Stanford conference looked at art and science practiced by independent journalists

Freelance writers and those who employ them will doubtless be interested in the outcomes of a two-day conference at Stanford University in California June 18 & 19 called The Future of Freelancing. (Thanks to Craig Silverman for alerting us to this.) About 125 freelancers and 50 editors, agents and other experts gathered to talk about independent journalism. A Stanford site makes available a number of highlights, including:

• Notes from a keynote speech by David Granger, editor-in-chief of Esquire (who recently was the MagNet Marquee speaker) 
• The Tweets that launched a bestseller, and other ways social media is a freelancer's friend
•  Putting the free in freelance: sometimes its OK to work without pay
• The science (not art) of the magazine pitch
• Writing in the digital age puts new demands on freelancers