The Wealthy Freelancer
I just spent the week blazing through The Wealthy Freelancer, and it has come out of nowhere to take a top spot on my entrepreneurship bookshelf. The book, written by three prosperous freelance copywriters and released to comparatively little fanfare earlier this month, takes a refreshingly constructive angle on working for yourself.
There's no hyperbole, no promise of waking up at noon and retiring at 25. It's not anti-corporate -- in fact, it embraces the fact that many freelancers' livelihoods depend on the corporate world. And where many books provide great advice and then suggest you "insert your million-dollar idea here," this book presents real, concrete ways to build a financially and personally rewarding business today.
Part of it is the fact that these guys are not Internet buffs. The world of Silicon Valley, whether you love it or reject it or just go to the parties, has affected all of us young web entrepreneurs in a potentially corrosive way. I've gotten incredible value and inspiration from books like Rework, The 4-Hour Work Week and I Will Teach You To Be Rich, but they also left me feeling bad that I have created a "real" job for myself -- even though it's one where I provide an awesome service to clients who appreciate my contribution, treat me with respect and pay me professional rates. That doesn't mesh with the typical Internet mindset, which is more about achieving escape velocity and dumping your clients to build your own empire.
Instead, the authors of The Wealthy Freelancer embrace the career of the successful, professional freelancer. They know you can be wealthy, happy and balanced -- and that it takes work to get there. One of my favorite tenets hits so hard for me because it's so obvious -- but so rarely acknowledged by web entrepreneurs:
"Hold in your mind the expectation that a certain level of success requires a certain amount of honest effort."
As weird as it may sound, that's the piece that is missing from the story of the pipe-dream Internet entrepreneur. It takes a genuine investment of your time, energy and creativity to build something of real value. It feels great to hear from seasoned pros who see running a client-based freelance business as a success in itself, rather than just a stepping stone to selling a product or cashing out.
Where others say "nice work, but you're only halfway there," this book says "you're awesome, and here are 12 ways to keep it up."
Whether you're a web developer, designer, writer or freelancer of any kind, The Wealthy Freelancer gets a big recommendation from me. It takes a great attitude and positive tone, and it delivers valuable advice on conquering the mental, social, financial and technical challenges of running your own firm. The site also includes three free chapters and a great blog, so check it out, and enjoy the rush of being an awesome entrepreneur!
P.S.: I read this book on the Kindle iPhone app, and, just like the Classics app, having a book in my pocket rocked my world.
About the Author
Rob Howard is the web developer who speaks your language. As the founder of Howard Development & Consulting, he works exclusively with designers and creative firms to deliver top-notch HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Wordpress and ExpressionEngine content management system development. He's built sites for Harvard, MIT and the Holocaust Museum, and his start-ups have been praised in BusinessWeek, Entertainment Weekly and PC Magazine.
