New freelance agency formally announced; more than 80 writers already signed up
The Canadian Writers Group (CWG), the fledgling agency for freelancers, including freelance magazine writers, has announced not only details of its service but also a stunning list of people who have signed on for it. As many of you will know, former Toro editor Derek Finkle has launched the new agency with the intention of negotiating better rates for writers. Until now, only informal, off-the-record briefings have been held. Little has been known about how the agency will work. But with a release today, it is reported that
- More than 80 writers, including some of the most prominent names in Canadian journalism, have indicated their intention to be exclusively represented by Finkle and his team;
- CWG expects to represent at least 150 writers across Canada by the time it officially opens its doors for business in early 2009, negotiating fees and rights for all magazine, newspaper, online, and commercial work done by those freelancers in its roster;
- To assist in these negotiations, CWG has retained the services of prominent Toronto media lawyer Iain MacKinnon.
- The agency has already been approached by a number of potential commercial clients looking for writers, including the Toronto design firm q30, as well as the Toronto chapter of the international business group Entrepreneur’s Organization;
- To provide its writers with improved access to the American book and magazine markets, CWG has also forged an affiliation with Kuhn Projects, a full-service literary agency in New York City operated by David Kuhn.“As a former editor at Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Brill’s Content, David will undoubtedly prove to be a great asset to CWG writers,” says Finkle. “In fact, Kuhn Projects recently sold the rights for New York-based Canadian business writer Duff McDonald’s account of Wall Street tycoon Jamie Dimon’s career to Simon & Schuster.”
“Even for the most talented and productive magazine and newspaper writers, freelancing in Canada hasn’t been a profession with a sufficiently viable career arc in my lifetime,” says Finkle.The list of people who have so far signed up is worth reproducing:
"While the agency hopes to bring editorial pay rates up to a level that more realistically reflects the skills the best and most in-demand freelancers are providing to this country’s publications,” says Finkle, “we are also hoping to attract lucrative commercial writing jobs to the agency for those who are looking for them.”
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- Freelance writers briefed about plans for new agency to represent them
- Former Toro editor Finkle plans literary agency for freelance writers
Labels: freelancers
posted by D. B. Scott at
11:17 am
9 Comments:
I'd like to know what corporations and magazines think of this. For example, how does a magazine editor feel about a writer saying, "Yeah, I know we've worked together for xx years but now I want you to deal with my agent."
And what if the agency negotiates pay that's lower than what the writer can get? (Possibly not an issue in the mag world but it definitely is in the corporate world.)
Food for thought.
Well, then the agent would pretty much suck, wouldn't s/he?
I have a feeling that the writer and the agent would likely get together before the agent approached the magazine editor. That way, through an arcane process known as "conversation," the agent -- if a fully sentient being with a strong grasp of basic English skills -- would then be able to find out what the writer's payment/billing history had been.
Then -- I'm assuming here, but I don't think I'm too far off base -- the agent would talk with the editor. If the editor then proposed rolling back the wage, then the writer has a choice: write for less than he once had, or, from his vast and learned vocabulary, summon the appropriate expletive and deliver said expletive unto the penny-pinching editor.
I could be wrong, though.
I'm curious about the agent approaching the magazine element here. I know a lot of magazines balk at pitches that don't come from the writer. Of course, up to now, that's usually been PR pitches from non-established writers.
How does the writer's relationship with their editors change, overall? Will the writers still be free to deal with editors they've been working with for so many years? These are some huge names, all with long-standing relationships with Cdn mags.
Overall, I think this is great. Anything that ups the legitimacy of the profession is a step forward. There are far too many people who think writing is something anyone can do, much like sleeping and breathing, and even more wannabes who are always willing to write for free, which just drags the rest of us down.
I'm a but confused. The agency's press release said those 80-odd writers had "indicated their intention" to join, but this post says the writers have "signed up." Isn't there a difference between the two? Just want to make sure I understand. I agree that it's an impressive list.
This is a bad idea. Sure writers are getting paid a $1 a word and this hasn't changed much over the past 30 years. That being said the number of opportunities for writers to have stories commissioned/published has probably increased 1000 times with the number of magazines, books, etc. that are around today.
Same Money Per Word + 1000x The Opportunity = More Money
I really think that this is going to hurt the magazine industry as a whole. Writers will probably get more money but all that the publishers are going to do is shift the money that they are spending on photography and illustratration and paper, etc. and the look and feel of publications will be diminished and possibly completely ruined. This in turn could cause advertisers to back out, resulting in magazines folding...just because of some greedy writers.
Thanks Derek!
From what I glean from the site, all of the writer's work (even from previous long-term business relationships) must be handled/billed through the agency:
Agency Commissions
The standard agency commission for negotiating fees and rights will be 10 percent and will apply to all editorial and commercial work. However, CWG anticipates that its writers will see an increase in rates well beyond 10 percent, particularly on the editorial front.
A 15 percent commission will apply in the following scenarios:
* New client work brought to the writer through the agency, including clients who approach the writer through the CWG web site.
* Work that is pitched and placed by the agency.
* Book contracts negotiated by the agency.
I see this as a huge issue because a writer's entire livelihood is now attached to the agency. Freelancers aren't used to having all their eggs in one basket. What if the writer/agent relationship turns sour?
Quote: "This in turn could cause advertisers to back out, resulting in magazines folding...just because of some greedy writers."
Nice to have the publishers on board here, too. As I greedy writer, I'd like to suggest a place you should visit in very succinct terms, but then I'd have to charge you $3 -- the same I would have charged you 18 years ago, when I was starting out.
Twit.
The lovely critic who denigrated writers as being greedy for hoping for more than $1 per word ought to sit down and figure out how much $1 per word works out to in terms of an hourly pay when it comes to the research involved in writing a piece. Yes, it could vary -- beauty writing is different from health writing is different from political writing and so on. But sometimes a "greedy writer" is looking at a 400-word health piece that works out to $8 per hour or less. Is that a Benz or a Rolls?
This is about upping the fair factor when it comes to the publishing industry. Right now other people, such as publishers and ad salesfolk, make the cash off the backs of "greedy writers" and distressingly undervalued editorial staff. I think the industry could stand a little coaching on appreciation.
Hey, "Greedy Writer" person, you misspelled illustration.
And isn't it a shame we greedy writers might somehow negatively affect how much photographers, illustrators, printers and paper suppliers are pulling in. Their rates, of course, haven't changed in 30 years either.
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