Book Review: Solo Success

Solo Success It’s hard to find really good books on freelancing. Most are written by people who just want to write a book rather than provide helpful information.

Solo Success: 100 Tips for Becoming a $100,000-a-Year Freelancer by David Perlstein is one of the better freelancing books. It’s written by a guy who’s gone from job to freelance and learned the business through experience. It’s out of print, unfortunately, though you can
pick up copies cheap on Amazon or at used book dealers. I found a copy by accident at the library.

Why do I like this book? Mostly because Perlstein comes off as an honest guy who genuinely wants to help other freelancers. He didn’t write the book to brag about how much money he makes or simply to create a trophy piece to wave in front of potential clients. He shares loads of practical know-how about the day-to-day issues you’ll face when you set up shop as a freelancer.

He covers all the basics, such as creating business cards, setting up files, and finding the right office space. And he moves through essential subjects such as setting your rates, getting clients, client management, and billing and collections. There’s little fluff or braggadoccio, which is typical for these types of books.

Another thing I like is that Perlstein, who came from an ad agency background in San Francisco, recognizes that freelancers have a bad reputation in some circles. He says, “To some, freelancing suggests being between jobs or not being good enough. Know that as an independent businessperson, you are worthy of respect.” This is an image that many freelancers don’t understand and often perpetuate. The lure of freelancing for many is freedom from the workplace. But that doesn’t mean freedom from work or from structure, professionalism, initiative, or responsibility.

Published in 1998, Solo Success is a decade out of date for fees and office technology. And it seems the author’s rates were relatively low anyway, though that may simply reflect the freelancing environment of the area he worked in at that time. But otherwise, this book holds up well and delivers solid business advice for most freelancers. Its going out of print could be a result of poor cover design or simply a glut in the topic area of home-based business.

Frankly, some of the best books to read if you’re going freelance are not freelance books at all. They’re books on being a consultant, such as Getting Started in Consulting. Successful freelance writers or designers are really consultants anyway, they just happen to provide services that use writing or design skills. As I’m always telling would-be freelancers, think like a writer or designer and you’ll fail. Think like a consultant and you’ll succeed.

Do you have a favorite book that has been helpful in your own freelance career?