Best Books on Getting Clients and Stepping up Your Freelance Game

If you need a bit of help with getting gigs, you can always check out the best books on getting clients. Freelancers these days have a load of resources to get ideas from. Back then, the norm was being an employee or running your own business. Freelancing wasn’t a thing that was considered a normal avenue for getting jobs. It was quite a struggle for those who have been in the freelancing industry in the last few decades.

But now, according to reports, there are 60 million people in the US who freelanced in 2022—that’s almost 40% of the entire workforce in the country. What’s more, this study doesn’t even show the number of freelancers from other countries like the UK, the Philippines, India, Brazil, and Pakistan. With the number of freelancers continuing to grow, more and more resources are coming out, this includes the best books on getting clients.

The freelancers of today now have a new problem, which of these are the best books for getting clients? But that’s a better problem than having no books to even choose from. To help you out, this article has several books that you may want to get into to help you with your freelancing journey.

7 Best Books on Getting Clients for Freelancers

There are many brilliant authors and books out there and it can be really confusing which ones to start reading. Here’s a list of the best books on getting clients that you may want to check out.

1. Freelance Newbie: A Beginner’s Guide to Finding Clients, Making Money, and Building Your Web Development Empire

A great book if you are new to the world of freelancing, Freelance Newbie offers tips and tricks to land your first client. There are also a lot of actionable and practical steps to help you succeed. This includes important topics such as developing your own business plan from scratch and making effective contracts and proposals. More importantly, it covers finding “starter” clients that can help eventually lead you to get long-term clients.

2. Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business

If you are in the creative industry, this freelancing book is more up to your speed. Whether you are a graphic designer, an animator, a photographer, or a creative illustrator, this book covers important things you need to know about freelancing. Aside from helping you find clients and knowing how to charge them, this book also talks about how to balance your schedule, which is quite a daunting task for those in the creative field.

3. My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire

For the women out there who are struggling in the freelance world, this book is for you. This guidebook comes with anecdotes that female freelancers can easily relate to. Is there such a guidebook for freelancing that discusses what to do if you are in a video meeting with a potential client and your children are making noises in the background? This one does. So, if you want a lighter approach to how to get clients and how to thrive in the freelancing world as a woman, check this one out.

4. The Freelance Introvert: Work the way you want without changing who you are

Maybe you have always known you were not m meant to be an employee. You don’t like talking to others but you need this skill to survive as a freelancer, too. This book will help you and is aimed directly at introverted freelancers. It covers pretty much everything, including figuring out if you are actually an introvert, how to set up the right space, and even how to build confidence. There are also helpful tips on how to identify clients, how to find them, and also how to deal with them.

5. Survival Skills for Freelancers: Tried and Tested Tips to Help You Ace Self-Employment Without Burnout

It really is a challenge to become a freelancer. But the good thing is, this is something everyone can do when armed with the right knowledge. Your survival skills will be tested as a freelancer and one of the hardest things you may need to overcome is the battlefield of finding work. This book discussed where to find clients and also how to grow your network, which is a must for any freelancer.

6. The Freelancer’s Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams–On Your Terms

For those looking for an informative guide to freelancing, this “bible” is what you should start reading. It can help you start with the basics, like setting up an office and learning how to market yourself. It also features topics that are hard to answer if you are new to freelancing, like finding health insurance and preparing taxes. Aside from teaching you the essentials in finding clients, this book also covers ways how to keep these clients happy.

7. The Human Freelancer: A guide to happy and honest self-employment for conscientious newcomers

Taking the leap from being a corporate employee to a freelancer takes a lot of guts. This book discusses potential problems that you may encounter when you make the switch to freelancing. It’s more than market research and facts, this book also offers emotional support. There are a variety of topics, such as how to handle criticism and rejection from potential clients as well as how to deal with the dip in your income as you start out.

Reminders for Freelancers Looking for Clients

Now that you have a list of the best books on getting clients, there are just a few things that you need to keep in mind:

• You have to get out there

You can read all of the self-help books out there all you want. But, if you don’t apply yourself, nothing will happen. Make sure that you actually do something, and try out the things that you have learned from the books that you have read—don’t let your new-found knowledge go to waste.

• Follow only what you can

The best books on getting clients are what have worked for the author, the writer, and the contributors. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you also have to follow everything. If you are not comfortable going out there and visiting an expo in person, you don’t have to. But, what you need to do is to take baby steps.

There’s a difference between not moving at all and inching yourself forward. So, follow the tips and tricks in the book but remember that these are just guides and advice. It’s not exactly a foolproof plan to get a job or land a client.

• Every experience is different

Know that the books you read are made by people who are not entirely the same as you. Okay, maybe you can relate that the author is an introvert or a freelancing mom. You can relate to them but this doesn’t mean that their path to success will be the same as yours. Don’t be discouraged if the tips you tried out did not garner the same results as the author.

Remember that every person is different—clients and freelancers. So, you can’t rely on these books 100%. You can learn from them, yes. But you don’t have to live by them. You can always make your own way, and who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to write your own and be the author of one of the best books on getting clients in the future.

• Getting clients is only the beginning

Yes, getting gigs and landing clients is an excellent accomplishment. But this is not the end of your journey. You also need to learn how to create long-lasting relationships with clients. You can celebrate finding a client but don’t party too hard as work is only just beginning.

Conclusion

Check out the best books on getting clients from this article. But feel free to check out other resources that can help you along on your freelancing journey. Remember that every freelancer is different, so the best books on getting clients for you may be different from one referred to you by a friend. Choose the one that you can relate to and what works for you.

Post written by:

kosmo on February 14, 2023