The Principles of Successful Freelancing

by Miles Burke

Thinking about becoming your own boss and embarking on the wonderful and rewarding journey of freelancing? The Principles of Successful Freelancing is for you. In this easy-to follow guide you'll learn what's important in transforming your skills into a booming freelance business.

This book leads you through the entire process, from getting started, through to winning and keeping loyal clients. Running a successful freelance business is easy, and with the information in this book, you'll confidently turn your freelancing dream into a profitable reality.

The 12 Principles Of Successful Freelancing

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Website Design

178 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2008

About the author

Miles Burke has been online since 1993, and involved in designing and developing websites since 1994. Before then, he worked in graphic design, advertising, radio stations, retail, nightclubs and more. Miles has a Diploma in Commercial Art, from way back in the day of bromides and calling typesetters. Since 2002, Miles has been Managing Director of Bam Creative, his design studio located in Inglewood, Western Australia.

Miles dedicates much of his time to volunteer work, he is the Founder and now Chairperson of the Australian Web Industry Association (2002-) and organising committee member of Western Australia’s premier fashion event, StyleAID (2005-). Previously, he was Board Member and Secretary of the Western Australian Internet Association (1999 - 2004), committee member of WA Web Awards, a committee member for a community radio station and committee member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers.

In 2007, Miles was one of the 40 under 40, an award by Business News, and in 2005 he was awarded an award for his ‘contribution to the Western Australian web industry’. In his spare time, he is devoted husband to Meredith, and father of three; son, Davis (7), daughter Leia (5) and new son, Quinn (5mo).

Reviews

[Mahdi Khosravi · Rating 2 out of 5]

اول اینکه من نسخه‌ی فارسی که توسط نشریار و پونیشا منتشر شده رو خوندم. این حرکت که کتاب رو به صورت کرادفاند ترجمه کردن خیلی خوب بود. خوشحالم که منم تونستم توی فاند کمکشون کنم.
اما...
کتاب عملا بد ترجمه شده بود. کلا ویراستاری نشده بود. تعداد بسیار زیادی غلط توی ترجمه بود. ففط توجه کرده بودند توی متن کتاب اسم پونیشا رو توی لینک سایت‌های فریلنسینگ اضافه کنن.
جدا از همه اینا، خود کتاب هم چیز خاصی تو چنته نداشت. به نظر خیلی قدیمی بود.

[pd · Rating 3 out of 5]

عرضه‌ی ترجمه‌ش توسط پونیشا از وجودش مطلعم کرد و در دوره‌ای که پیدا کردن کار ثابت جدید برام چالش شده بود خوندن متن اصلی‌ش رو شروع کردم. نکات مهمی داره که خیلی از فریلنسرها به تجربه آموختن. حوزه‌ی تخصصی مورد نظرش برنامه‌نویسی وبه و نکته دیگه‌ای که کمی از ارزندگی‌ش برای ما کم می‌کنه، مثال‌های عملی‌شه که طبعاً از فضای آمریکاست.
در مجموع برای کسی که بخواد ابعاد چنین حرکتی رو مرور کنه، بد نیست؛ اما بهینه هم نیست. گرچه اگر کسی قصد شروع این مسیر رو داشته باشه و راهنمای انسانی یا مکتوب بهتری برای کسب نگرش لازم سراغ نداشته باشه، بهتره مرورش کنه.

[Fatemeh Am · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب یه دید کلی میده ولی عمقی به مبحث نمی‌پردازه. اینکه اول کتاب گفته بود با چه مباحثی رو به رو میشیم خوب بود منتهی شرح خود فصل و خلاصه فصل بیشتر شبیه کتاب درسی کرده بودش. اواخر کتاب رو خیلی سرسری رد کردم.

[Lunacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"اصول فریلنسینگ موفق" به طور سطحی به حرفه فریلنسینگ می‌پردازه و موقعیت‌هایی که یک فریلنسر در این حرفه به احتمال زیاد باهاشون مواجه میشه رو بررسی می‌کنه. در کل مقدمه فریلنسینگ رو توضیح میده و تشویقتون می‌کنه که در صورت امکان این حرفه رو امتحان کنید.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Recipe for creating a successful freelancing Job!

[Mohammad Daryani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book help me to know that how are dimensions of freelancing life and what should I do to be a professional freelancer.

[Dhuaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book covers basics of a whole lot of areas:
- reasons for freelancing
- accounting and legalese
- setting up an office
- dealing with customers
- proposals
- work-life balance
- health
- ecology
- further career
As all Sitepoint books, this one has an example to support the teaching - case studies and interviews.

I have to admit I didn't expect much from this book. Sitepoint always has nice and user-friendly writing style, but lacks substance and is geared more towards beginners in the field. This book contains simple basics of everything a freelancer thought might be useful to other freelancers - it's not strictly about business, but also about lifestyle.
Personally, I don't think chapters about ecology are that important. Such things apply to everyone, not only freelancers, and are very common-sense. Nearly everything is this book is obvious when read and requires only some reasonable thinking and common sense to figure on one's own, but it's nice to have a handy checklist of stuff that needs attention, a 'freelancer's cookbook'. It saves the reader the effort of determining on their own what parts and types of project management or enterprise management apply to freelancing reality.

[Ignas · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the young students or people after school it is fine, because they could miss some basic principles, but for the person who has some experience already in business, like me (in companies or working as solo player)the book contains too basic information. Well if you have time it is always good to review even the things which you already know and this book is easy to read. In short - for newbies it is a good read.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and timely book. The information is relevant, recent, well-organized, and well-presented; I've read a number of "how to be a successful freelancer" books and appreciate the clear visual style and information in this one. I'd only add a note that since its 2008 publication, Google Reader is now defunct.

[Povilas Korop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that covers all the basics of freelancing and reaches the audience of BEGINNERS freelancers. Since I am quite familiar with this market, I didn't find out anything really new, bus still the book had some good points.

[Feli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advice for anyone who wants to start freelancing or who's just started out.

[El]

چون مختص طراحان و توسعه‌ دهندگان وب بود یه نگاه سرسری بهش انداختم و فقط جاهایی رو خوندم که یه دید کلی از این سبک کاری می‌داد و به کارم می‌اومد.