Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Beginner's Guide, July 1, 1998
By A Customer
Surprisingly, there are not many how-to books on starting and managing a career in freelancing, so the "Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money in Freelancing" is welcome relief. Other business books are helpful, but starting a freelance business is slightly different -- usually there's no need to obtain financing and large capital is not necessary. This is where the "Idiot's" guide come in handy, with advice just for soon-to-be freelancers.. So many freelancers fail early in their careers -- perhaps their prices didn't allow a profit, or they didn't have enough business, or maybe freelancing wasn't what they expected. Like so many books in the "Complete Idiot's" series, this beginner's guide will give enough of an overview on the world of freelancing so that the reader can decide whether to pursue this type of career. The first few chapters are full of self-analysis quizzes -- occasionally helpful, but usually just too silly. I particularly enjoyed the advice the author dispensed based on her 15 years experience as a freelancer, from her early mistakes to her best methods to keep accurate records, get tax deductions and secure new business.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An okay start, but not enough to go it alone, September 6, 2001
This book was informative, and does indeed include many helpful hints and tips. However, as a textbook on going it alone and freelancing, this is not it. The author says some things unclearly, and some things that need little explication are described to a point of excessive belaborment. The cutesy little extras are not helpful, either. Granted, the Idiots books are not designed to be full scale treatises, but even within the Idiots series, this book falls short - it barely offers the reader a glimpse of how to be a freelancer. I should fear for anyone who attempts to start their own career after reading only this book.If you have not freelanced, and are looking to start, begin with this book - it is a good grounding in the (very) basics of freelancing. But, please, make sure to go on to a few other books afterward before trying anything. This book will help you understand those other books better because you will at least have been introduced to the language.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good info buried in bad writing, March 27, 2000
This book certainly has some helpful tips and advice for freelancers, but to get at it, you have to wade through pages and pages of annoying, too-cute jokes and analogies that don't add anything. I'd assume most people who would read this book (like me) are currently working full time, and thinking about going freelance. So why the author elects to waste so much of our limited time on fluff instead of getting straight to the good stuff is beyond me. Don't bother unless you have a lot of time and patience. (Or are a potential freelance editor and would like some practice.)
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by Kelly James-Enger
