Working Writer Happy Writer: How to Build a Thriving Writing Business from NOTHING (Paperback) – Sue LaPointe
Due to the economy and the desire to break free from corporate America I’ve been reading a lot of business related books. Anything from Twitter Revolution to the Bestseller Rich Dad Poor Dad have been thumbed through lately. I’ve been on my personal quest to find something that can set me free and allow me to control my own destiny. I recently had lunch with a friend who was a former co-worker. Because of some health issues and the need to be a stay at home mom she had started to freelance. She told me how much she was making and about a woman she had met over the internet named Sue LaPointe. We talked about the book she had read that was written by Sue and how it was inspiring. I was interested in knowing more so I went home and did some research right after our yummy Thai food lunch.
Just Do It
I put off buying the book for several weeks because the bills to keep the power and heat on come first. But I did some searching and found some great freelance websites. Just recently I finally ordered the book and just finished reading it earlier this week. I’ve always said you have to spend a little money if you want to make money.
Freelance Freedom
It’s no wonder why Sue is at the top of her game and one of the top writers on Guru.com. She writes in a style that keeps you turning the pages and with a sense of humor tossed in. I now feel like I have the basic knowledge need to start my own freelance writing business or even web design. The book doesn’t go into depth but gives you enough information on how to get started. Readers are given a list of freelance websites to check out from Sue’s favorite Guru.com to Rent-a-Coder, the popular E-Lance and more.
It’s all about getting the Gig
Sue talks about getting your first gig (freelance job), finding local clients, building and updating your portfolio, setting your rates and more. I enjoyed reading about the 8 projects she recommends such as starting a blog. I already can check that one off my list because you’re reading this on my blog. Keeping your portfolio up-to-date and building on your work. Her recommendation is to keep your work in PDF format instead of its native format (i.e. Word format). It looks better and most everyone has the ability to view a file in PDF format. The most current version of Office will even convert from Word to PDF on the fly. Recommendation number 5 is advice to visit forums on a regular frequency. Warrior Forum is one that I’m a member of but need to visit and utilize more often. The forum not mentioned that I found a few months ago can be found on Freelance Folder. You’ll usually find me posting under DJInBoise on both the forums. I’ll leave the other recommendations for you to discover when you read the book.
Smart Goals
The last thing I want to mention is goal setting because it’s SMART (Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). I always try to set small realistic goals so I can attain them. Reading Working Writer Happy Writer was one of my short term goals. Never having to work for a corporation again in my lifetime is my long term goal. What’s your short term goal? What are your long term goals? This book gives you lots of information and ideas to make your own goals. It’s up to you to seize the moment and decide your future in freelancing.
DJ
Order the book on Amazon today and start your own journey!
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