The Freelance Way

The most comprehensive book for freelancers ever written - Packed with proven freelance know-how, including advice from world-class experts like David Allen (Getting Things Done), Adam Grant (Give and Take), Austin Kleon (Show Your Work), and David H. Hansson (Remote: Office Not Required). The Freelance Way is THE business book for independent professionals. It presents the best available and fully up-to-date freelance know-how, compiled from hundreds of quality sources, including surveys, the latest market data, advice from world-class experts, as well as real-life experiences and stories from hundreds of professionals in different fields and countries, which makes the book highly relevant to freelancers worldwide. The contents of this volume cover all the basics and best practices for beginning freelancers, as well as advanced career strategies and tools for freelance veterans. There are practical tips for greater productivity, successful teamwork, smart pricing, powerful business negotiations, bulletproof personal finance, effective marketing, and much more.

EUROPEAN BESTSELLER - The most comprehensive book for freelancers ever written - Packed with proven freelance know-how, including advice from world-class experts like David Allen, Adam Grant, Austin Kleon, and David H. Hansson. "A unique book" - Steven Pressfield The Freelance Way is THE business book for independent professionals. It presents the best available and fully up-to-date freelance know-how, compiled from hundreds of quality sources, including surveys, the latest market data, advice from top experts, as well as real-life experiences and stories from hundreds of professionals in different fields and countries, which makes the book highly relevant to freelancers worldwide. The contents of this volume cover all the basics and best practices for beginning freelancers, as well as advanced career strategies and tools for freelance veterans. There are practical tips for greater productivity, successful teamwork, smart pricing, powerful business negotiations, bulletproof personal finance, effective marketing, and much more. Regardless if you've been in business for 20 years, or are just starting out, this book will help you to grow, avoid countless mistakes and develop a successful personal business based on your expertise and good name, to live a free, independent, and fulfilled life. THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU IF: You are a freelancer. You are dealing with freelance problems that people around you don't understand. You are considering quitting your job to freelance and are afraid to take risks. You are just starting out in small business. You have been freelancing for a long time and want to acquire new business skills. You are thinking about your career strategy and where will you be in ten or twenty years. You are doing gigs alongside your daily job or studies and it already resembles a business. You are self-employed, working for a single client and want to be more independent. You are running a company or agency founded by you and on your good name. You want to understand freelancers, freelancing and the gig economy in general. PRAISE FOR THE FREELANCE WAY "If you want to succeed as an independent professional, it is essential that you educate yourself about running a personal business. You can either learn this the hard way through trial and error, or read this unique book instead. It covers virtually everything you need to know as a freelancer on how to start, manage and grow your business - be it a local or a global one, working remotely. Robert's book is packed with proven advice, tools, stories and wisdom from people who have gone down this road before you. It will undoubtedly help you live and prosper, the freelance way." - Steven Pressfield, world-famous author of Gates of Fire, The War of Art, and The Legend of Bagger Vance "As freelancers, we know why we should run our indie careers as a business, but how is often a challenge. This essential book delivers actionable advice and practical tips you can use to build a solid business foundation right now." - Melissa Joulwan, author of the best-selling Well Fed cookbook series "Are you an experienced entrepreneur? Then this book will save your ass several times over. Are you a newbie freelancer starting out? It may even save your life! The Freelance Way is one of the most useful books that I have read on my journey to a free(lance) life." - Michelle Losekoot, freelance writer and digital storyteller with major brands like Puma, T-Mobile, and O2

Freelancing Is Difficult. Are You Ready For This Rewarding Challenge? After the shutdown of his marketing firm, Jason Montoya unexpectedly had numerous business owners and non-profit leaders requesting his help to solve their organization's communication problems. Facing numerous challenges as a new freelancer, he quickly integrated his business insights to move through the many familiar obstacles he faced. He then began sharing with other freelancers a framework of eight vital achievements, see below, that took him to a state of personal and vocational flourishing. Behind these covers, he dives into these mile markers, unveils a blueprint and shares personal stories to help guide and equip other freelancers in their difficult but rewarding journey.

Are you an introvert? If you're happy in your own company most of the time, have just a few really close friends and prefer to work alone, the answer is probably yes. Introverts find external stimulation overwhelming, so they look for ways to retreat from it. A situation that’s easy or fun for one person can be way too much for an introvert. That's fine as long as they have a choice. But that can change when they go to work. Modern working styles like open-plan offices, brainstorming and teamwork can be really hard on introverts. The hands-on work is OK, but the emotional labour of working with others can be draining. Freelancing offers introverts a way out – a chance to work alone, control their workload and create their own workspace. It can be ideal. However, it also takes work. Going freelance means running a one-person business. It means setting direction, organizing your schedule and setting priorities. It means hustling for work and setting prices. And it means building a network that will offer vital support. Doing all that is hard enough for anyone - but particularly for introverts. To make a success of freelancing, you'll need to learn some new skills, push yourself to meet some challenges and build up your confidence. The Freelance Introvert will show you how to make that happen. It will teach you all about creating and managing your freelance business, from setting aims and getting set up to time management, working with clients and marketing. Written by Tom Albrighton - author, veteran freelancer, ProCopywriters co-founder and a confirmed introvert - The Freelance Introvert is the book you need for the life you want. What you’ll learn - Getting started - How to tell if you're an introvert - Why work is tough on introverts, and how freelancing can help - Why introversion is a strength, not a weakness Choosing your future - Deciding what you want - Identifying all your skills and qualities - Building your freelance work - Identifying your clients - Setting an earnings target Getting set up - Getting the right workspace and equipment - Taking care of your physical and mental health - Building a network of collaborators and suppliers - Setting boundaries – physical, temporal and psychological Managing your time - The three time horizons you need to watch - How to steer clear of 'time suckers' - How to balance exploration and exploitation Working with clients - What makes a good client? - Why saying 'no' is so important - and how to do it - How to spot rogue clients - What to do when clients move on Marketing yourself - The best ways to find new clients - Building a marketing mix that works for you - Creating your website, testimonials and personal pitch - How to survive a networking event Setting and agreeing prices - How to shoot for the top of the 'deal zone' - How to set and frame your prices - How to stop self-sabotaging when quoting for work Building your confidence - How to build confidence - When to go beyond your comfort zone - Understanding your explanatory style - How to overcome impostor syndrome - Choosing self-supporting beliefs - Letting go of self-limiting beliefs You can build a thriving freelance career and enjoy the lifestyle you want without changing who you are. The Freelance Introvert will show you how.

As media industries undergo rapid change, the conditions of media work are shifting just as quickly, with an explosion in the number of journalists working as freelancers. Although commentary frequently lauds freelancers as ideal workers for the information age – adaptable, multi-skilled, and entrepreneurial – Nicole Cohen argues that freelance media work is increasingly precarious, marked by declining incomes, loss of control over one’s work, intense workloads, long hours, and limited access to labour and social protections. Writers’ Rights provides context for freelancers’ struggles and identifies the points of contention between journalists and big business. Through interviews and a survey of freelancers, Cohen highlights the paradoxes of freelancing, which can be simultaneously precarious and satisfying, risky and rewarding. She documents the transformation of freelancing from a way for journalists to resist salaried labour in pursuit of autonomy into a strategy for media firms to intensify exploitation of freelance writers’ labour power, and presents case studies of freelancers’ efforts to collectively transform their conditions. A groundbreaking and timely intervention into debates about the future of journalism, organizing precariously employed workers, and the transformation of media work in a digital age, Writers’ Rights makes clear what is at stake for journalism’s democratic role when the costs and risks of its production are offloaded onto individuals.

Tired of clocking in and losing out? Want to pursue creative, fulfilling work on your own time and also make a living in the process? My So-Called Freelance Life is a how-to guidebook for women who want to avoid the daily grind and turn their freelance dreams into reality. Michelle Goodman, author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide and self-proclaimed former "wage slave,” offers tips, advice, how-to’s, and everything else a woman needs to pursue a freelance career. Confused as to whether you should tell your clients that the odd gurgling sound during a conference call is emanating from the infant sleeping on your shoulder? Goodman answers all of the unusual questions that may arise for women exploring the freelance world. Far more than your normal business guidebook,My So-Called Freelance Life blends candid, humorous anecdotes from a wide variety of freelancers with Goodman’s own personal experiences as a creative worker for hire. Whether you’re a freelance first-timer or a seasoned creative professional, copyediting queen or web guru,My So-Called Freelance Lifeis an invaluable resource for anyone interested in freelancing.

A comprehensive guide to building and maintaining a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable business as a freelance editor. According to LinkedIn, more than twenty thousand people in the United States list themselves as freelance editors. But many who have the requisite skills to be excellent editors lack the entrepreneurial skills needed to run a thriving, fulfilling business. The few resources available to freelance editors, new and established, are typically limited in scope and lack the strategic thinking needed to make a business flourish. The Freelance Editor’s Handbook provides a complete guide to setting up and running a prosperous freelancing business, from finding clients to increasing productivity, from deciding how to price services to achieving work/life balance, and from paying taxes to saving for retirement. Unlike most other books on freelance editing, this book is founded on a business-success mindset: The goal isn’t simply to eke out a living through freelancing. Rather, the goal is to establish a thriving, rewarding business that allows editors to achieve their career goals, earn a comfortable living, and still have time for family, friends, and personal pursuits. Author Suzy Bills identifies multiple strategies and methods that freelancers can apply, drawing on current research in entrepreneurship, psychology, and well-being. This book is the ultimate resource for editors at all levels: students just starting out, in-house staff looking to transition, and experienced freelancers who want to make their businesses more profitable and enjoyable.

Awarded the "Outstanding Book Award" in the service/self-help category for 2013 from the ASJA (The American Society of Journalists and Authors)! There's no shortage of books on crafting book proposals, writing novels, overcoming writer's block, and getting in touch with one's muse. But what about a book for writers who simply want to earn a regular paycheck? Writer for Hire is just the wisdom full- and part-time freelancers need. Author Kelly James-Enger details: • 101 secrets to success, organized into five overarching strategies. You'll be able to implement what you learn immediately. • Invaluable advice on managing deadlines, querying effectively, working with clients, handling taxes, invoices, and more. • Strategies for getting more writing gigs, including networking (in-person and online), establishing yourself as an expert, working more efficiently under tight deadlines, and handling rejection with confidence James-Enger looks at the "whole freelancer," addressing both the craft and business of freelancing.