Former editor of Toro magazine Derek Finkle has announced his plans to launch a literary agency for freelance writers, Masthead magazine reports. Finkle came up with the concept after witnessing year after year of stagnant per-word rates for freelance writers in Canada. He sent out an email release announcing the upcoming launch of the agency and said many writers he’s worked with in the past have already signed on.

He wrote:

“It is common knowledge in the print journalism field that the skills possessed by Canada’s uppermost tiers of freelance writers have been
woefully undervalued for a very long time. Pay rates
have been more or less stagnant for almost three decades. Not
surprisingly, many Canadian editors long ago began to  acknowledge the
dearth of freelance talent available, largely because it isn’t
currently a profession with a sufficiently viable career arc.”

Informal information meetings are scheduled in Toronto for Sept. 9 from 3 to 4 p.m. and Sept. 15 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Verity, a
private club on Queen St.