Resources for Freelance Journalists During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forces publishers to reevaluate their economic outlooks and, in many cases, restrict their budgets, freelance journalists across the country are suffering from lost commissions, reduced rates and delayed payments, often without financial safety nets of their own. To help support this community, we’ve assembled a directory of grants and other free resources aimed at helping journalists navigate and cover the crisis. If we’ve missed anything, please feel free to contact us here and let us know. Skip ahead to work opportunities or educational resources. Grants and Financial Assistance Rory Peck Trust Professional journalists without other sources of income, and in particular those who have lost commissions as a result of the pandemic, can apply for a grant from the Rory Peck Trust’s COVID-19 Hardship Fund. More info here. National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society is accepting applications for grants ranging from $1,000 to $8,000 to journalists covering the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing those delivering news to underserved communities. Apply here. PEN America PEN America is distributing grants of $500 to $1,000 to journalists, authors and other professional writers who can "demonstrate an inability to meet an acute financial need, especially one resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak." Apply here. Substack The newsletter platform Substack is offering grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 for... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-04-01 20:57:42 UTC ]
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Other Publishing stories related to: 'Resources for Freelance Journalists During the COVID-19 Pandemic'


Poets House, Hammered by Pandemic, Suspends Operations

Poets House, the poetry library in lower Manhattan founded in 1986, has suspended operations indefinitely, due to budgetary issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Lee Briccetti, the executive director of Poets House for more than 30 years, will retire in 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Cable’s Holiday Marathon Programming Is Hotter Than Ever Due to the Pandemic

As the industry was still unsure when sports would return and TV production would resume, Ed Georger, evp, advertising sales and digital media for Crown Media Family Networks, Hallmark Channel's parent company, had a calming message for clients. "The one thing you can count on: They will not... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-11-16 01:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv production #advertising sales #digital media


In praise of pandemic fiction

With social media feeds and news sites reading like a dystopian novel, it’s hardly surprising that many readers have lost their appetite for post-apocalyptic books and developed a taste for compelling escapist fiction as a means of escape. But, at a time when our familiar world has been turned... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-15 23:17:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #familiar world #deadly pandemic


Pandemic drives ebook and audiobook sales by UK publishers to all-time high

Printed book sales plunge in first six months of 2020 on back of shop and school closuresSee all our coronavirus coverageSales of digital books by British publishers are set to hit an all-time high this year as the public turns to reading to escape pandemic cabin fever.However, the ebook and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-14 07:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook sales #uk publishers #all-time high #british publishers #audiobook boom #high cost #global sales #printed books #high streets #schools closed #coronavirus lockdown #digital books #printed book #audiobook


Beyoncé, Joni Mitchell and more: A veteran journalist tries to give female stars their due

In “Nobody Ever Asked Me About the Girls,” Lisa Robinson offers a behind-the-scenes look at the women of rock and pop. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-11-12 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Harvard Book Store Closes Temporarily Due to Employee Covid Infection

The Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., has temporarily closed to in-person browsing after a member of the staff tested positive for Covid-19. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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COVID-19 has hurt physical book sales and helped audio and digital

You would expect the recent coronavirus crisis to have helped digital entertainment, but with reading it is still led by the traditional hardback and softback formats. However, the pandemic is helping to dethrone physical books, as people are more cautious about going out. While paper books... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2020-11-11 10:35:53 UTC ]
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Tiny Owl announces crowdfunder to survive effects of pandemic

Independent publisher Tiny Owl, which specialises in diverse picture books for children, is launching an emergency crowdfunding campaign to survive the pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-09 18:31:47 UTC ]
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The new COVID trend? Apparently, it’s buying rare books.

Ah, tradition! Just as Shakespeare wrote King Lear in quarantine, in this quarantine, rich people are buying copies of King Lear for $10,000,000. While independent bookstores are struggling during COVID—according to the American Booksellers Association, more than one independent bookstore has... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-11-09 17:44:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rich people #king lear #independent bookstores #rare books #literary hub #independent bookstore


The 19 best books ‘Fast Company’ staffers read during quarantine—and the indie bookstores where you can buy them

Independent bookstores are hurting as shoppers stay online. Pick up one of our staff picks to support bookstores throughout the U.S. Whether you’re diving into an engrossing period drama, reading up on the history of protests or pandemics, or escaping into a fantastical world, chances are you’ve... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-11-06 16:00:54 UTC ]
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The Skillset Podcast #4: Academic Libraries in the Wake of Covid-19 with Clemson University’s Christopher Cox

Host David Lankes catches up with Christopher Cox, Dean of Libraries at Clemson University, to talk about the lessons Clemson—and academic libraries more broadly—are learning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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HBG Sales Rose 19% in Q3

Led by the megabestseller 'Midnight Sun' and 'The Return,' sales at Hachette Book Group jumped 19.2% in the quarter ended September 30, 2020, over the comparable period in 2019. Digital sales also had solid gains in the period. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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As Covid-19 Cases Surge, PRH Again Extends Temporary E-book, Digital Audio Terms for Libraries, Schools

Penguin Random House executives this week confirmed that the publisher is extending its "temporary" digital license terms for e-books and digital audio in libraries and schools through March 31, 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury to repay staff £700K in pandemic wage cuts

Bloomsbury has announced it will repay almost £700,000 to staff who took a pay cut during the first months of the pandemic, following the publisher's most succesful interim results since 2008. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-03 08:01:03 UTC ]
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Memoir sales surge in post-Covid market

 Since lockdown ended, sales of biographies and autobiographies have spiked, rising 16% in volume and 20% in value against the same period last year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-02 06:35:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post-covid market #lockdown ended


Covid diaries: the education entrepreneur

Walking into the office and seeing the team working away has quickly become the highlight of my day. Over lockdown, I found working from home a really lonely experience and have been so grateful for the slow transition back into the office. The experience, however, was made even more challenging... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-30 05:53:01 UTC ]
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How to Make a Children’s Book Museum COVID-Compliant

A reader visited the Story Museum in Oxford, England to learn how the space modified its "interactive" exhibits for COVID-19 compliance. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-28 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Experts Say Covid Will Change Book Shopping Patterns Forever

Speakers on a panel organized by the Book Manufacturers Institute agreed that the Covid-19 experience will likely permanently change the way consumers shop for books and that all aspects of publishing will need to adapt to the new landscape. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter publisher says Covid has weaved magic over book sales

After shaky start in lockdown, Bloomsbury sales soar as people pick books over box setsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Harry Potter publisher, Bloomsbury, has reported its most profitable first half in more than a decade, after a nation tiring of box sets fuelled... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-27 12:22:12 UTC ]
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Column: America's oldest children's bookstore is struggling in the pandemic. But there's hope

Jimmy Fallon, local authors and devoted regulars are rallying to help Once Upon a Time in Montrose — the country's oldest kids' bookstore — survive the pandemic that has destroyed so many small businesses. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-10-27 12:00:02 UTC ]
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