Freelancing Resources
A curated list of high-quality educational resources, business tools, podcasts, job sites and more for freelancers.
This page is curated and maintained by Designer Murat.
I've read and used many of the materials and resources recommended here and has cross-referenced other sites to see what consistently gets recommended. Feel free to recommend a resource if you think there’s one that should be in this directory.
Please enjoy and share!
Books
Freelancer's Bible
Sara Horowitz
We live in a gig economy today and there’s no better guide to making your way in that world than The Freelancer’s Bible. It will help you be savvier about building your brand and getting work.
The E-Myth Revisited
Michael E. Gerber
Michael Gerber's The E-Myth Revisited should be required listening for anyone thinking about starting a business or for those who have already taken that fateful step.
Design is a Job
Mike Monteiro
Great tips, hints, and suggestions. Easy and entertaining read.
Solid guidelines to handling clients, getting work, and understanding the worth of you service.
Everything I know
Paul Jarvis
The last thing the world needs is another "get-rich-like-me," self-proclaimed expert on what it takes to work for yourself. Anti-guru Paul Jarvis has written Everything I Know as a no-rules guide through uncharted territory with stories based on his two decades of freelancing.
Profit First
Mike Michalowicz
Quit being a slave to your own business and start making some serious money. Follow Mike’s counter-intuitive advice and put profits first.
You're My Favorite Client
Mike Monteiro
Whether you’re a designer or not, you make design decisions every day. Successful design projects require equal participation from both the client and the design team. et, for most people who buy design, the process remains a mystery.
Company of One
Paul Jarvis
What if the real key to a richer and more fulfilling career was not to create and scale a new start-up, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours, and become a (highly profitable) and sustainable company of one? Suppose the better—and smarter—solution is simply to remain small? This book explains how to do just that.
A Win Without Pitching
Blair Enns
A manifesto of business practices for those who sell ideas and advice, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto lays out twelve steps that owners of creative businesses can take to distance themselves from their competition, regain the high ground in their client relationships and learn to win business without first parting with their thinking or writing lengthy proposals.
Articles
15 secrets and tips to set you up for massive freelance success
Jess Eddy
If you’re considering a freelancing career, congratulations! Working for yourself can be highly rewarding and more importantly, a great way to grow. I’ve learned a lot working in full-time roles, but I learned a whole different set of skills working for myself. It gives you a unique perspective that you can’t find in full-time employment.
How to Scope Work
Dan Mall
I was working with one of my clients’ senior developers to map out exactly how we were going to get all of the work done that we needed, but a few frustrating hours of going in circles finally revealed the culprit. It’s a problem I’ve seen from very junior to some of the most senior employees I’ve worked with.
What to charge as a freelancer: does value-based pricing live up to the hype?
Benek Lisefski
Pricing is hard. Even after 17 years of freelance design, I can still second-guess my pricing strategy. Am I doing this right? Could I do something better to make more money for less work? Does my price reflect the value my clients are getting?
How to work with freelance clients: the best contracts are the ones you never have to enforce
Benek Lisefski
I’m frequently asked about how I handle freelance contracts with my design clients. How I outline payment terms, timeframes, deliverables, and what happens of it all goes sideways?