Top 10 Books Every Freelancer Should Read in 2021
Freelancing can be a tough job. You are your own boss, which is absolutely great but at the same time, you need to oversee all aspects of running a business. No matter your industry, you need to deliver a great quality service, market your work in front of potential clients, create content, network, do your taxes, keep up with the latest developments in your industry and ultimately upgrade your skills as you move from one client to another. And that can be a pretty tough job.
So how do you keep up with all those skills and developments? Books offer a great way of learning and at a relatively lower price than taking, for example, an online specialist course. By reading a book, you consume massive amounts of high quality researched content in a short span of time, which in your case as a freelancer can be a great way to stay ahead in the loop.
Here are 10 Books That you might find helpful in 2021
1. The $100 Startup: Fire Your Boss, Do What You Love and Work Better to Live More | by Chris Guillebeau
This book is written by Chris Guillebeau. He is is a writer, entrepreneur, and traveller. In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau shows you how to lead a life of adventure, meaning and purpose — and earn a good living. Chris is still in his 30’s and is on a mission to complete a world tour. He has already visited a record number of 175 countries by doing remote work, outsourcing and automation — which means he has never had a real job.
In The $100 Startup, he gives a number of examples of people living the high life of travel and adventure without taking up a traditional work of 9–5 — a real job, that’s what the older generations call it. If you are starting a side hustle or plan to travel the world someday and still want to generate some source of income, this book is a must-read.
2. The 4-Hours Work Week By Tim Ferriss
This book is for the 21st-century generation — the so-called millennials. It is written by Tim Ferriss, an American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur. It’s a great book for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit with zeal for hard work and enthusiasm to escape the rat race. If you are a newbie freelancer or planning to start your own side hustle — this book will solve a lot of your problems and give you a better perspective. Also, this book made Tim Ferris famous.
3. Rework: Change the Way You Work Forever | by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
This book is written by the founders of trailblazing software company 37signals. In today’s world, anyone can be in business. The tools that use to be out of reach are now easily accessible. It’s a great book for newbie freelancers or anyone trying to escape the 9–5 rat race. It lays the basic foundation that instead of working 80 hrs/week and living a miserable life, you can outsource some of it or automate a part of it and complete the rest manually. Few things I picked up from the book:
- Don’t let the past drive the future.
- Learn from your past mistakes to build better products.
- Start with what you have.
- Don’t overwork. Cultivate a freelancing mindset.
- Premature growth means death.
- Get into the outsourcing mindset.
4. The Freelancer’s Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams– On Your Terms | by Sara Horowitz
Amazingly, one-third of the American workforce is freelance — that’s roughly 42 million people who have to wrestle with not just doing the work, but finding the work, then getting paid for the work, plus health care, taxes, setting up an office, marketing, and every headache that comes with freelancing. The Freelancer’s Bible will help those new to freelancing learn the ropes, and will help those who’ve been freelancing for a while grow and expand. It’s the one-stop, all-encompassing guide to every practical detail and challenge of being a nimble, flexible, and successful freelancer: the three essentials of getting clients and the three most important ways to keep them happy. This book is basically a one stop guide to your freelance journey.
5. How to Win Friends and Influence People | by Dale Carnegie
You can go after the job you want…and get it! You can take the job you have…and improve it! You can take any situation you’re in…and make it work for you!
Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies. Dale Carnegie’s first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.
This is a book that will serve as a guiding light in any business that you start. It is packed with people skills and social skills that might improve your freelance projects manifold. Must read for anyone planning to start their own side hustles.
6. What to Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn) | by Seth Godin
This book is a collection of short stories & essays that educates the readers “what to do when it’s your turn” in life.
This is an urgent call to do the work we’re hiding from, a manifesto about living with things that might not work and embracing tension when doing your art.
It’s a must pick up book for any newbie freelancer or anyone planning to start a side hustle.
7. Creative Inc: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Very Successful Freelance Business | by Meg Mateo Ilasco
This book will teach all types of creatives illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, animators, and more how to build a successful business doing what they love. It’s a modern day bible for digital creators. Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho are freeancing pros who explain everything from creating a standout portfolio to navigating the legal issues of starting a business.
8. Stop Thinking as a Freelancer: The Evolution of a $1m Web Designer | by Liam Veitch
This book exists to help freelancers earn more this month than they did last month, by leveraging big-business thinking and creating a state of constant evolutionary improvement.
“My intention is to describe my experiences and provide inspiration and practical advice for putting them to work in your business. These experiences have led to an enormous amount of financial freedom and professional predictability for me…something I could only dream about before.”
9. Outliers: The Story of Success | by Malcolm Gladwell
In this provocative and inspiring book, Malcolm Gladwell looks at everyone from rock stars to professional athletes, software billionaires to scientific geniuses, to show that the story of success is far more surprising, and far more fascinating, than we could ever have imagined.
He reveals that it’s as much about where we’re from and what we do, as who we are — and that no one, not even a genius, ever makes it alone.
Outliers will change the way you think about your own life story, and about what makes us all unique.
It’s a must read book for any creative genius.
10. My Creative (Side) Business | by Monika Konokova
Are you sick of being a freelancer with an irregular income? Do you ask yourself every single month how much you’ll earn? Worried you won’t have any new upcoming clients at all?
If you suffer with this kinds of questions as a freelancer, you should probably check out this book.
My Creative (Side) Business is a book for smart creatives who desire to focus on their creative output and monetize their work. Whether you’re trying to figure out a slow strategic way to become a creative freelancer and want to kick off a real plan, or whether you’re determined to find ways to create regular income streams doing what you enjoy, this book will help you do just that.
