13 of the Best Books on Freelancing You May Ever Read

What are the best books on freelancing? Whether you’re a veteran freelancer or just starting out, you need resources to help you on your journey. Luckily, there are plenty of seasoned freelancers and business owners who have shared their experiences.

If you’re looking for freelancing resources to improve your business, fix pain points, or stay on track, we’ve compiled a few to share with you. Want to know more? Read on!

1. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

Your freelance business lives or dies by your level of productivity. But if you’re under a lot of stress, your ability to be productive will suffer. In Getting Things Done, David Allen shares valuable insights into personal productivity and organization.

The book features a strategic system to help business owners streamline their work and get things done with as little stress as possible. Allen knows there is no one-size-fits-all productivity solution, but his system can be tweaked to suit each person’s needs.

Price: $13.99 (Kindle) | More Information

2. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

When it comes to owning a business, mindset is truly everything. In Mindset, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., deconstructs how our mindset influences every aspect of our lives. Mindset can determine success in our jobs, creative endeavors, education, recreation and more.

Dweck reveals how our mindset even affects how we view our own abilities and talents. She also breaks down the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset Mindset teaches freelancers how to develop a growth mindset in order to thrive and fulfill our greatest potential.

Price: $13.99 (Kindle) | More Information

3. Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David, Ph.D.

For a freelancer, the ability to be emotionally agile is just as important as the ability to attract and retain clients. In Emotional Agility, Susan David, Ph.D., teaches us to be open-minded, compassionate and accepting of ourselves as we navigate through life. How we speak to ourselves and interpret our feelings and thoughts will ultimately impact our performance in critical areas of our lives.

Price: $14.99 (Kindle) | More Information

4. Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way by Steven Pressfield

Do the Work is Steven Pressfield’s follow-up to his widely-acclaimed book, The War of Art. It’s a manifesto on overcoming Resistance.

Do the Work is a road map designed to help you chart a course, start, and finish any type of work. This book will help you complete important projects whether you’re a writer, developer, graphic designer, artist, or project manager.

Price: $4.99 (Kindle) | More Information

5. Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business: The Complete Guide to Starting and Scaling from Scratch by Laura Pennington Briggs

In Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business, Laura Briggs breaks down exactly what it takes to build a thriving business as a freelance writer. Briggs offers practical, actionable tips for attracting clients, retaining them, and building a team. This book will help readers from all industries learn how to build and scale profitable, sustainable freelance businesses.

Price: $9.99 (Kindle) | More Information

6. Creative, Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho and Meg Mateo Ilasco

Creative, Inc. is a concise resource for freelancers who are just getting started. If you’re ready to build a thriving freelance business doing work you love, Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho provide the tools you need. This book will help you learn to build a portfolio that gets clients’ attention, navigate the legal steps to business-building, and launch a successful business.

Price: $1.99 (Kindle) | More Information

7. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie’s classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, is a timeless, cornerstone volume on how to be likeable, attract people to your point of view, and change others while avoiding resentment. It’s critical to build a network in order to maintain a successful, long-term freelance career. Carnegie’s book will help you get the work you want, improve the work you have, and make any situation you face work in your favor.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

8. Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer: The Evolution of a $1M Web Designer by Liam Veitch

In Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer, million-dollar freelance web designer Liam Veitch illustrates important strategies for creating a more stable freelance career. Veitch teaches you how to grow your online presence, change your mindset, and repel toxic clients as you stabilize and scale your business. Freelance professionals who want to grow beyond here-and-now thinking will benefit from this book.

Price: $8.99 (Kindle) | More Information

9. The Freelancer’s Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams—On Your Terms by Sara Horowitz

Written by the founder of the Freelancers Union, The Freelancer’s Bible is a comprehensive roadmap to starting and running a freelance business. In this book, Sara Horowitz teaches new freelancers the ropes, including how to choose health insurance, decide on office space, get and keep clients, let clients go, set rates, draw up contracts, negotiate effectively, and more.

Price: $10.66 (Paperback) | More Information

10. Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World by J. Kelly Hoey

For solopreneurs, successful networking is paramount to a thriving freelance career. In Build Your Dream Network, J. Kelly Hoey shares a fresh perspective on establishing and growing connections. With a focus on long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships, Hoey takes a deep dive into how to build and leverage your network to help you achieve your goals.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

11. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

In The Obstacle Is the Way, Ryan Holiday draws on the ancient philosophy of stoicism to teach people how to turn the obstacles in their path into opportunities for growth and achievement. Holiday encourages freelancers to persevere, learn resilience, and stay focused on what they can control while releasing everything else.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

12. The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss

Tim Ferriss’s groundbreaking book, The 4-Hour Work Week, is a must-have for every freelancer’s library. Ferriss provides an in-depth blueprint for building a highly profitable freelance business. This book will teach you how to successfully outsource tasks, scale your income, eliminate time-suck work, build a system of working in short bursts, and create a career that allows you to travel while continuing to run a successful business.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

13. The Dip by Seth Godin

Every freelancer hits a setback, or a “dip”, from time to time–the key is knowing whether to push through it, or whether to quit. In The Dip, Seth Godin explains the difference between a dead end and a temporary dip–and helps freelancers tell them apart. The Dip empowers freelancers (and professionals of all kinds) to push through the dips, and to quit when it’s time.

Price: $9.99 (Kindle) | More Information

Wrapping Up

In addition to those listed here, there’s a rich world of books on freelancing available for professionals at all levels. Whether you’re just starting your freelance journey or are ready to level up, there’s something out there for you.

What’s your favorite book on freelancing? Share it with us in the comments!

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