The Freelancer’s Survival Guide by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Rating: 4.5

Author: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Reader: Julie Eickhoff

Short Review: The ultimate guide to anyone considering going into a freelance business or already working as a freelancer. Filled with useful examples, good advice as well as commiseration.

Long Review: Kristine Kathryn Rusch has always been a freelancer of one form or another. In her own words she’s made every mistake so that we don’t have to. She covers a wide range of topics from getting started to knowing when to quit. Rusch has extensive experience in freelancing besides writing. She has worked in radio, retail and editing. On top of that she has friends who are also freelancers in many other fields. It follows that the examples she gives around any given topic are from many different areas of freelancing.

The examples are by far the best thing about the book. They often induce sympathetic groans, sometimes laughter. But no matter how much you as a hopeful or new freelancer feel like you’re just flailing around in the dark, the examples will certainly let you know that at least you’re not the only one doing so.

It should be mentioned that The Freelancer’s Survival Guide can be read for free online. Rusch is also known to update the content as updates become necessary. The book started out as a series of blog posts that was retooled into a full book. Some of the book’s chapters were further cut down into minibooks for people who are only interested in a specific topic.

Julie Eickhoff is easily one of my favorite non-fiction readers. She has a no-nonsense type of voice that is still filled with humor on occasion. I know there are plenty of people who find her type of voice grating so I would advise on listening to a sample before purchasing the book.

Personally I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is practical while also encouraging you to dream big, realistic but also inspirational. I suspect this will become one of those books I’ll listen to over and over again, because most of the content is not tied to time in any way.