How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer - Review
Overview
For months now, I’ve seen the button and banner ads for How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer. To be honest, I assumed that I really didn’t need the book. The fact is, I was (and still am) already wildly successful in my freelance career. While I love reading Freelance Switch as much as anyone, I assumed that the book would be must a re-hashing of what I’d already read there and elsewhere. But, curiosity finally got the best of me, so I decided to check it out. Here are my thoughts, for what they’re worth.
For Experienced Freelancers
In many ways, I was right. How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know from five years in the field. It did, however, reminded me of some of the basic lessons I’ve learned in that five years. I can’t say I’d recommend How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer to anyone who’s been at the Freelance business for more than a year or two (unless your business is in the tank, in which case you might give it a read). If you’re already a successful freelancer, it is a good read and a pleasant reminder of the basics, but your $30 would probably be better spent elsewhere.
For New Freelancers
If you’re just getting started out as a freelancer, How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer will give you more than what you need to jump-start your freelancing career. If I had this book when I first started freelancing, I probably could have saved a good year’s worth of headaches, and would be a full year closer to realizing my ultimate dream of writing solely for myself. If you haven’t yet taken the freelancing plunge, How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer can help provide you with an accurate picture of the field and the lifestyle so that you can decide if it’s for you.
From practical issues like setting up your workspace to big ideas like branding, the folks at Freelance Switch offer up a ton of useful information. There’s information about how to figure your hourly rates, how to increase your rates over time, getting leads, managing clients, marketing, and subcontracting.
What’s Not There
I’d like to have seen more Information on Internet-specific writing and marketing. How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer is probably just slightly more useful for the print freelancer than the Internet freelancer, although both can benefit. To be sure, Internet writing is my thing, so I’m partial to seeing this sort of content.
Where It Excels
How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer is awesome at providing the basic principles from which you must operate to be successful as a freelancer. What How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer lacks in tactics and small-picture questions (although there is quite a bit of minutia there) it more than makes up for in strategy and big-picture ideas.
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Overall, I give it a 9.5/10 for new freelancers, and a 7/10 for those who’ve been at it for more than a couple of years. Oh, and yes, by way of disclosure, it’s an affiliate link. You buy it, I get a pittance 
Comments
5 Responses to “How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer - Review”
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Bob, good review here…I like the very specific pros and cons.
Thanks Bob, for the great review. I’ve been wondering about this one for a while, and you’ve given me enough of a push to go for it.
Plus, if it gives you a few shekels, why not?
-Brett
Brett Legrees last blog post..eight random facts about me. no kleenex required.
@ Hunter - That’s how reviews work in the real world. The Internet? Not as common, unfortunately. I prefer an honest approach. If I am going to recommend a product, I want folks to know what to expect.
@ Brett - I think you’ll like it. If not, you know where to find me
Bob,
I’ll have to come and visit eventually, once we get our matching t-shirts
I figure with this, advice from you, Monika, the Men, Melissa, etc., I’ll be such a Rockstar Freelancer that I’ll be touring stadiums and those crazy Viking metalheads I listen to will open for me…
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