In this post, I will tell you the best freelancing books that can improve your freelancing career, fast.
When people start freelancing, they think it’s going to be fun and stuff.
They start dreaming working from exotic places, like on the beach with a laptop on their lap, for example.
However, the majority of people who started freelancing quit after a few jobs, and only a small percentage are able to live doing freelancing.
Even so, only a really small fraction of those surviving freelancers are actually able to make a lot of money without being busy.
But don’t worry, the following books about freelancing will help you to be a successful freelancer and live the dream you always want.
They can help you market your skill, get more clients, get higher pay, and maintain relationship with existing clients.
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1. The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less by Peter Bowerman
This book is a guide for writers that want to get in on freelancing or further their freelancing career.
It is focused on getting high-return for your time and roadmaps to being able to charge clients handsomely for bespoke writing.
It offers an overview of the different types of writing freelancers will be asked to perform—including copywriting, short narrative, and news articles, among others—and how to price these efforts.
It also gives advice on lead generation and securing long-term clients.
Probably one of the better books out there because it not only provides traditional channels but also discusses new gig economy marketplaces.
- How to secure freelancing clients.
- What to charge them.
- What kinds of writing companies are looking for and what they need.
2. Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho
This book is geared towards creatives of all types and teaches them how to build a business doing what they love.
This book is for those just starting out as freelancers as well as those who might have multiple talents to offer.
Creative, Inc. is easy to read and ideal for the beginner but also useful for someone who has freelanced for a while.
It helps newcomers navigate everything from getting clients to set up their own business.
A truly invaluable guide as most people may be talented writers but few people are excellent in both business and script.
- Fun to read with a ton of tips.
- Get everything up and going if you’re just starting out.
- A guide for multiple creative professions.
3. The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell
This book is tailored to freelancing writers that need to build a client base.
Learn how to pitch to local and major media organizations, how to tailor your writing to winning these jobs, and how to set up and market your freelancing business.
The advice in this book will help new and aspiring writers break through the sea of submissions and get noticed.
Further, the book explores how profitable freelancing work can be and how to achieve peace of mind through freelancing employment.
Probably one of the better books in terms of discussing the benefits of freelancing and why you should stick with it even if it seems hard.
- Advice for writers just starting to pitch their ideas to magazines and journals.
- Great for beginners to freelancing and packed with tons of helpful information.
- Teaches you how to “break the rules” while winning the freelancing game.
4. Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer: The Evolution of a $1m Web Designer by Liam Veitch
Getting started freelancing is almost about mindset as much as it is about talent.
Whether you have honed your craft for years or are just starting out, there are some common pitfalls new freelancers should follow to get the most bang for their buck.
This book offers advice on how to think like a business owner instead of a freelancer and the benefits this mentality can bring.
This book also has a lot to offer veterans as well, from tips on how to think like a big business to grow an impressive income to secure your financial future.
The book also emphasizes evolutionary improvement of skills and processes, emphasizing the importance of not becoming complacent in the marketplace.
This book is great at breaking the mindset that you are a writer and not a business owner.
- How to change your mindset from freelancer to business owner.
- How to implement constant improvement in your workflow.
- How to secure your financial future and wellbeing even when things are slow.
5. Secrets of a Freelance Writer: How to Make $100,000 a Year or More by Robert W. Bly
This book is geared towards freelance writers that want to specialize in creating content for corporations.
It offers tips and advice on what products to offer and promises readers the ability to make an annual income of $100,000 or more annually.
It offers advice for writing ads, annual reports, brochures, catalogs, newsletters, direct mail, and web page materials.
It also offers advice on how to market yourself as a freelancer, set up a website, and even purchasing online ads.
Again, this book is geared towards those freelancers that aim to work for a corporation and not a general guide to freelance writing.
There is a certain style and method for generating this kind of work and this book is best for those people who want to pursue that type of writing employment.
- Learn how to make over $100k a year writing for corporations.
- Set up a website and learn about lead generation to get new freelancing clients.
- Learn how to craft the typical range of products purchased by corporations, from brochures to reports.
6. The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle by Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia
This book relies on case studies and real-world examples to show you how to build the freelancing career of your dreams.
Whether you are a freelancer or style yourself as a consultant, this book offers advice that has been proven in the field.
The book’s advice balances personal lifestyle goals with business needs and teaches entrepreneurs how to get the most out of their life.
Towards that end, it helps readers distinguish between the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional marketing and why this doesn’t work and how freelancers can distinguish themselves in a crowded field.
The secrets are not really secrets, as general principles of success that freelancers can use to benchmark their performance.
- Advice on how to secure long-term clients.
- How to balance quality with the need for increased business.
- How to balance freelancing work and your personal life.
7. The Freelancer’s Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams—On Your Terms by Sara Horowitz
Another book for newcomers to the market, The Freelancer’s Bible does not offer as much in the way of advice for more seasoned workers.
One criticism leveled at the book is that it is too general to be of any specific use.
This is perhaps because the book’s goal is to transcend the years and offer overarching guidelines for succeeding at freelancing no matter the job.
That is all well and good, but with how quickly things are changing in the gig economy world, this doesn’t quite offer people enough advice to be workable.
Nonetheless a good book for people who want a broad overview of freelancing and not the nitty-gritty stuff.
- Great for a general overview of freelancing.
- Limited advice for modern methods and gig economy marketplaces.
- Too broad to be specific and too general to be applicable to most situations.
8. The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed: The Only Personal Finance System for People with Not-So-Regular Jobs by Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan
This book is perfect for people starting out or even those who have freelanced for some time because it shows you how to manage your finances—perhaps one of the toughest aspects of freelancing.
With ready-to-use advice, this book will help you get on the ground running with your freelancing business and teaches you how to avoid the ups and downs that come along with the gig economy.
It also helps you establish financial goals as well as a plan to achieve them.
Overall an amazing book for people new to freelancing or those who need some help mastering their finances.
From budgeting to taxes, managing the financial aspect of freelancing has never been easier.
- Financial advice for almost any situation.
- Tips that you can use now.
- Useful for newcomers and veterans alike and applicable to multiple fields of freelancing work.
9. My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman
This book is specifically marketed towards women that want to work in freelance but has advice that is applicable to both genders.
The book contains a bevy of tips, how-to guides, and general rules for succeeding at the freelancing game.
Again, written from the unique perspective of a female freelance worker, this book is great for stay-at-home moms and others in similar situations that need to make some extra money or perhaps pivot in their careers.
While geared towards female entrepreneurs, that shouldn’t deter you if you’re looking for a book on how to pivot successfully in your career.
- Amazing advice for women that want to freelance.
- How to get started and guides on other aspects of the gig economy.
- Setting goals and achieving them in freelancing with specific advice on how to maintain financial independence and personal well-being.
10. Make A REAL LIVING as a Freelance Writer: How To Win Top Writing Assignments by Jenna Glatzer
This book promises to reveal secrets that will lead to top-paying gigs.
It gives a bunch of advice on how to spot publications that are open to hiring freelancers, what kinds of content they are looking for, and how to market your work.
A bit dated, given its focus on magazine publishing, this book nonetheless offers a wealth of information for writers that are specifically geared towards getting themselves published in a magazine or journal.
Probably not the best advice for freelancers that are pursuing more general writing work, the book nonetheless offers an interesting perspective on one aspect of freelance writing.
Other books offer great advice about the personal benefits of freelancing but this book focuses on the real-world concerns of money and feeding yourself, making it a gem.
- How to get magazines and journals to pay for your writing.
- How to find the content that publishers want and how to create it.
- Somewhat dated given its focus on an industry that is perpetually strapped for cash.
11. This Year Will Be Different: The insightful guide to becoming a freelancer by Monika Kanokova
This is another book geared towards female freelancing.
It also offers tips and advice on how women can get started in the gig economy.
It offers tips on how to organize your gigs and how to get clients as well as some of the special challenges that female freelancers may face on the path to financial independence.
A book tailored towards people who want a career change and how to make that happen.
- Advice geared towards female entrepreneurs and freelancers.
- Need-to-know advice backed up by experience.
- Generally applicable advice to multiple fields and also useful to male freelancers as well.
12. Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success by Kelly James-Enger
This book is filled with tips for writers that want to earn a living doing what they love most—writing.
This isn’t advice for people who want to publish their own book or get famous through blogging, this book is hardcore focused on freelance writers and the special skill sets that they need to succeed.
It includes strategies for marketing and networking as well as insights into the profession as a whole.
These strategies even include tips on how to manage your social media presence, among other things.
- Jam-packed with advice and information for writers.
- Probably one of the most thorough guides specifically geared towards making money as a writer.
- Very specific and focused advice—probably not applicable outside of writing.
13. The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing: How to Write, Work, and Thrive on Your Own Terms by Zachary Petit
How to find markets that will pay you to write. How to pitch your writing to them. Gaining clients and securing long-term contracts.
These are just a few of the subjects covered in The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing, perhaps one of the best books available on the subject anywhere.
This book not only teaches you how to win business but also how to cultivate your writing persona and market yourself online and in networking.
Really sporting multiple uses, this book is perfect for people who want a broad approach to the craft of freelance writing.
- What you need to know about writing for a living.
- How to pitch your work and get paid top dollar for it.
- Tips on how to pivot away from your 9 to 5 job.
14. Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money by Kelly James-Enger
Money, money, money—this book is focused on making the most of your writing and securing a stable financial future for yourself.
Whether you love to write or want to break away from your desk job, this book is focused on how to get there using your writing.
The author speaks from experience and offers a roadmap towards replicating her success.
This includes all of the traditional avenues as well as new opportunities in the gig economy.
One highlight of this book is its ability to convey the opportunities that are out there for writers in this new economy.
- How to make a lot of money writing, no matter your motivation.
- Marketing yourself using every available method and how to figure out what works.
- A guide to establishing yourself as a financially independent writer.
15. The Science, Art and Voodoo of Freelance Pricing and Getting Paid by Jake Poinier
Some freelancers don’t know how much to charge for what they offer.
This book helps you price your work and get what you want from your clients.
This book not only teaches you how to find good clients but also how to keep bad ones at bay.
Geared towards the professional freelancer, this book is perfect for seasoned veterans and is a must-read for beginners.
It presents the mixture of skills it takes to be successful at freelancing and how to develop each one in turn.
Really a good book for people who have freelanced for a long time but need some refreshers on certain areas of their business.
- How to get good clients and void bad ones.
- How to price your freelancing work.
- How to set up a system for monitoring your progress.
Quick Question: What Is The Hardest Thing About Being A Freelancer?
Being more productive? Dealing with clients? Low quality work? Short deadlines?
Or maybe you want to share your tips on freelancing so other aspiring freelancers will benefit from it.
Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below!
Thanks for the shout-out on my book (“The Well-Fed Writer”). Sincerely appreciated.
And just to clarify, TWFW is SOLELY about “commercial” freelancing—writing for businesses and creative agencies. It’s not about journalism (though, you might write some articles as part of commercial assignments), short stories or any other kind of freelancing. It’s geared towards writers interested in making a serious full-time living at the craft. Free ezine, blog, knowledgebase and report at http://www.wellfedwriter.com.
Thanks again!
PB
Hey Peter.
Thanks for the additional insights!