Freelancing For Dummies

by Susan M. Drake

Are you ready to fly the corporate coop and become the boss of you? Do you dream of busting out of the cubicle wasteland and finding greener pastures as a freelancer? If so, you’re in good company. The U S Department of Labor estimates that nearly one-fourth of the American workforce is self-employed and that number is sure to increase over the next decade. But do you have what it takes to succeed as a freelancer, consultant, or contract employee? Do you even know what it takes to make it on your own? Here’s your chance to find out. A total guide to starting and running a freelance business, Freelancing For Dummies is for anyone thinking about striking out on their own, or who’s already decided to make the move into self-employment. It’s also an excellent resource for established freelancers looking for ways to jumpstart their businesses. Written by a top corporate communication consultant, it features hard-won tips from a slew of successful freelancers, including an accountant, a wr iter, a computer trainer, a graphic designer, a market researcher, an event planner, a medical trainer and others who share what they know about how to: Here’s your chance to take the leap from employee to boss with minimal stress and minimal sweat. A survival guide to building a successful freelance career, Freelancing For Dummies features: Do you long for the freedom of being your own boss? Relax and let expert Susan Drake help you make the transition to becoming a fulltime freelancer.

Genres: Business, Writing

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Dane Cobain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I’ve been considering doing some freelance work and I thought it’d be a good idea to get my head around some of the concepts that I’d need to know. My day job is in social media marketing, but I consider writing to be what I’m best at and so it makes sense for me to take a look into doing some moonlighting as a freelance writer. It’ll help me to pay for all the books I read!

Sadly, though, the book was outdated, and while some of the tips and tricks that the author offers up are still relevant – such as how to track your time and some of the different ways that you can charge it out – many more of them no longer really applied.

There was also the fact that the book was written by an American, and so all of the tax information got confusing because she talked about things like the IRS, which doesn’t exist in the UK. I’m still not entirely sure how the taxation system works in the UK, and even if I’d need to worry about it at all if I was only doing a low level of freelancing.

I did pick up a few ideas from the book that I might put into practice, but it’s also made me realise just how much effort can go into being a freelancer. And it also let me know about a few things that I hadn’t thought about at all, like how insurance works and where to invest money.

Overall though, I can’t really recommend it – I’m sure it had its use back when it was published, but the world has changed a lot and too little of it is relevant. It would be better to get a more recent book about freelancing, with some tips on social media and stuff. So there’s that.

[Jeanne]

I began doing freelance work in May 2015. I picked up this book as a way to make sure I was covering all my bases. For my needs it was perfect. Folks doing bigger freelance businesses would also benefit from the simple presentation of this book.

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book years ago as a resource to setting up the basic foundation for my freelance PR business. Before purchasing, I read reviews online and understood that this book was not a job description, but rather a good tool to help build the framework for a freelance business. It helped me to better understand the tax situation surrounding my entrepreunership.

In our ever growing world of technology, there is a great deal of similar information on the Web. My concern was knowing what was reliable, and what was opinionated or inaccurate. Instead of picking and choosing elements from various Web sites I trusted, I found this resource to be a much simpler, effective method.

If you are looking for a freelancing resource, I would advise finding a current edition of whatever book you choose, as business practices, tax information and the increase in social media have changed dramatically over the years.

[D. Redhawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy the Dummies and Idiots books. This one is just as full of information as any other and an entertaining read. In this case, it's about freelancing for a living. Not that I do, but I was looking more along the line for tips, especially in the financial section.

Well worth the time and effort.