6 Excellent Books About Freelancing For Beginners

It can be daunting to get started, but there are a few good reads that provide some useful tips.

Chris Hanna
5 min readJan 6, 2023
Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

Here are 6 books that are highly regarded as some of the best resources for freelancers:

  1. The Freelancer’s Bible — Sara Horowitz
  2. The Lean Startup — Eric Ries
  3. The 4-Hour Work Week — Tim Ferriss
  4. The $100 Startup — Chris Guillebeau
  5. The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less — Peter Bowerman
  6. The Wealthy Freelancer — Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia

These books cover a wide range of topics related to freelancing, including how to get started, how to find and pitch to clients, how to set rates and negotiate contracts, how to manage your time and finances, and how to succeed in a competitive industry.

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6 Excellent Books About Freelancing

1. The Freelancer’s Bible — Sara Horowitz

The Freelancer’s Bible by Sara Horowitz provides practical and comprehensive advice for freelancers looking to succeed in the gig economy.

The book covers a range of topics, including how to find and land freelance work, how to negotiate rates and contracts, how to manage finances and taxes, and how to build a successful freelance business.

One of the key strengths of The Freelancer’s Bible is its focus on the practicalities of freelancing. The book provides concrete strategies and tips for tackling common challenges faced by freelancers, such as finding and securing work, managing finances, and building a professional network.

It also covers important legal and financial considerations for freelancers, such as how to negotiate contracts and protect your intellectual property.

Overall, The Freelancer’s Bible is a valuable resource for anyone looking to start or grow a successful freelance business.

2. The Lean Startup — Eric Ries

The Lean Startup is a good book for freelancers as it provides practical and actionable advice for building and growing a successful startup.

The book is based on the “lean” startup methodology, which emphasizes the importance of building and testing a product or service quickly and efficiently in order to validate and iterate through business ideas.

The Lean Startup focuses on customer discovery and validation. The book provides a step-by-step guide for identifying and targeting the right customers, gathering valuable feedback, and using this feedback to refine and improve your product or service.

This approach helps to minimize risk and increase the chances of success for businesses in the early stages of development.

3. The 4-Hour Work Week — Tim Ferriss

The 4-Hour Work Week is a popular book that provides practical strategies for building a successful business and achieving financial freedom through passive income streams.

It covers a range of topics, including how to automate your business, how to outsource tasks, and how to create passive income streams.

The book emphasizes the importance of efficiency and maximizing productivity, and it provides practical advice for streamlining work processes and maximizing time.

It’s not aimed specifically at freelancers, but it’s still an excellent choice for those that need some inspiration to make more money!

4. The $100 Startup — Chris Guillebeau

The $100 Startup is a good book for freelancers in particular because it provides case studies of successful businesses that started with just $100 in capital.

This can be especially useful for freelancers who are looking to start a business on a tight budget or who are looking to supplement their income with a side hustle, but with minimal outlay.

The $100 Startup puts a focus on building a business based on your unique strengths and passions. The book provides practical advice for identifying and leveraging your unique skills and experiences in order to create a business that is both meaningful and financially successful.

5. The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less — Peter Bowerman

The Well-Fed Writer is a valuable resource for freelancers looking to build a successful and financially sustainable writing career.

The book covers a range of topics related to freelance writing, including how to find and secure work, how to craft compelling pitches and articles, and how to manage your finances and taxes.

One of the key strengths of The Well-Fed Writer is its emphasis on how to build a profitable and sustainable writing business. The book provides practical advice and strategies for finding and securing high-paying writing jobs, as well as tips for pricing and negotiating rates.

Another valuable aspect of The Well-Fed Writer is its emphasis on marketing and building a professional network. The book provides practical tips for promoting your writing services and building relationships with clients and industry professionals.

It also covers the importance of building a strong online presence and creating a professional website.

6. The Wealthy Freelancer — Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia

The Wealthy Freelancer is a great book for new freelancers as it provides practical and actionable advice for building a successful freelance business from the ground up.

The book is written by successful freelancers who share their experiences and lessons learned in building a profitable and sustainable freelancing business.

The Wealthy Freelancer discusses how to find high-paying work, and it provides practical tips and strategies for identifying and targeting lucrative clients, crafting compelling pitches, and negotiating rates and contracts. It also covers important legal considerations for freelancers, such as how to protect your intellectual property and minimize risk.

Another valuable aspect of The Wealthy Freelancer is its emphasis on personal and professional development.

The book provides tips for building a strong professional network, developing the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed as a freelancer, and setting goals and creating a vision for your business.

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Chris Hanna
Chris Hanna

Written by Chris Hanna

Creator and owner of Freelance Ready (freelanceready.com) and ChrisHannaSEO (chrishannaseo.com). Posting guides for beginner writers and freelancers.

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