & protested about the inability for freelance writers concentrating on journalism (as opposed to corporate writing) to make a living. Some of us have pushed editors & managed to get our rates up a bit but still the bottom line is we’re dead last on the list of expenses that MUST be paid by magazines so when push comes to shove, writers lose out....

Maybe this is the time that we writers need to steel our nerves & take a risk. Otherwise nothing will change. At least take a serious look at what Derek is proposing with his agency.

A formal launch for the agency is planned for October, with plans for it to be up and running in January.

Related posts:

• Former Toro editor Finkle plans literary agency for freelance writers