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Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business
As the hipster classic Craft, Inc. did for crafters, this book will teach all types of creatives illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, animators, and more how to build a successful business doing what they love. Freelancing pros Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho explain everything from creating a standout portfolio to navigating the legal issues of starting a business. Accessible, spunky, and packed with practical advice, Creative, Inc. is an essential for anyone ready to strike out on their own.
184 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
158 people are currently reading
2568 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 18, 2010
When my sister and I run the world, all college students, no matter their chosen field, will take a basic business course as part of the mandatory freshman curriculum. Having zero business skills is a good way to invalidate any degree. In the freelance world, there’s much more to staying financially afloat than having all the necessary skills to pull off excellent work.
Creative, Inc. is a crash course in business for creative folk, and it’s refreshing to read authors who don’t pretend starting a freelance business is simple. It’s not.
Authors Mateo Ilasco and Cho hit every key point a person needs to build a start-up creative business, including a superb mix of practical advice and personal success stories.
With well-rounded advice for beginning freelancers, even those who’ve already leapt into freelancing will find help navigating the dark waters of taxes, billing, finding clients, and other business practicalities. Written in a neighborly tone, you’ll find solid, practical advice from the authors, who tackle issues like establishing your hourly rate and hiring employees from an educated perspective. Author interviews with a range of seasoned professionals — from prop stylist to designer to photographer — offer alternate views on how to get started and what worked for them.
The spirit of invention is only one ingredient in a successful business venture. Drive counts more than your skillset and talent level. If you’re already motivated, Creative Inc. offers everything else you’ll need to begin freelancing full time.
Creative, Inc. is a crash course in business for creative folk, and it’s refreshing to read authors who don’t pretend starting a freelance business is simple. It’s not.
Authors Mateo Ilasco and Cho hit every key point a person needs to build a start-up creative business, including a superb mix of practical advice and personal success stories.
With well-rounded advice for beginning freelancers, even those who’ve already leapt into freelancing will find help navigating the dark waters of taxes, billing, finding clients, and other business practicalities. Written in a neighborly tone, you’ll find solid, practical advice from the authors, who tackle issues like establishing your hourly rate and hiring employees from an educated perspective. Author interviews with a range of seasoned professionals — from prop stylist to designer to photographer — offer alternate views on how to get started and what worked for them.
The spirit of invention is only one ingredient in a successful business venture. Drive counts more than your skillset and talent level. If you’re already motivated, Creative Inc. offers everything else you’ll need to begin freelancing full time.
January 26, 2011
This book could very well be the best friend a freelancer could have. I love everything Meg Mateo Ilasco does, and this book is no exception -- it's a perfect starter guide for an artist on the verge of a career. But even though I've been a freelancer for 9 years now, this book comes in like well-needed shoulder massage. It's motivating and packed with so many great reminders & tips & interviews. Highly recommended!
October 25, 2010
Maybe because I've been freelancing for the past 8 years, I didn't really get much out of this book but maybe for someone starting out it provides good information. I did think their example on how to do an invoice is so completely wrong - one shouldn't provide an itemized list, broken down by time spent to the client. However, I did find the interviews with established freelancers inspiring and interesting.
February 2, 2012
It was perhaps silly of me to read this book right after Craft, Inc. but I liked to see Meg Mateao Illasco's approach to building a craft business expanded to speak to creative freelance business in general. Similar to Craft, Inc. I liked the authors focus on mission statement and knowing when to stop. I also liked the author's thoughts about collaboration and how to balance your work and your life. I think they make the point very well that a creative person looking to make a go of it must define success for themselves, cultivate habits of mind to achieve that success, and have clearly defined goals with intermediate steps to reach them, as well as constantly reassessing what they are doing and achieving. They don't sugarcoat the freelance lifestyle, but they do provide a guide through it. If I made the leap to freelance I would buy this book to have on hand as a quick reference guide. The design is a little busy, but still very beautiful.
January 3, 2022
Book 2/200:
A timeless handy guidebook for people of all ages who wish to carve out a freelancing career for themselves. Three things that I loved about the book:-
1. It's written in a noob-friendly tone which I'm sure would appeal to both young and old people who have no prior knowledge about what freelancing is.
2. Covers almost all aspects of starting and running a proper business from scratch (all by yourself).
3. Interviews of successful freelancers offer a glimpse of how freelancing changed their life for better and also sheds light about the challenges they encountered during the journey.
You can also choose to read this book in your own way. Skim through the table of contents and read any particular chapter that interests you.
A timeless handy guidebook for people of all ages who wish to carve out a freelancing career for themselves. Three things that I loved about the book:-
1. It's written in a noob-friendly tone which I'm sure would appeal to both young and old people who have no prior knowledge about what freelancing is.
2. Covers almost all aspects of starting and running a proper business from scratch (all by yourself).
3. Interviews of successful freelancers offer a glimpse of how freelancing changed their life for better and also sheds light about the challenges they encountered during the journey.
You can also choose to read this book in your own way. Skim through the table of contents and read any particular chapter that interests you.
February 19, 2020
Goldmine of tips and information. I colour coded at least 10% of the book for future use. Very US centric. Would have given 5 stars had it been a bit less localized. Still would recommend.
March 15, 2015
A friendly motivator even when the advice and rules don't sync perfectly with your mission (not that they ever could; we're all individuals doing different things). Creative Inc. covers all the areas you need to be thinking about and get you headed in the right direction and that's helpful place to start. The interviews with successful freelancers are full of interesting and helpful tidbits. You might feel a little jealous, but hopefully more inspired :)
More specifically, the Making It Official section made me think starting a freelance career in Michigan would be more work than it was (I don't even need a business license and trips to the county clerk aren't necessary when you can do most things online, from filing for an EIN number to getting your tax license) and the itemized invoice for creative services is more detailed than I would send a client (though a good mental/private breakdown for quoting jobs). Government websites, at least for my state, aren't the most user-friendly, so it was nice to know exactly what I was looking for so I didn't get overwhelmed.
Despite the now-seems-obvious nature of determining your hourly rate, I found the gross income/hourly rate equation very helpful. Their emphasis on contracts and licenses/rights got my brain a bit worked up, but in a good way (I also recommend Jessica Hische's "Thoughts" on what to charge/licensing for more specific examples for illustrators).
Overall I highly recommend it. An inexpensive way to really get your butt in gear.
More specifically, the Making It Official section made me think starting a freelance career in Michigan would be more work than it was (I don't even need a business license and trips to the county clerk aren't necessary when you can do most things online, from filing for an EIN number to getting your tax license) and the itemized invoice for creative services is more detailed than I would send a client (though a good mental/private breakdown for quoting jobs). Government websites, at least for my state, aren't the most user-friendly, so it was nice to know exactly what I was looking for so I didn't get overwhelmed.
Despite the now-seems-obvious nature of determining your hourly rate, I found the gross income/hourly rate equation very helpful. Their emphasis on contracts and licenses/rights got my brain a bit worked up, but in a good way (I also recommend Jessica Hische's "Thoughts" on what to charge/licensing for more specific examples for illustrators).
Overall I highly recommend it. An inexpensive way to really get your butt in gear.
January 4, 2016
In all honesty, it deserves 3.5 stars for the quality of the content. It is clearly meant as a tool for graphic designers/illustrators, but nevertheless, there are some extremely valuable advices about good business practices that can be applied to freelances in general, notwithstanding the precise operational sector. I did however, find the resources quite 'thin' and mostly useless. No one can seriously propose 'facebook.com' as a resource in this day and age. It feels a bit the authors forgot they're living in the XXI century. Also, if you do not live in the USA, you might want to skip over some specific explanations of legal requirements that may not be the same in your country of residence. Of course, that does not mean you should ignore them, but rather seek out some additional resource that would refer to your business situation.
February 27, 2014
I wavered between three and four stars on this one. The book was good and gave me a lot to think about, but the focus and the writing was directed entirely at design, art, and illustration freelancers. I knew from the author descriptions that both authors had backgrounds in freelance design but I was still hoping for a little attention directed at freelance writing or editing. An interview with a freelance writer or editor would have been excellent. Otherwise, I think the book title should have specified that it was intended more for designers than the current iteration, which seems to be aiming for "everybody doing creative freelance work."
September 14, 2015
This is a very elegantly composed book. It has a myriad of useful, easy-to-implement tips for the novice freelancer artist. I really enjoyed the "breaks" offered by QA interviews with real live freelancers. My main gripe--and while it doesn't reflect the quality of the book, it does impact its usefulness to me--is that it is targeted exclusively toward visual freelance artists...which I am not. However I still found the book both enjoyable and informative, and I hope to find its counterpart for literary freelancers.
July 31, 2012
A great and thoughtful introduction to the world of freelancing. Without sugar coating it, they give you the facts and make the whole thing seem possible.
August 9, 2020
Creative, Inc. by Meg Ilasco and Joy Cho is a self-help book for a person who does some sort of creative activity and would like to build a freelance business around it. It’s not about What, but about How.
Mind that the book is from the pre-Instagram, pre-Etsy era, so some aspects of it (marketing and accounting, for example) might not be as relevant because Etsy already does many things for their sellers.
I find the authors’ tips helpful in case I would want to start a website or branch out into illustration or graphic design and go big, like start approaching companies or getting an agent.
The book is written for all creative people, but because of many references and interviews around illustration, animation, and graphic design, I kept on projecting the text onto a commercial visual artist.
I can’t say I took many practical pointers from the book - maybe because I’m at a stage of growth, not start, and development of a business that I already have, but the book was very inspiring nevertheless. I kept on making notes throughout, many times totally irrelevant to the text, sometimes inspired by the creatives from the interviews section.
It felt like having an energetic companion for a coffee, who inspires all those new ideas, and you rush to make plans and chart a strategy.
Surprisingly, even though the book is about How, I now have plenty of What on my index cards. 💫
Mind that the book is from the pre-Instagram, pre-Etsy era, so some aspects of it (marketing and accounting, for example) might not be as relevant because Etsy already does many things for their sellers.
I find the authors’ tips helpful in case I would want to start a website or branch out into illustration or graphic design and go big, like start approaching companies or getting an agent.
The book is written for all creative people, but because of many references and interviews around illustration, animation, and graphic design, I kept on projecting the text onto a commercial visual artist.
I can’t say I took many practical pointers from the book - maybe because I’m at a stage of growth, not start, and development of a business that I already have, but the book was very inspiring nevertheless. I kept on making notes throughout, many times totally irrelevant to the text, sometimes inspired by the creatives from the interviews section.
It felt like having an energetic companion for a coffee, who inspires all those new ideas, and you rush to make plans and chart a strategy.
Surprisingly, even though the book is about How, I now have plenty of What on my index cards. 💫
March 2, 2021
A great primer for someone interested/planning to go freelance, but perhaps not as useful for someone already in the trenches. The book covers a lot of detail that many might not think of when first considering freelancing, such as business permits and licenses, taxes and work/life balance, of which the book covers briefly and leaves further research up to you. As such, it makes for a great overview into the world of creative freelancing as well as a good checklist to revisit upon when considering if your freelance business could be optimized further.
It's not a book that will change the world or the way you think, but it's a great guide and directive for anyone who is at loss with how to start/sort out their freelancing gig or needs a little help with finetuning their current way of life.
It's not a book that will change the world or the way you think, but it's a great guide and directive for anyone who is at loss with how to start/sort out their freelancing gig or needs a little help with finetuning their current way of life.
September 12, 2018
A good summary for someone who is starting out on their art/design freelance career. It discusses some basic but necessary points such as setting up your brand and business idea, marketing yourself, communicating with clients, how to calculate your fee and make contracts, agents, and balancing your work and personal life. Each chapter also has interviews with people in different creative professions discussing how/why they took up freelancing/self-employment over other types of employment. The subjects might not be talked about in depth but it is certainly a good starting point for further research.
November 1, 2020
Gave up within half an hour of opening:
- Not what I was looking for.
- Opposite of my 'no-frills' preferences.
- Waffle. Too wordy. Not enough actionable information.
- Information is basic. Examples: moving to a big city is expensive but there are more opportunities there, make sure you communicate with the client, think of yourself as a business, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on and on. To be fair I think this is exacerbated by the fact that I know this area fairly well at this point, but the point remains.
- Interviews didn't add anything.
- Not what I was looking for.
- Opposite of my 'no-frills' preferences.
- Waffle. Too wordy. Not enough actionable information.
- Information is basic. Examples: moving to a big city is expensive but there are more opportunities there, make sure you communicate with the client, think of yourself as a business, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on and on. To be fair I think this is exacerbated by the fact that I know this area fairly well at this point, but the point remains.
- Interviews didn't add anything.
December 6, 2020
Will refer back to this book as the years come by. So much invaluable tidbits.
I wish that the interviews provided more bits about handling difficult challenges. I get that they're all successful and all but it's invaluable to know what they did during the harder times. Most people reading the book are looking for guides and answers to their problems not revel in someone else's successes. To clarify, its inspiring to listen to those kinds of stories, it's just a little bit excessive for a sub 200 pg book that says it's an "ultimate guide."
I wish that the interviews provided more bits about handling difficult challenges. I get that they're all successful and all but it's invaluable to know what they did during the harder times. Most people reading the book are looking for guides and answers to their problems not revel in someone else's successes. To clarify, its inspiring to listen to those kinds of stories, it's just a little bit excessive for a sub 200 pg book that says it's an "ultimate guide."
July 14, 2021
Less of an 'ultimate guide' and more of an 'introduction for junior & mid weight creatives based in the US', which focused more on the creative angle and less on the business details. There's lots of great interviews, but if your specialism is outside of creative arts ie, graphic design, photography, there's less insight to glean from them. I personally would of liked some more detail in the exercises and examples, as those were more useful, especially where talking about £££. If you've ever worked in an agency, 60% of this (talking to clients, proposals) you'll already know.
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January 22, 2022Another great Early Reviewer book I’m catching up on.
This was a very interesting read but not quite for my current job status. I don’t know if I’ll ever be at the point of truly going freelance as I enjoy my job too much the way it is, but it was very insightful to read about the process of creating your own business, keep it running, make money and survive on your own.
If you’re looking to branch out and create something new, this is a great book to pick up and read through. It’s pretty quick and fun!
This was a very interesting read but not quite for my current job status. I don’t know if I’ll ever be at the point of truly going freelance as I enjoy my job too much the way it is, but it was very insightful to read about the process of creating your own business, keep it running, make money and survive on your own.
If you’re looking to branch out and create something new, this is a great book to pick up and read through. It’s pretty quick and fun!
April 26, 2019
This is a good source of information. The problem is that it is a little bit outdated. Also I haven't really learn anything new. I was hoping for more tips and legal advice. But still I think it is a great book to familiarize yourself with law and how freelancing works.
I hope that there will be a newer version of it, with different arist`s profiles. I didn't find artist's listed in the book too exciting. But maybe I have a little different style and taste.
I hope that there will be a newer version of it, with different arist`s profiles. I didn't find artist's listed in the book too exciting. But maybe I have a little different style and taste.
August 29, 2021
3 1/2 stars -- I swear I'm not trying to become a freelance artists, but I really enjoying reading about the business side of running a personal, creative business. Is it the organization side of things? The fantasy of being your own boss? I'm not sure, but I have a healthy respect for anyone who can make a living from their creative talents. Again, this series of books is well written, visually organized, and has great spotlights on real people in the business.
June 2, 2017
A quick read for those who ever wondered if they had a knack for freelancing. It is well worth noting that freelancing is not only about graphic design, photography or animation; when disruptive creativity peeks in, there are a gazillion of potential ideas that prove to be success stories for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
January 17, 2018
It is a great guide to start planning or thinking about a freelancing career. I found a lot of details that I hadn't thought about before and are super useful.
The only thing I wish this had is a more international resources list. All things listed are relevant only to the USA and maybe they could mention where to seek information in other countries
The only thing I wish this had is a more international resources list. All things listed are relevant only to the USA and maybe they could mention where to seek information in other countries
September 8, 2019
I loved the fact that first hand accounts of people in the relating professions were able to give an account with context of the chapter.
Also a no nonsense guide to running a creative business, definitely will get another read.
Also a no nonsense guide to running a creative business, definitely will get another read.
May 17, 2020
For the most part, this is a fantastic book. There were some areas that don't apply to me (yet) so I skimmed over some of them but otherwise I'd highly recommend it. I hope they create a revised edition to reflect the changed in freelancing in the next decade.
November 21, 2022
Great book if you’re kind of thinking about starting your own business. Unfortunately I just finished another book that had almost the exact same information - maybe even a little more - and was almost the exact same format.
January 15, 2017
More suitable for illustrators/graphic designers/photographers but writers and creatives can also find some good advice.
July 30, 2018
Helped me start my business!
September 4, 2019
Nice book with so many people interview regarding how they start their work and how they achieve.
October 7, 2019
I think I may need to buy this. Informative, attractively formatted, and inspiring, with several valuable resources listed at the end.
May 20, 2020
Lots of case study that related and usefull to me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews