This is a book that I am destined to reference again and again. I am not normally a big reader of nonfiction, but I was riveted to this book from the beginning. Michelle Goodman has a frank, funny voice that supplements her invaluable information perfectly. It is clear that she is not only a truly seasoned freelancer, she has also done her research. And she's so likeable. Normally I feel condescended to when I get advice from authors in books, but reading Goodman's advice genuinely felt like having a conversation with an older, wiser friend. (Not that Michelle Goldman is old. I just view her as a role model now.) If you have any aspirations to a freelance career of any type, please pick up this book immediately. For real. Do it.

"Freelance Life" tackles everything a fledgling freelancer needs to know to land clients, love your work and get paid what you're worth. Not to mention, how you're supposed to deal with boring stuff like contracts and the IRS without going nuts. "My So-Called Freelance Life" was extremely comprehensive, fun to read and didn't take long to get through. Plus, it was packed chock-full of references and resources that would be helpful for any freelancer, regardless of market. I just put this book on the bookshelf directly above my computer working space; I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up going back to it again and again.

I really appreciated the honesty and real-world tips Goodman offers in this book. I think anyone who is currently a freelancer or seriously thinking about becoming one should read this book. It's funny, a quick read, and full of tips that I haven't read anywhere else.

This book offers some great guidance and advice for those just starting out with freelance work. It's written in that whole cutesy/blogger kind of language (with chapters like "You're so Money!") which started to really grate on my nerves after awhile. It's hard to read a whole book in that kind of language. There is plenty of information in here that applies to everyone, but I did find that she was a little too copy-editing/writer-focused in her advice (which is what the author does). There are so many other ways to be a freelancing human in the world and she would occasionally throw in a few "this applies to dog walkers and crafters!" but not very often. It's a good book for beginning freelance folks to nail down the basics of writing a contract/invoice and how to deal with taxes. The most valuable part of the book was her advice on having clear and strong boundaries with clients - something most freelancers have a difficult time with, no matter how long they have been in business, but if you've been at it for awhile (as I have) you should probably save your hard-earned cash.

Some good basic ideas to keep in mind that could easily get lost in the shuffle. The pricing section has some very good points to remember.

Short chapters, lots of good info. Takes some of the fear out of freelance.

My So-Called Freelance Life by Michelle Goodman is a humorous but helpful primer on navigating the freelance career path. I would recommend this book to freelancers or anyone who is considering becoming a freelancer.

Goodman's novel reads as a friend giving helpful advice. She shares lessons learned from her own freelancing career and experience, and from other freelancers.

At times the puns and jokes were a bit much for me, as I wanted to get to the heart of each concept. With that said, as a freelance writer who stresses about a lot of the subjects covered in this book, I found Goodman's levity to be reassuring at times.

All-in-all, this book was insightful and had some great advice.

A great book for an aspiring freelance writer or self-made business in design or something creative. Not so much the "go-to" book for freelance copyediting.

This was good but it is ten years old and set in America so not all of it was relevant. Useful though and readable.

The book Dave bought me when I first thought up starting my business, 2+ years ago. Great info, and she's such a fun writer to read.