The Ultimate Freelancer's Guidebook: Learn How to Land the Best Jobs, Build Your Brand, and Be Your Own Boss

by Yuwanda Black

The definitive resource for a new generation of freelancers!
 
Freelance writer, internet marketer, and mobile entrepreneur Yuwanda Black specializes in helping young freelancers build a business and "live the freelance life," and in The Ultimate Freelancer's Guidebook, she gives you the tools you need to be successful in the ever-growing freelance market. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow and expand, you'll learn how to:
Break into the freelance market
Find the best-paying jobs
Negotiate a contract
Build a brand
Create a strong online presence and portfolio
You'll also learn how to build your reputation in the freelance market, form long-lasting professional relationships, and start taking control of your own employment destiny--and success!

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Entrepreneurship, Writing

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2016

About the author

Transitioning to writing romance. Learn more at http://InkwellEditorial.com/about.

Reviews

[Ciro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical and valuable resource for starting a freelance job. What the pitfalls will be, what’s going to be the best place to start given your financial resources, how to market, and how to manage both your emotions and your time to be successful. There’s no certified program that will make you successful but there many things that are universally accepted as must-do’s for the groundwork.

[JeLo Guevara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and understand. There are some things that I already know and some tips and advice that I learn from this book. There are also things that don't apply to me as I am PH-based and the points she is tackling concerns US-based freelancers.

If you want to endeavour into freelancing, then this book might help you.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview for anyone starting out in freelancing. This is a concise guide that gives basic information on core topics of a freelance business: pricing, business plan, marketing, client acquisition, time management, working with clients, insurance, and basic finances. No one section is going to give you deep knowledge on a topic, but it provides enough information to give you an idea of where you need to focus your attention. For example, the book provides about a page on what a sole proprietorship is and pros and cons. It also covers the basics of an LLC. But you'll want to dig deeper before making decisions. After some additional research, I discovered that my state has a hefty income tax that applies to LLCs but not sole proprietorships, but other states don't have additional taxes.

Beyond the practical knowledge, I found the author's sensitivity to the psychological/emotional angle of starting up as a freelancer to be helpful and reassuring.

Published in 2016, this book is reasonably up to date, but as trends in on-line marketing and business change at a rapid pace, anecdotes and specific recommended apps and websites are likely to be dated. The book doesn't heavily rely on this and if they become outdated, it doesn't meaningfully take away from the overall value of the book.

Some of the current sites and apps that I've found useful are:
Wix.com - website design, very newbie friendly
QuickBooks SelfEmployed - (web & app) for tracking business finances, includes invoicing and a mileage tracker for business travel (via phone app). Interface has some limiting factors, but overall it works well.
MileIQ - tracks mileage for business. This functioned better than Quickbooks, but it's just for mileage.
Toggl - very simple app for tracking hours worked. Basically, it's a stopwatch, but you assign the time to a project/client. A weekly report e-mail will give you total hours worked by project.
Moo.com - high quality business cards

[Michael Van Kerckhove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guide to get the brain going on all things freelance! Some of it I'm in tune with already, but a good review on those things. While I'd be focused on writing, the focus is on freelance in general. Lots of good food for thought.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has so much helpful information, I started a notebook that I'm wrote the information down in. Has an index. Easy to flip through on what topics you need.

[Pandora Pilant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was going to get back into writing again so I picked up this book. The book is easy to read and understand. However, some of ideas or how to go about getting into certain fields, it does really give a way to get into that field. The book also does give pointers for newbies.