Freelance Writing Bootcamp by Caleb Krieger: A Book Review
By Melissa Batai
In the introduction of FreelanceWriting Bootcamp: Learn How You Can MakeMoney from Home Freelance Writing Online, Caleb Krieger unabashedly admits that his ebook is short. That's the way he prefers it. He wants to get right down to the nitty gritty so readers can go out and make money as writers. Think of this book as a comprehensive CliffsNotes guide to becoming a freelance writer.
The book contains six chapters. If you're a new freelance writer, you'll
likely find all of them important. If
you're an experienced writer, you'll still likely benefit from the last few
chapters.
Book Contents
Chapter 1: Getting Started
The majority of this chapter is written for the complete
beginner. Krieger gives 14 tips that
will help you survive as a freelancer including grow thick skin, learn how to
handle loneliness, and set up a dedicated space to work. As an experienced freelancer, I would agree
that all 14 of these tips are necessary to survive and thrive in the freelance
world.
Chapter 2: Finding Work as a Complete Beginner
Krieger begins by covering the content mills and then
bidding sites like Elance and oDesk.
Next he moves on to online residual income writing sites. Of course, he also mentions creating your own
blog/website, though he warns that this isn't an easy or quick way to make
money.
Then he hits on the strategy that is, in my opinion, most
likely to be successful--querying blog and website owners to see if they need
writers. Krieger gives plenty of
suggestions for discovering topics you may be able to write about and how to
search for blogs that cover these topics.
Chapter 3: Running Your Business Like a Business
Too many people try their hand at freelance writing, but
treat doing so like a hobby. This is a
mistake. Krieger hits on all of the
typical freelancer mistakes--not budgeting your time or money wisely, not
paying quarterly taxes, and not having enough confidence in yourself to
continue on even when getting your business off the ground is more difficult
than you imagined.
Chapter 4: Avoid Common Freelance Writer Mistakes
Krieger hits on many common mistakes that freelancers make
in the beginning that can cost them money and clients. Some of the mistakes include overestimating
your writing speed and procrastination.
Krieger also hits on one of the most important ones--not charging what
you're worth. For each of the mistakes,
he offers several solutions. The
suggestions on increasing your rate are important because far too many writers
don't charge what they're worth.
Chapter 5: Sharpening Your Skills
Krieger offers strategies to improve your writing. As you do so, you should be able to break
into other niches and be able to write other types of copy. The more you can do this, the greater the
potential that you can increase your income and your client base.
Chapter 6: Making the Big Bucks
Krieger has saved the best for last. We all want to learn how to make more money,
and Krieger doesn't disappoint. He gives
strategies to earn more money. He also
gives sample templates that you can use with your own customers when asking for
a raise.
Extras
Rather than have resources at the end of the book, Krieger
sends readers to another web page to submit their name and e-mail address. Then, once signed up, you'll receive a pdf
with over 75 links for everything from content mills looking for writers to the
best job boards on the internet. Krieger
promises these links will be updated and sent to you as they change or new ones
are added.
Is This Book Right for You?
If you're contemplating becoming a freelance writer or
you've just started down that path, at $2.99, this book is a great deal. The extras and the advice in the sixth
chapter alone make it worthwhile.
If you're an experienced writer, you may not find as much
value in this book. However, if you have
trouble negotiating for pay raises, you may still benefit from this book.
No comments: