Dirtbag Writer

Six Figure Freelancing: A Book Review

Posted on 18. Jul, 2009 by Writer in On Writing

After perusing shelf after shelf of books on writing at the public library, I left for home with stacks of books about freelancing.  Kelly James-Enger’s Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money was most helpful.  This book is going to be an excellent resource for me as I begin my freelance writing business with business being the keyword. James-Enger strongly suggests that those wishing to have a freelance writing career take on a business mind-set.  You are not a writer but a successful self-employed businessperson whose business just so happens to be writing.

Although some of the information in the book was slightly banal (such as a discussion about different types of internet connections), the sections on laying the groundwork for your freelance career and thinking about your writing as a business actually changed the way I thought about launching my freelance career.  I kept thinking about what I was going to do to make money once my savings ran out totally assuming that I was going to fail instead of planning ways in which I could succeed.  Advice I took to heart:

• Write part-time to gain clips and connections before taking the leap into a full-time freelance writing career.
• Focus on what you can do.  Stay confident, positive, and expect setbacks.’
• Delve completely into full-time freelancing.  It is too hard to be successfully while splitting your time between other jobs.
• Be organized from the beginning.  Set-up ways to track query letters, project steps, and finances.
• Adopt a business mind-set and firm goals.

Six Figure Freelancing is definitely worth reading if you are considering a career as a freelancer.  The book gives great advice on how to become a full-time freelancer by thinking about writing as a business, and offering tips on writing query letters, organizing your time, setting up a home office, and managing taxes.   Whether you are just beginning to think about freelancing as a career, are just about to take the leap, or are a struggling writer, this book offers helpful information for persons at any stage of their writing career.

Tags: Books