15 Trustworthy Sources of Advice for Freelancers
Are you’re overwhelmed by all of the advice out there? Unsure about what works best for freelancers and what doesn’t apply to us? Tired of experts who make promises that seem too good to be true?
The good news is that there’s never been more great advice out there on freelance marketing—and much of it is free. But that’s the bad news too.
It takes time to find proven, practical advice that you can trust. And it’s not always easy to figure out what’s relevant to freelancers and what isn’t applicable or can harm our businesses.
Trustworthy Advice to Help Freelancers Succeed
I’ve put together a list of trustworthy blogs, podcasts, books, online courses, and websites to help you learn about freelance marketing. Most of the sources are current or former freelancers who are sharing how they built their successful freelance businesses.
Nearly all of the sources focus only or mostly on freelancers. The other sources are applicable to freelancers.
The first 8 sources of advice are free (although the experts also sell some products and services). The last 8 sources of advice are what I call “worth the money.” While free advice can be very helpful, resources you pay for are almost always more detailed and more helpful than free advice.
While these sources of advice are all relevant to freelancers, not everything offered by each source will be relevant to you. So you’ll still need to do some evaluation. But at least you’ll be starting in the right places.
And you’ll see that I’ve included Mighty Marketer resources. Everything I offer— whether it’s free or for sale—is designed to help you get the clients you deserve and develop a stable, high-income freelance business.
Free Sources of Advice for Freelancers
1. High-Income Business Writing
Expert: Ed Gandia
Useful articles and a podcast from Ed Gandia, a former freelance writer who now provides actionable training and coaching to help other freelancers reach their full potential.
Most of Gandia’s content is applicable even if you’re not a writer or don’t focus on business clients.
2. The Freelance Success Blog
Expert: Lori De Milto, The Mighty Marketer
Practical advice on getting high-paying clients, inspiration to help you succeed, and freelance success stories from me, a freelance writer who also helps other freelancers get the clients they deserve. Categories include freelance success stories, get high-paying clients, LinkedIn for freelancers, and mindset for freelance success.
3. The Likeable Expert
Expert: Michael J. Katz, Blue Penguin Development, Inc.
Michael J. Katz is a marketing consultant who specializes in “giving professionals the words they need to clearly explain what they do.” He has a great e-newsletter and blog. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development, Inc.
4. Ryan Waggoner
Expert: Ryan Waggoner
Useful and thoughtful articles on how to build a successful career as a freelancer based on Ryan Waggoner’s experience as a freelancer. The page starts with a subscription box, but if you scroll down you’ll see some useful articles.
BEWARE: Ryan’s Freelancing 250K course promises freelancers they can earn $250,000 a year. This is unrealistic for the vast majority of freelancers.
5. Make a Living Writing
Expert: Carol Tice
Freelance writer Carol Tice offers “practical advice for hungry writers” through a prolific blog. Marketing is one category of articles.
Much of Tice’s content is applicable to other types of freelancers too.
BEWARE: Writers can and should be making a lot more money than the amounts noted in many of these blog posts.
6. Pencil Points
Experts: Brian Bass and Cyndy Kryder, The Accidental Medical Writer
A free monthly e-newsletter by freelance medical writers Brian Bass and Cyndy Kryder. Pencil Points includes a column called The Savvy Marketer.
Written for freelance medical writers and editors, much of Pencil Points is applicable to all freelancers.
7. Marketing Mentor
Expert: Ilise Benun
Free marketing course for creative professionals from Ilise Benun, who helps “creative professionals who are serious about taking it to the next level” . . . “stop taking whatever comes along and go get the work you want.”
Benun focuses mostly on designers but much of her content is applicable to other freelancers too.
Sources of Advice for Freelancers that are Worth the Money
See “Free Sources of Advice for Freelancers” above for descriptions of all sources except Carmine Gallo and Adam Grant, who are described below.
Books
8. 7 Steps to High-Income Freelancing
Author: Lori De Milto
Learn how to find and attract the clients you deserve—without wasting your time or money, in 7 Steps to High-Income Freelancing. Based on what works best for freelancers, this concise, practical guide gives you a proven, step-by-step process to follow and the confidence you need to grow your freelance business.
9. Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success
Author: Adam Grant
People who give their time to others without expecting anything in return are more successful than people who don’t do this. Learn how to be a giver and how this will help you succeed in this book by Adam Grant, a professor of management and psychology at Penn’s Wharton School and a New York Times best-selling author.
10. The Likeable Expert
Author: Michael J. Katz
A quick easy read, this book has 121 insights “to grow your business.”
11. The Email Prospecting Playbook
Author: Ed Gandia
Gandia’s proven, step-by-step system for getting results fast, including how to write subject lines that get emails opened and email scripts.
12. Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds
Author: Carmine Gallo
Gallo is a bestselling author, Harvard instructor, and communication advisor for the world’s most admired brands. He studied the best TED presentations and summarized what he learned in this book. It offers inspiration and practical advice about how to become a great public speaker.
Online Courses
13. Finding the Freelance Clients You Deserve
Expert: Lori De Milto, The Mighty Marketer
A 7-week course that helps freelancers create a stable, high-income business using the proven, step-by-step process that helped me build a 6-figure freelance business in 18 months. Hundreds of other freelancers have used my process to get the clients they deserve. The course is available in coaching or self-study versions.
Read the case studies of freelancers who have taken the course and are now getting the clients they deserve
14. Create Exceptional Email Newsletters
Expert: Michael J. Katz
A step-by-step approach to developing an exceptional email newsletter for your solo professional business. Katz offers other courses too.
I took this course and revised my e-newsletter, Engage! based on what I learned.
Read more in 11 Steps to Creating an E-Newsletter to Get Better Clients with Less Work.
15. Marketing Mentor
Expert: Ilise Benun
Several courses, including Command the Fees You Deserve.