Freelancing for Dummies

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 360 pages
• Published by: For Dummies
• Edition: 1st Edition June 15, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764553690
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764553691
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Product Description
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 great 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:

• Organize your home office and budget your time
• Create the ideal working environment
• Evaluate jobs and projects
• Land new business and manage client relationships
• Manage your money and pay your taxes
• Stay positive and manage the emotional uncertainties of self-employment

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:

• Self-assessments to gauge your skills and personality
• Critical “Get in, get out” information
• A gold mine of checklists, tear-out sheets, and sample forms
• Top ten lists
• War stories from freelancers who’ve made it

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.

Back Cover Copy
Your survival guide to building a successful freelance career

Go it alone with savvy, strength, and confidence! Sick of the office and looking for a change? Relax! Let expert Susan Drake help you make the leap from employee to boss - with no stress, no sweat. From practical tips on assessing your skills to real-life stories from successful freelancers, this friendly guide will pave the way to a smooth and fulfilling freelance career.

Discover how to: Organize your home office and budget your time Evaluate jobs and projects Land business and manage client relationships Create the ideal working environment Manage your money and pay your taxes

The Dummies Way^™ Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com Sign up for daily eTips at www.dummiesdaily.com Choose from among 33 different subject categories Get news you can use on everything from money to health to computers

Reader Reviews
That's what the author is and that's the perspective she writes from. Which is fine with me, because that's what I'm looking to do. For freelance biz writers, this is a good one-stop-shopping kind of book. I've seen plenty of freelance writing books, and this really addressed my needs transitioning from staff writer at a software company to contractor to freelancer. Too many of these books are all about breaking into magazines (VERY tough to do) or start off by suggesting that all you need to do is just open the Rolodex from your old job and start phoning those CEOs you know. Easy! Others have an aggressive, in-your-face "gonzo" approach to marketing that can be profitable or off=putting. If you're not comfotable with that style, it'll also be UNprofitable. By contrast, I *like* the upbeat tone, professional tone of this book. I'm tired of all the negativity in freelance books of the "why you'll likely fail" variety. Nobody ever succeeded at something by believing from the outset that they would fail. And with so many others around us willing to say that, who needs a book to say it? The book covers that ground quickly and then gets on with it. Much of the focus - such as setting up a comfortable work environment and tracking your billable hours - is really targeted to writers and others whose work is mainly sedentary and likely at home. If this doesn't describe you, you may find the book a little frustrating. I'm just getting started in freelancing from contracting for others, but I found the information in it to be detailed, thorough and accessible. Besides "Freelancing for Dummies," I like Peter Bowerman's books ("The Well-Fed Writer" and "Back for Seconds") a lot, too, on the subject. By contrast, Bowerman skipped the whole "write a business plan" thing. If you're looking to go into freelance writing, these 3 books should be enough to get you off to a good start.