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SOLO - Survival Guide Til Kreative Freelancere
If you’re planning to build a freelance career in an artistic industry, SOLO is the perfect field guide for creative entrepreneurs at every level. Whether you’re starting out, or a seasoned professional, this book will give you the tools you need to push forward on your journey to building your brand and becoming a sought-after commodity. Drawing from his own experiences as a twenty-year professional in the comic book and commercial art industries, author Palle Schmidt guides you through the process of transitioning from amateur to creative professional with an emphasis on longevity, sustainability and happiness in whichever field you’ve chosen. Complete with real-life examples, pre-written forms and psychological business strategy, SOLO will be the book you reference throughout your career for advice and inspiration as you turn your brand into an empire.
SOLO is written for people who believe in creative living on their own terms, who want a sustainable career, mixing freelance work with creating and selling their own art. Diving in to the tactics and strategies of this book will help you find a clearer vision to strike out your own path.
Here’s some of what the book covers:
- How to get started with freelancing
- How to create a network of people to help build your career
- How to handle clients and pricing your work
- How to handle the business side of things
- How to gain new clients and create several income streams
- What tools, tactics and templates you can use to sustain you over the long haul
"There are two kinds of guide-books: ones that give you information, and ones that give you soul. This book is definitely the latter one. I enjoyed it and found it very useful.”
-- Juhana Lumme, screenwriter, director and author, Helsinki, Finland
“I enjoyed this book immensely. It filled in a bunch of holes that I didn't think much about in the beginning :) And for people just starting out - it is a solid resource.”
-- John Edingfield II, creator of Rancidville, Pennsylvania, USA
“I loved this book, it has flooded this last week with inspiration and stimulating advice. It is absolutely packed with very good ideas and fantastic templates and the writing flows beautifully. I love the artwork . It feels perfectly structured. I will treasure it and consult it often!”
-- Enrico Vattani, diplomat/ artist / director, Tokyo, Japan
SOLO is written for people who believe in creative living on their own terms, who want a sustainable career, mixing freelance work with creating and selling their own art. Diving in to the tactics and strategies of this book will help you find a clearer vision to strike out your own path.
Here’s some of what the book covers:
- How to get started with freelancing
- How to create a network of people to help build your career
- How to handle clients and pricing your work
- How to handle the business side of things
- How to gain new clients and create several income streams
- What tools, tactics and templates you can use to sustain you over the long haul
"There are two kinds of guide-books: ones that give you information, and ones that give you soul. This book is definitely the latter one. I enjoyed it and found it very useful.”
-- Juhana Lumme, screenwriter, director and author, Helsinki, Finland
“I enjoyed this book immensely. It filled in a bunch of holes that I didn't think much about in the beginning :) And for people just starting out - it is a solid resource.”
-- John Edingfield II, creator of Rancidville, Pennsylvania, USA
“I loved this book, it has flooded this last week with inspiration and stimulating advice. It is absolutely packed with very good ideas and fantastic templates and the writing flows beautifully. I love the artwork . It feels perfectly structured. I will treasure it and consult it often!”
-- Enrico Vattani, diplomat/ artist / director, Tokyo, Japan
- GenresNonfiction
296 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2017
12 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 18, 2019
The book is both a myth buster (no, you don’t need a business plan) and a friendly peptalk (Don’t be afraid to finish!) that all freelancers need before they begin their solo adventure 💪🏼😎
July 11, 2021
*A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
As I read this book, all I could think about was how much I didn’t know about the freelancing industry. Yes sure, I know embarrassingly little, and I wouldn’t have thought about it until I read this book.
As a person working in the creatives, SOLO carries a lot of invaluable advice. Schmidt has spent more than 20 years as a freelancer, and he explains the ins and outs of the freelancing industry. I’ve heard again and again about the importance of self-discipline (although I am still lacking), budgeting and time management (once again, I am still lacking) as a freelancer. However, this book made me realize that I had no clue about the entrepreneurial side of it.
Believe me, it was eye-opening to hear that as a freelancer, you have to have a registered company (I feel so ashamed to admit that I didn’t know it), apply for tax-deductible business expenses (which is great because Adobe software isn’t cheap) and the many opportunities for networking and help within the freelancing community. I’ve never heard any of these things when others discuss freelancing!
In SOLO, he not only gives advices, but also shares his experience as a case study, provide many email templates for different situations such as for when you need to pitch your ideas or when you’re looking for a mentor. It’s a gem.
I had to read this book twice. The first time, I’ve yet to begin my freelancing career, but I did wish I took down notes. The second time around, I am taking down notes and trying to apply it wherever I can.
If you’re interested in freelancing, I highly recommend this. It’s an overall enjoyable read that motivated me to get my life together, and I hope you will enjoy it too.
As I read this book, all I could think about was how much I didn’t know about the freelancing industry. Yes sure, I know embarrassingly little, and I wouldn’t have thought about it until I read this book.
As a person working in the creatives, SOLO carries a lot of invaluable advice. Schmidt has spent more than 20 years as a freelancer, and he explains the ins and outs of the freelancing industry. I’ve heard again and again about the importance of self-discipline (although I am still lacking), budgeting and time management (once again, I am still lacking) as a freelancer. However, this book made me realize that I had no clue about the entrepreneurial side of it.
Believe me, it was eye-opening to hear that as a freelancer, you have to have a registered company (I feel so ashamed to admit that I didn’t know it), apply for tax-deductible business expenses (which is great because Adobe software isn’t cheap) and the many opportunities for networking and help within the freelancing community. I’ve never heard any of these things when others discuss freelancing!
In SOLO, he not only gives advices, but also shares his experience as a case study, provide many email templates for different situations such as for when you need to pitch your ideas or when you’re looking for a mentor. It’s a gem.
I had to read this book twice. The first time, I’ve yet to begin my freelancing career, but I did wish I took down notes. The second time around, I am taking down notes and trying to apply it wherever I can.
If you’re interested in freelancing, I highly recommend this. It’s an overall enjoyable read that motivated me to get my life together, and I hope you will enjoy it too.
January 22, 2020
This is an excellent book that takes you through all the advantages and setbacks of going freelance. The author documents his own journey and shares it with the reader, allowing you to gain from his experiences.
This book features all sorts of gems, from handling your finances to networking. The author works as a freelance artist, but this book works for any kind of creative freelance work. He shares templates you can use and links to sites he has used, that have proved useful to him.
I would recommend this book to self employed person, whether it is a new venture or a long standing business. There is something for every person within these pages, it contains lots of useful business information.
Highly recommended.
This book features all sorts of gems, from handling your finances to networking. The author works as a freelance artist, but this book works for any kind of creative freelance work. He shares templates you can use and links to sites he has used, that have proved useful to him.
I would recommend this book to self employed person, whether it is a new venture or a long standing business. There is something for every person within these pages, it contains lots of useful business information.
Highly recommended.
January 2, 2020
Essential reading
Palle takes a large and always-changing topic and breaks it down into easy-to-follow steps. If you’ve ever considered making it as a freelancer, this will tell you just about everything you need to know to start out. It even has good tips for those who have been freelancing. After all, we’re always learning!
Palle takes a large and always-changing topic and breaks it down into easy-to-follow steps. If you’ve ever considered making it as a freelancer, this will tell you just about everything you need to know to start out. It even has good tips for those who have been freelancing. After all, we’re always learning!
Read
January 23, 2021Rigtig god og gennemført bog. Perfekt til freelanceren, der har brug for ekstra råd!
October 23, 2025
Loved the more conversational tone of this book that focuses on real experiences rather than analytical research.
October 14, 2019
How often have you searched on the Internet, trying to find the answer to a problem that your personality and experiences make quite unique? You can surely get some inspiration from the answers in the search but getting the right answer is unlikely. SOLO: Survival Guide for Creative Freelancers is Palle Schmidt's attempt at bringing together all the questions he had about being a freelancer over the years, and sharing his experiences - what has worked for him, what hasn't worked for him, the things he is expected to do like an entrepreneur and the things he doesn't find useful. He had answers to questions I can see myself asking but had not put into words yet!
I learned about what it means to be talented and disciplined. I got to know the factors I need to keep in mind if I want to be my own boss one day. But most importantly, I learned the value of freedom and networking - something that introverts find quite hard to do. Palle offered practice advice on issues like finances, social media, online presence, and more, always with the caveat that each person's situation is unique and we will each have to find the right fit for ourselves, based on our values, skills and priorities. And he was brutally honest about all of it.
If you do anything creative, whether it is bookblogging, like me, or drawing art, or writing, you should read this book. Even if you do not plan to sell your services, you should read this book. There are so many hidden gems and ideas that you will definitely take away something from it, like I did. Check out my thoughts on this book on my book blog Armed with A Book.
I am grateful to Palle for providing me an advanced reader copy of the book and for the chance to interview him. I will be going back to this book again in the near future.
I learned about what it means to be talented and disciplined. I got to know the factors I need to keep in mind if I want to be my own boss one day. But most importantly, I learned the value of freedom and networking - something that introverts find quite hard to do. Palle offered practice advice on issues like finances, social media, online presence, and more, always with the caveat that each person's situation is unique and we will each have to find the right fit for ourselves, based on our values, skills and priorities. And he was brutally honest about all of it.
If you do anything creative, whether it is bookblogging, like me, or drawing art, or writing, you should read this book. Even if you do not plan to sell your services, you should read this book. There are so many hidden gems and ideas that you will definitely take away something from it, like I did. Check out my thoughts on this book on my book blog Armed with A Book.
I am grateful to Palle for providing me an advanced reader copy of the book and for the chance to interview him. I will be going back to this book again in the near future.
November 21, 2017
Forfatteren fortæller i en uformel tone om hvilke gode ideer og tips der har virket for ham. Mange, mange råd er gode og tankevækkende og sikkert brugbare for de fleste selvstændige med enmandsvirksomhed, også af andre typer end de illustratorer, forfattere og musikere bogen primært henvender sig til.
December 13, 2019
Dejligt med en bog for freelancere inden for den kreative branche
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews