The Freelancer's Bible

The Freelancer's Bible is a must-have for anyone looking to try freelancing.

(Credit: freelancersbible.com)

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As graduation nears, a student’s thoughts naturally turn to the obvious: “Will I be able to get a job?”

For some, a career path might take form through the taking on of work on a project-by-project basis, a process commonly called “freelancing,” something that government statistics show as the way that 42 million Americans bring home a paycheck. The ability to make a living without being tied to one job has lots of advantages, but along with the freedom comes self-responsibility for all the mechanisms that make freelancing viable, and that’s where Sara Horowitz’s The Freelancer’s Bible comes in handy.

Horowitz first outlines seven important steps for beginning freelancers with step number one being that you must be clear about your goals; subsequent steps advise on things like making sure your goals are commensurate with your skills and figuring out what you can charge for your services. These are just the basics, though. Horowitz also goes into detail on setting up your office or base of operations, a seemingly simple thing that can call for drastically different set-ups depending on things like if you need a receptionist or not or if maybe you need total quiet to work and whether or not you’re going to base out of your home.

Other considerations Horowitz expounds on include the nitty-gritty of the tax and insurance implications of freelancing, how to market yourself in the digital age, taking advantage of a growing community of like-minded individuals (Horowitz founded the Freelancer’s Union) and even --- since you’re your own boss --- learning how to deal with your mistakes that may lead to disgruntled clients.

The information in The Freelancer’s Bible, all 400-plus pages, can help you prevent many of those rookie mistakes and is presented in an easy-to-understand “Freelancing for Dummies” sort of way, equally relatable to all occupations be it actor or accountant, opera singer or real estate agent.

Grade: A