We have all imagined some scheme to escape the day-to-day bump and grind of our 9 to 5 jobs. (Or in some cases swing shift employment.) Some of us may have dreamed of being photographers, business owners, or like me writers. Seriously, who would not love getting up at nine, and working in their pajamas? A magical world where the rules of regular employment do not imply, and you are the sole manager. My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman is written to be a springboard for that alternate career path.
Since graduating in 2008 with my Master’s degree, I have struggled consistently with my long-term goals. For years, I had worked towards becoming a professor, but now that I took this pause to get some “real world” experience, get married, and have the white picked fence my goals have become garbled. Therefore, in the spirit of every good academic I have been exploring all possibilities. Law school, doctoral programs in multiple fields, an Etsy shop, bakery/coffee shop ownership, and becoming a full time writer have all come up on the table. For someone in the same boat as me or ready to tell their boss to shove it can really benefit from Michelle Goodman’s guide.
Honestly, Goodman had me with her book dedication “For anyone who’s ever hit the snooze button five times in a row on Monday morning.” The entire book is a combination of practical advice such as tax advice, stories from a variety of freelancing professionals, and Goodman’s thoughts on the career path. It actually creates a light and easy to read atmosphere for a non-fiction/how to work. I find the concept of freelance work liberating and frightening at the same time. The book quickly broke down my misconceptions about being a professional freelancer. It is a constant life of selling yourself to clients, balancing different types of projects, and its own monster when it comes to health insurance.
In conclusion, be prepared to learn the truth about being self-employed, and be ready to want to pick up her first book The Anti 9 to 5 Guide as soon as you finish this one.
P.S. This is book four out of twenty in my eBook Challenge!
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