Montreal-based freelance journalist Nicolas Ritoux decided it was time for freelancers to “reflect on our status” and so he created a manifesto, his survival guide for all freelance writers.

Called The 12 Steps to Recovery, the free guide aims to answer age-old questions such as:

• Why do so many freelancers feel insecure and mistreated?
• Why do so many people look down on freelance journalism?
• Why aren’t journalism students better prepared for the reality of freelancing, when many of them will become freelancers at one time or another during their careers?

The project started as simple research for a blog post and led to a 30-minute structured talk that he presented to the Québec Independent Journalist Association.

You can follow him on Twitter at @Freelancers_A.

He notes on his website:

“We’ve all suffered stereotypes and preconceived notions around being a freelance writer. This guide serves to help re-establish certain facts, as well as to compile the basic principles and tools for unlocking our full potential.”

Download the The 12 Steps to Recovery here.While the PDF download is available free of charge, Ritoux has also asked for support for the project through voluntary donations. There is a PayPal link on the site.