Freelance Switch Birthday Bash: Celebrate With $1,500 in Prizes!
SkellieFreelance Switch was launched in April 2007. This month, we’re celebrating our 1st birthday!
To mark the occasion and say thank you to the community for its unyielding support, we’re giving away three prize-packs (worth over $500 each) to three lucky winners!
Anyone can enter to win, and you can choose from one of three prize-packs best suited to your freelancing career. Keep reading to view the prize-packs and find out how you can enter in seconds.
In addition to lots of neat goodies, each prize-pack includes a one-year Shuttle Bus subscription to Freshbooks valued at $168. Freshbooks is an online invoicing and time tracking service designed with freelancers and creative professionals in mind, and it’s a service quite a few of the FSw staff use themselves. We appreciate their support in providing us with over $500 in prizes to give away!
1) The Writer’s Prize-Pack
* Laptop not included.
1. Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder
2. Cross Century II Black Fountain Pen With 23 Carat Gold Plated Appointments
3. Sennheiser PX200 Collapsible High-Performance Closed Headphones
4. Moleskine Large Notebook Ruled
5. Moleskine Large Notebook Plain
6. The Well-fed Writer: Financial Self-sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six-months or Less
7. The Renegade Writer: a Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success
8. The Wealthy Writer: How to Earn a Six-figure Income as a Freelance Writer (No Kidding!)
9. The Elements of Style (Illustrated) by Strunk and White
10. Belkin Cushtop Notebook Stand - Silver
11. Tensor Gooseneck Halogen Desk Lamp
12. One-year Shuttle Bus subscription to Freshbooks
2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack
* Laptop not included.
1. Genius MousePen 8×6 Graphic Tablet
2. Prismacolor Premier Double Ended Art Marker Set 48 Colors
3. Desk Pad With Wood Pencil Ledge
4. 12 Sanford Design Ebony Sketching Pencil
6. Moleskine Large Sketchbook
7. Belkin Cushtop Notebook Stand - Orange
8. Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors & Students
9. How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
10. One-year Shuttle Bus subscription to Freshbooks
3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
1. Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive + Case Logic Small External Hard Drive Case
2. Sennheiser HD 215 Extreme DJ Sound Headphones
3. CSS: The Definitive Guide
4. Web Standards Solutions: The Markup and Style Handbook
5. Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
6. Belkin Cushtop Notebook Stand - Chocolate
7. One-year Shuttle Bus subscription to Freshbooks
How to enter
- Pick the prize pack you want.
- Leave a comment on this post explaining why you deserve your chosen prize-pack. Be creative, funny, or simply honest — express yourself.
- Fill out the ‘email’ form for your comment submission. This is so we can contact winners.
- Wait until three lucky winners are announced!
***
Entries close 7 days from publish date of this post.
U.S. entrants will receive the prize-packs as stated.
International entrants will receive cash value for any items which can’t be shipped outside the U.S. from Amazon.com.
Mini-FAQ
Why not give away cash prizes?
We think these prize-packs represent the spirit of the site. We’ve built our reputation around helping freelancers build their careers, and these prizes are designed to do the same. We want to upgrade your career tool-kit.
And, let’s face it, getting presents in the mail is more exciting than getting a deposit in your PayPal account!
What if I’m a software programmer/book-keeper/event organizer/SEO consultant/etc. and none of these prize-packs suit me?
Enter for the Web Coder’s prize pack and we’re happy to replace the industry-specific books with cash or books of equal value more relevant to your career.
Competition closes 7 days from the publish date of this post.
Gary
April 16th, 2008
1. The Web Coder’s Prize Pack
2. Why do I want it?
Because I’m a peasant-like web coder, with a broken hard-drive; Basically. [:
Matt Caron
April 16th, 2008
3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
Why?
Because I work in an awful marketing firm and am dying to get out. The freshbooks and hard drive would be highly useful in aiding me in this new adventure. The headphones can help me just tune out everyone in the office (for real, you don’t answer and email and they IM you within 5 min, you don’t answer the IM and they phone you with in 2 min and you don’t answer the phone and they are standing in your office within a minute…sheesh). And who can’t use books, I love em, read em and learn from em. Lastly, laptops are hot man, you ever worked on one actually in your lap for more then an hour.
Thanks!
Keep up the good work.
Blake
April 16th, 2008
I would like the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack. I deserve it because I’m the first to respond!? (Or maybe that means I don’t have a life.) Either way, please enter me into the contest.
Aaron Edmonds
April 16th, 2008
I’d pick the web developer pack cause that’s what I do.
(I’m going for the “simply honest” option here if you couldn’t tell)
Thanks for the contest and a great site!
-A
Gerardo
April 16th, 2008
HI! It was great to read on my RSS Reader that this blog is giving out this prize packs. I does not happen very often. Many Thanks!
I think I deserve the “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack” simply because I am a self-taught web coder working as a freelancer in Argentina.. and this kind of stuff are quite inaccessible here!
Not to mention how useful they would be.
Arthus Erea
April 16th, 2008
I am a student of the world. Despite my age of 15, (or perhaps because of it) I search for the ways to express those winged creatures we call ideas. Through visual representation I seek to present the universe (starting with our own small parts of it) through design (one big 42). More than visual design, I work through design in all its forms: literature through code. Though my goals are high, my means are not quite so high; after all, you don’t make much on a high school student’s salary ($0, before taxes). I’m a starving artist, starving for inspiration.
Prize pack: Designer’s
Matt Pruitt
April 16th, 2008
I deserve the Web Coder’s prize pack because I’m a poor college student. The headphones would come in handy on those nights when I’m trying to get some work done, but everyone else in my dorm has decided that they want to get drunk and run up and down the halls screaming.
Cameron Singe
April 16th, 2008
The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack please
Why? Hmmm, maybe I need to give Freelance switch the prize pack. Going from 9-5 web developer to freelancer has been an awesome yet scary experience and every post has been very helpful on this ongoing adventure. Although maybe, I really should be reward with pack because secretly I think you guys have been reading my mind for post ideas, when I have a problem/thought, magically an answer appears in my rss reader. I don’t how you do it!
Keep up the great work
Ben Henschel
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack #3
Why do I deserve these prizes? I don’t deserve them…but my clients do. Each prize has a unique purpose to serve:
The external hard drive is so I can store the countless crap my clients send me, PDFs, contracts, copy, the huge PSD files with their “ideas”.
The head phones (which I hope are noise canceling) will be a great way to indicate in a professional manor that I don’t care. I will literally pull these out in the middle of a meeting.
The books are for my table so my clients think I’m expert and really smart.
The cushion stand isn’t really for my clients (hey they can’t get everything) it will be for my MacBook Pro…because nothing is sexier then a MacBook Pro and Chocolate.
And of course Freshbooks will help my clients pay on time, because they always complain that I’m late sending the invoice.
So don’t pick me for me…pick me for my clients, because they are people too.
Ryan
April 16th, 2008
Web Coder’s Prize Pack
Why? Well, it’s simply perfect for me. 2 of the 3 books are already in my wishlist at Amazon, my current headphones started hissing last week (I guess I was listening a tad too loud), my external drive is nearly full and I will need another, Freshbooks would be great, but I can’t justify the cost just yet, and finally my lap is sweating just from this post…. my MackBook Pro cranks out an unusual amount of heat.
Finally, I’d be absolutely thrilled and I love getting things in the mail!!!
Joshua Lanphear
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack 2
Freelance Switch,
I honestly feel that I deserve this Prize Package, because I have worked hard to get where I am at. My current situation is not that of a Professional Designer, but I hope that one day it will be. I will soon be attending the California Design College in Los Angeles, after having fought through several very large roadblocks (finances, finances, finances, etc.). And this prize package offers me an abundance of extremely useful supplies, that will be tough to come by with my financial state. Please pick me Freelance Switch, for Prize Package 2.
Thank You,
Joshua Lanphear
Eric Hill-Tanquist
April 16th, 2008
I am brand new to this world of web design and blog reading procrastination. It seems to me that those headphones in the Web Coder prize pack could at least help me shut out the noise from my roommates, which would just leave me with the noise from my own head, which is probably worse anyway. If you have any random thought cancelling headphones I would appreciate those being thrown in as well.
Since I’ve only learned CSS from the w3schools css site, a book to teach me would be a nice change. Maybe it’ll explain why float: and clear: are often the bane of my existence, and why sometimes Firefox doesn’t think that my divs have a height, when there are clearly objects floating casually inside them.
Web Coder = me.
James Pedrazzini
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack Three
I’m being straight forward like my work, nothing to sugarcoat here. Prize Pack Three would assist me in furthering my knowledge and help me work towards being a better developer and designer. Simple as that.
Storme
April 16th, 2008
id love to have the designer’s prize pack.
why?
well because im a newbie to the freelancing world AND an artist as well and i havent gotten ANY designerly or artsy love. no clients, no patrons…just schelpping along in my 9-5 as an admin assistant/in house graphic designer (though admittedly i shirk when i tell people my occupation because my co-workers’ idea of design goes as far as Publisher with a lil bit of Illustrator if i can coax them into letting me do my thing). im artisticly deprived in my 9-5 and dream…DREAM of the day that i can strike out on my own full time to pursue my creative interests. so really, though your prizes dont offer me THAT (though your blog helps a lot), winning this prize would be a definite spirit-lifter and continued encouragement to keep on pushing.
oh, and also another reason i think i should win…my name is storme.
sometimes it really is that simple. ^_^
Michael Deering
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack 2: The Designer’s Prize-Pack
“What if I’m a software programmer and none of these prize-packs suit me?” - That is the exact reason for me pitching at the prize pack that represents the area that I am weakest at (Design). I’m a firm believer in *Sharpening The Saw*. I’m a software programmer and right now the area of my work that I feel needs the most attention is to increase my overlap into and skill sets around design.
Cheers, and good luck to all!
John
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack #1.
I certainly enjoy and do a lot of writing. A lot of times, it’s just for school papers, or sometimes blog posts, but I often like to go that extra mile and go from a good paper to an outstanding paper. My personal standards of writing are high, in style, grammar, and content. When I’m not doing those, I write film scripts and treatments on the side for fun. Eventually I’ll develop one of these stories into a full feature film.
While I understand that others probably do a lot more writing than I have time for, I’ll still throw my name into the hat.
Thank you for doing this, and keep up the good work!
George
April 16th, 2008
Prize pack #3,
Not for me, but my desk. My desk craves beautiful, new shiny things. I’d be more than happy to oblige my sturdy oak comrade, but I haven’t been able to bill any of my clients. I’ve been holding out for a free one-year subscription to FreshBooks, which this package conveniently includes.
Jesse Skinner
April 16th, 2008
Happy Birthday, Freelance Switch! It’s been a great first year - this blog quickly became my favourite, one of the few feeds I read daily (along with Dilbert).
I would get a ton of use out of the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack. This is all great stuff that any freelance developer could take advantage of. So why do I deserve it? Well.. my 2-year anniversary of freelancing is coming up next month, and everything is going great. I think that deserves a celebration!
You’ve got me thinking, Freelance Switch.. if I don’t win the Prize-Pack, I’m going to have to go buy myself another “prize”
Alexander
April 16th, 2008
As a professional designer I felt that I could better convey my desires to win the designer’s prize package through a fresh synthesis of typos and images, so if you would please take a look at http://gpathmedia.com/freelancebirthday.PNG you might get a better feel for why I might be deserving of this prize.
Alexander
April 16th, 2008
As a professional designer I felt that I could better convey my desires to win the designer’s prize package through a fresh synthesis of typos and images, so if you would please take a look at http://gpathmedia.com/freelancebirthday.PNG you might get a better feel for why I might be deserving of this prize.
FreelanceSwitch Birthday
The Designer’s Prize-Pack is
Fresh spring air for me
Good luck to all, hopefully three nice people wins et. (:
liz
April 16th, 2008
Today is the 2 month birthday of makin’ the SWITCH to freelance!
I am a freelance web designer from Seattle Washington and i’d like to choose what’s behind door #3 (The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.) O’Reily is my GoodBook, Chocolate brown will match my hair, and those headphones are going to look dead sexy on me!
Pick me! Pick me! (please)
Lucia Bastenhof
April 16th, 2008
Looking at this year, I can say without any doubt : “sure, I deserve the designer’s prize pack !”
And why do I deserve it ? Because I need holidays (but don’t feel like taking any…) : imagine someone spending ALL her time (outside work excepted) learning, learning, learning, Photoshop Illustrator After Effects photography video drawing making mistakes being happy asking questions on forums reading graphic and motion blogs discovering new things like Wordpress ‘n co or Flash and trying to keep ONE direction : motion design.
And it’s not so easy if I add I’m 36 years old, and trying to switch from furniture and scenery design to motion design…
I discovered After Effects one year ago (an eternity…) and decided to begin my switching by mastering it. (if you want to see the first results, have a look here : http://www.vimeo.com/user397493/videos … but please, don’t be too harsch… :-). Loving graphic design too, it’s hard for me not to spend much time on Illustrator and Photoshop also.
It’s a joy learning and learning always more, but it’s sometimes painful, when you don’t have (almost) any friend in real life enjoying your passion, and any teacher guiding your steps…
Such a priesthood deserves well the designer’s prize, doesn’t it ?
Stephen
April 16th, 2008
I would like to throw my hat into the ring for the designers prize pack. Interestingly enough I don’t consider myself a designer, but I am trying to improve my chops…this prize pack would help me on my journey from coder to creative.
Lawrence Salberg
April 16th, 2008
Designer’s Prize Pack
I’d like to win this for my wife. I’m a web developer and she is studying for an A.S. degree in Graphics Arts Technology. She gave up going back to school when she stumbled into Florida 14 years ago and we got married. She never went back to Colorado to finish her original degree of Journalism. Which I’m very thankful for - not only because we have a wonderful marriage and lovely children, but because I don’t know if I could stand to be married to a journalist without becoming violent.
I encouraged her to go back a few years ago and she decided to get this Graphics Arts Technology degree because she wanted to be able to help me in my business. Since I’m a “code-guy”, I had been happily plugging along with nary a thought about such things as gradients, filters, brushes, etc. I thought that was a very sacrificial and sweet thought, but since she was fairly anti-computer at the time, I was a bit skeptical.
She took some art classes and did very well. Very creative and artistic. She is a very good student and has been on the Dean’s List the past two semesters. She seems to be an Illustrator guru nowadays. I’m constantly amazed at what she does. She wants to learn Photoshop a bit more, but I still can’t get over the stuff she has learned in Illustrator. I couldn’t have told you the difference between those two programs two years ago (using Fireworks - and only when I had to).
Anyway, she is almost finished with her degree, but I think she is getting a little worn out. We have six children (yes, they are all ours), so she has been doing this in addition to raising our children (whom we homeschool to boot). And she’s married to me, which that alone is a monumental task no mere mortal woman could handle. I’m being serious. Read my blog. You’ll see. If you were a woman, you’d sooner poke a dagger into your eye than be my wife, despite my dashing good looks and winning charm.
I’m no contest junkie, and I’m entirely unclear as to what the criteria is even supposed to be here (humor? sob story?), but when I saw the design pack I thought that would be a really great encouragement to her. I’ll confess right now that I might snag the laptop stand, but the rest would be all hers. She gets to use one of those pen things at school and I know she’d love to have one at home for Illustrator stuff. I even know what the Prismacolor things are (I think) so even I’ve learned a thing or two about designer stuff in the past few years. But, overall, I think it would be a real nice gift for her. Her name is Nikki.
Anyway, my other little “motive” for entering was that I thought if I won that it would be a real strong motivator to show her how great blogs can be. I think she thinks I might be a little geeky for reading blogs. I got her all set up in Google Reader - and she occasionally glances at them - but she isn’t sold on them yet. I thought if she won, then I think that would be a real wide-eyed event for her.
Lastly, thanks for the opportunity to participate. Happy 1st Birthday. Keep up the great work. I can’t believe a year flew by just like that. This is probably one of the few blogs that I’ve read every post since I somehow stumbled upon it the first month or so you started.
Tommy Day
April 16th, 2008
Even though I’m a web designer, I pick the Writer’s Pack!
I actually share my one year freelancing “birthday” with you guys! I started last April, and unfortunetly I didn’t find your site for a few months after that.
Since I did I’ve learned a lot about business, design, and myself. I listen to the podcasts on my daily walk and when I get back to my desk I feel ready to take on the world, one client at a time!
Who knows how we’ll all be reading websites in ten years, but as long as there’s an internet, I hope there’s a FreelanceSwitch!
Happy Birthday!
Lucia Bastenhof
April 16th, 2008
I was about to forget it : HAPPY BITHRDAY FREELANCE SWITCH !!!!!!!! And congratulations for such a big work, a successful and very useful one ! (in my case, I hope to become a freelancer in a bunch of years
)
Ken Dahlin
April 16th, 2008
It is my belief that this contest is rigged. You can prove otherwise by awarding “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack” to me.
Camille
April 16th, 2008
I am a web coder, and have recently decided to go freelance. While I do my well with my current equipment, the coder’s pack prize will help me improve and be productive with my work. And of course to better deliver products for client’s satisfaction and creating standards compliant, usable and accessible websites. And it will help me go further with my chosen path.
Tim
April 16th, 2008
Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!
What an awesome competition - thanks for your generosity!
I would love to win the Designer pack. I have just started my own freelance training / elearn business (Creative Training and Communications, in Melbourne Australia) and recently completed my first engagement. I would love to be able to add freehand illustrations to my courseware using the Genius Graphic Tablet.
Alternatively, the web coder’s pack would also be awesome, as I incorporate quite a bit of multimedia and audio into my online work - the headphones would be great for this, and of course the external hard drive would be a big help for storing all of those files too.
Thanks and regards,
Tim
Scott G
April 16th, 2008
1. Number 3 please
2. In true Freelance Switch spirit I have quit my job of four years (just for your birthday perhaps?) and am looking down the barrel of the freelance gun. Commuting, cubicles and lengthy meetings are soon to be a thing of the past.
But what about the steady monthly income, the endless A4 pages from the colour printer, morning idle chit-chat of coffee runs down the block and all the post-it notes you want in the stationary cupboard!!!
Gulp! Prize packs suddenly are seen in a different light
Martin
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack 1, please.
I need to win to give the prize pack to my girlfriend. I am a freelance web developer, but she wants to start as a freelance writer, so this prize will really help her. Thanks a lot.
Fire G
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack: Web Coders
Reason:
I’ve been web developing for a few years now and have been releasing free original and re-coded templates for download for about a year. I will admit that I am probably the most out of work freelancer around, I hold my head up high use my spare time to design and code new web ideas and thoughts. I’m about to launch a 2008 version of my site, as well as a web developer blog to accompany it, in an attempt to help all my fellow freelancers and hopefully inspire some of them to new ideas. I believe the Internet is man’s next frontier, and we should do our best to help all those who travel it’s road to achieve their absolute best results.
The web developer of today is a discredited race. With most or all of the attention going to the designers and how well it looks, people need to remember that it’s the web coders behind the scenes that bring those designs to life.
P.S. Happy Birthday FSW!
Janet
April 16th, 2008
I obviously need the Writer’s Prize-Pack because after (eek!) almost 19 years as a freelancer, I’m still not wealthy (although, as food-lover, I like to think I’m well-fed).
sarai.
April 16th, 2008
Thanks for letting us join in the celebrations! I would love the coder’s prize pack, because I am just a baby coder. Like any baby, I need toys to play with, because that is how learning happens, and I need books, so that I grow up reading.
freelancersky
April 16th, 2008
Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive + Case Logic Small External Hard Drive Case
just to see if I am lucky,
The great idea in this post,will be hot anyway.Want to know who will be the lucky guys.
mike
April 16th, 2008
gosh i don’t know if i deserve it, but it sure would be handy. i’m a web developer who has been working corporate jobs for almost 15 years, just starting out on my own. i’ve got the developer thing down pretty well, but i could use some help getting back up to speed with designing.
Matt Propst
April 16th, 2008
3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
Why should I get this pack? Well a better answer is actually explaining why I will be more empowered by this pack than other individuals. Well long story short, I had been working as a software developer part time while I finish bachelors degree in Information Systems. Unfortunately, I happened to lose my job in mid-February. Since then, I’ve been trying to pick up freelance jobs here and there to fill in the financial gaps. As I actually will be graduating now in two weeks (on the 28th), I will soon be thrust out into the real world. I am living in Michigan where it’s tough finding full time employment (Read as 7.2% unemployment rate, against national average of 4.8%). As a result, the freelancing which I had originally began to fill in a financial void in my last semester of college is looking more and more like I will need to make it something of a full time job.
The prize pack will empower me with books to help provide better development solutions for my customers, storage solutions with the external drive, mobility solutions with the laptop pad and drive case, entertainment solutions with the headphones, and billing solutions with FreshBooks.
So basically I’m graduating and getting pushed into the rough and tumble world of full-time freelancing, and your prize-back would certainly help ease the transition.
Thank you, and happy birthday!
Dave Yankowiak
April 16th, 2008
I think you have my stuff in your Web Coder’s Prize Pack.
Just this week my Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive + Case Logic Small External Hard Drive Case, Sennheiser HD 215 Extreme DJ Sound Headphone, CSS: The Definitive Guide, Web Standards Solutions: The Markup and Style Handbook, Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design, and Belkin Cushtop Notebook Stand - Chocolate have ALL gone mysteriously missing. FSwitch I think you have some explaining to do.
Luckily I still have my current Freshbooks subscription so I can send you an invoice for the total losses. Or, I suppose you can just give me my stuff back!
Max
April 16th, 2008
Web-coder prize pack.
Truely, this is one of your best ideas yet…you offer 3 prize packs on a Freelancing site designed for each type of the freelancers you market to. Being a freelancer means thinking outside the box, thinking of unique ways to attract people to your business, yadda yadda yadda. So you spring an idea off the idea of Freelance Switch’s birthday — lets give prizes away! This will probably appear on digg, you’ll probably have tons of comments from people who have never read your blog before, and you’ll probably give your prizes away to the people who “need it most”..but really, your getting the most out of this. The publicity on this kind of stunt is phenomenal. You get thousands (if not millions) of hits, even more comments, and then those viewers come back again to see what kind of articles this “site that’s giving away super-cool stuff” has to offer. They may even buy your book. Tell you the truth, though, I’ve been reading the blog for a while, but I never really comment. I bought the book, learned a lot..but I wouldn’t say I “need” the prize pack. I already just learned from this post a new marketing strategy that could earn me even more than one of those prize packs. All I need is some help with figuring out a better marketing strategy than this one. Some hi-def headphones and a external hard drive could help.
-Max
Kai Davis
April 16th, 2008
I’m a college student - an economics / english double major, specifically. I’m not sure what my plan is post college outside of exploring and learning more, so prize pack one would be ideal for me to take with me wherever I end up going.
Outside of economics, i’m part of three start ups from the design / code end, but I focus on content. The tools presented in prize pack one would help me focus my ideas and cull the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, to generate positive content.
Chris Tuley
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack #2
Freelance Switch has been one of my inspirations for starting up a web design company with some great friends. This site has really made me want to design art in several ways. I have recommended this site to several people and everyone reacts the same. This is one of the best resources on the web. Honestly, the prize pack would be extremely helpful to a start-up web design firm as well as anyone else that visits this site.
Thanks for all your helpful advice and resources and happy birthday!
Chris (Nashville)
Samantha Armacost
April 16th, 2008
I would love The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.
I’m currently a grad student, working as a graphic designer at very small (and very much hurting from this economic downturn) communications firm. I have been expanding my knowledge base by reading numerous blogs, obviously including Freelance Switch, to survive in the world of design/coding/freelancing. I’ve been branching out in my freelancing experience and perhaps this could the push I really need to be out on my own.
Brad
April 16th, 2008
Honestly, I really don’t care about the “prize packs”, I’m just happy to have been able to follow FSw for the last year. You guys have helped me out in *so* many ways. Congrats, and if you make your way to Calgary, look me up and I’ll treat you to dinner!
Cheers,
Brad
Jake
April 16th, 2008
The Designer’s Prize-Pack
I bought the “How to be a Rockstar Freelancer” book because I am in awe of the design aspect of the web and I would love to start my own little gig. I am still young and in college so it’s hard to start without much money. I’m sure you don’t remember, but I was the one that emailed you about buying the PDF version, but thought it was an actual book haha. You helped me out in the situation. The prize would be a great start and motivate me even more to start my dream.
Ryan Terry
April 16th, 2008
Package: 2
Why: Because life is a balloon and I want to blow it up!
William
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack #2
I have just recently joined the professional design workforce and boy is it glamorous. I’m using my Thermarest camping pad as a bed, my sleeping bag as covers, my climbing bouldering pad as a couch/desk and my mac book pro as a design center, dvd player and tv.
Livin’ the dream baby…
I think that Belkin Cushtop Notebook stand would make a great pillow.
Stanislav Malkin
April 16th, 2008
Hey! Happy birthday colleagues
My personal blog about freelance in russian is on 10th month of its life. It is very close to 1 year birthday too.
And for the prize pack - to be honest i don’t believe in winning it
So many people, sho deserve it much more than me - i am just a freelancer, who likes your site.
Thanks for your content and podcasts - i am very happy to be a part of it and thanks for your great work!
Best wishes, Stanislav Malkin.
Joshua Blount
April 16th, 2008
Web Coders! Hooray!
Why?
1. I’m awesome, I need presents.
2. I follow Freelance Switch (as well as top notch FreelanceRadio!) a bit too religiously, and a little kick back would be nice
3. While going from a 9-5 corporate type guy to a full-time, work where I want, dev for hire is fun, it’s freaking scary and you guys have been a great support through the tough times (broken contracts!) as well as the fun times (making money, doing things I love, where I want to be).
kthnxbye.
mave
April 16th, 2008
Happy Birthday!! It’s been a great year!!
I like the designer prize pack best. I don’t know if I deserve it more than anyone else - I’m sure there are many of people here who could use it just as much as me - but I’ll throw my name in anyway. Good luck to everyone!
Harry
April 16th, 2008
Haha, the writers could probably win all of the prizes if they were deceiving enough.
Well I’m no writer, but I love graphic design. It’s my passion, I do it everyday. I’m a high school student, and juggling school and design is hard, but it’s worth it.
I’m not going to rant on, but I feel I’d really benefit from the Designers Prize-pack. I’m working with my first real client at the moment, with another soon after, and these tools would be such a great help. Come uni time, I’m not going to have much money to spare either, so what a great help this prize-pack would be.
Thanks for the great resources over the past year, keep at it!
Harry.
Aloke Pillai
April 16th, 2008
Designer Pack
I deserve this pack made for designers so that I could really improve what I do everyday. The makers would help define the lines of my doodles when I am bored out of my mind when I am talking to boring clients. You would be helping me not to go insane.
And the tablet would help me when i talk to clients through MSN and they forget that they are using red for some reason that they think its web 2.0 but in reality is making me go blind and giving me spinning headaches every night. Freshbooks could be a major part of my life because it could possibly help me keep sanity when i go through the invoices that I get from clients that range from a wet napkin with numbers scribbled on it and a mental note of their tabs.
The laptop stand rest would help me conceive children in the future because I think the stand would prevent radiation to important jewels.
The book would most likely help if it has the power to reverse losing a soul already. The book would hopefully help me regain a soul and feed my passion fuel for graphic design.
The moleskine would be great for travel when I get emotion urges and I could record my behavior.
Thanks!
Israel
April 16th, 2008
I choose…(3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
0_o
You guys throw the best birthday parties!
I’ve been following your website since the website was launched, and I must say I still love it. You guys are the best and winning this prize would prove that even more. Keep up the amazing effort and attention to freelance needs.
Mike
April 16th, 2008
I deserve the Designer’s pack because the other contestants will not do anything valuable with it.
Starting a clothing/graphic design freelance career and the mobility/wow factor of having the tablet will be very effective for client-site mockups and design.
Brian Artka
April 16th, 2008
prize pack #3
Because I already own the three books and want to give them away to people I know who could really use them.
Diogo Chaves
April 16th, 2008
Prize: Web Coders Prize-Pack
Why: ’cause I need to polish my programming skills (and my english too) *lol … but for the comments I’ve read so far, there are people who deserves this prize more than I do (what can I say about ‘Jesse Skinner’ lifesaver’s-javascripts, they saved my skin lot of times!), anyway, this is not for me to decide, so here I am =)
Congrats: A big Happy Birthday from Brazil! =P
leonard
April 16th, 2008
I like most would like the designers pack. After my photolab went bankrupt 4 years ago I got a little depressed. Immediately following that my father died. The previous owner of the lab thinking he would be able to sue me ( the corporation went bankrupt but I hadn’t) tried to sue me . I then had to sell just about everything I owned to pay my Lawyer because this annoying man was trying to just get me to settle little did he know I had no money. I have student loans that they have attached on my paycheck and I just got a notice from Massachusetts Dept of revenue. that I owe 3100.00 from when the lab went bankrupt. so after takes levies and such I should be taking home a whopping maybe 150 dollars. Obviously I have had to move in with mom which is good because she is at the beginning stages of alzheimer’s.
I really could use a little good in my life. winning something may bring me out of my funk.
Have you ever had someone say “it can’t get any worse,right ?”
trust me it can
Harrison McLeod
April 16th, 2008
Designer Prize Pack
Why? Because I’m a kick ass designer and I deserve some kick ass prizes.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens
April 16th, 2008
I’d love Prize Pack 1 for Writers, because I live way the hell in the bush in Quebec, and items like those make me drool. I can get smokes and beer every 10 feet in my town, but BOOKS? GADGETS? Luxury items? No way. No can do. Plus, everything’s in French, you know?
Yes, alright, I could buy them online. I know. I keep forgetting, alright?
But there is one thing… Oh man. I so want that voice recorder. I’ve been wanting one of those for three years now, because trying to jot down ideas on torn scraps of paper in a car while driving just isn’t safe. And what would I use while doing groceries? I mean, I leave my pen in the car, I get an idea… I’m screwed.
I need my ideas. I would use that baby like there’s no tomorrow.
Dustin Chilson
April 16th, 2008
As a college student studying Information Security and Technology and an aspiring Freelance Web Coder/Designer the web coder’s pack would greatly improve my skills and the equipment that I have available to me and my budding business. With the help, information, and guides that Freelance Switch provides (which are the BEST I have been able to find anywhere) I have been slowly improving my skills and will soon start actively seeking projects.
I sincerely thank you and wish you a happy birthday.
Prize Pack: Web Coders FTW!!!
Patrick Greer
April 16th, 2008
Happy Birthday Freelance switch. Your web site and podcast are a wonder resource and have help me tremendously in my self-employment endeavors. The writers Prize pack is the one I would chose for myself. While I do a lot of design and coding work I am finding myself more and more writing on my business blog and providing compelling copy for the projects I do for my customers. The Writer’s Prize Pack would help me hone those skills and provide the best service to my clients as well as crafting compelling words that help in natural SEO and extending the conversation with those I come in contact with.
Naturally I’m a big picture kind of person and the prizes will help me excel in the realm of writing. I definitely appreciate including the digital voice recorder for recording interviews and audio notes to myself. The headphones will definitely help me concentrate better as well.
olaf
April 16th, 2008
good morning, and “congrats” for keeping me busy since 8month with all the various topics on freelance work etc. well…i dont deserve the price pack 2 (Genius MousePen 8X6 Graphic Tablet ) just because my beloved girlfriend ursula deserves this. she is an artist working as an english teacher here in china. and what can i tell you, she is marvellous, but to be honest, she doesnt have a laptop yet, but i am saving up to buy here one!!! and i already introduced her to the idea of being creative on the notebook…sketching things with a graphic tablet….
she still thinks that these nice toys are sci-fi and simply “not from this planet”….
cheers to y`all and all the best for the future
olaf
Chris McMahon
April 16th, 2008
I want all 3
because I am a greedy, greedy, greedy bastard
Be Gutierrez
April 16th, 2008
The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
I just think this is TOO SWEET to pass it up so I thought I’d gave it a try. My charm is better communicated in person through my lovely Salvadoran accent that doesn’t quite translate in writing, but still want to try! Oh, I also freelance… I’m fresh out of college.
FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!!!
Dave Bowker
April 16th, 2008
Congrats on your first birthday. It’s been a pleasure to see you grow.
#3 Please because,
Recently my computer died out of warranty and so I had to get a new one. I was rushed, in the middle of a project I couldn’t delay, and bought one from a friend with an onboard water cooling system. Well something went wrong a month or so later and water + leakage + electricity = BOOM.
Currently I have files all over the place on multiple CD-Roms. I’d really like to get organised and I think that hard drive will really help.
Good luck to all.
Dave
Brandy Romer
April 16th, 2008
The Designer’s Prize Pack
Hi,
First off, happy birthday to everyone at Freelance Switch. The fact that you guys have been sharing vital design information for only 12 months is simply amazing to me! Then, when I read that you guys were doing a give-away instead of requesting b-day donations/shout-outs I was in awe.
Doing things for the love of your craft and out of passion for the arts is what I try to promote everyday. I struggled with trying to figure out the best way to put my talents to use all through my journey in college. I always felt like I wasn’t the best amongst my peers, but I still had a creative voice that I wanted so bad to be heard. After dealing with accepting my level of talents and learning how to enhance them instead of changing them to fit the image of others, I was able to tap into the true artist in me.
During my last semester of school, i experienced a revelation that changed my life. I was getting ready to end my road to higher education in the design world and was determined to take on the world as a MAGAZINE PUBLISHER. Ever since I was a little girl I always had secret dreams of having a book on the shelves of my favorite bookstores, but could never really see myself taking the time to actually write all those pages lol. In my youthful mind, a published book was a way of keeping one’s legacy alive even after the author dies. In addition to having a book, I was always more drawn to the radio and cassette tapes as opposed to sitting in front of the ‘idot box’ (TV). Getting on punishments were the coolest until my folks caught on to the fact that taking away my Sony Boombox was more torture for me than unplugging my tv lol. So that night right before finals of my last semester, I came up with the bright idea of merging my two childhood fantasies into one and creating an entertainment magazine from an artist’s perspective. Shinning a positive light on the industry and bringing together both fans and artists by the passion they share in the arts.
With all that being said, I took it upon myself to quit a very good paying job that was awarded to me fresh out of college (Fall 2006) to focus on my passion on a full-time basis. Since August of 2007, I have been interning with a few established magazines and have been soaking up as much information as possible.
I would love to win prize pack #2 to enhance myself as an artist in order to be as competitive as I can in this industry. Im constantly trying to convince my parents (who nag me about not going to grad school) that life’s experiences are the best teachers known to man for anyone who calls themselves an artist. With the Designer’s Prize Pack, I would be fully prepared for Design Professionalism 101!
Jeff Wetherington
April 16th, 2008
Happy First Birthday!
1) The Writer’s Prize-Pack
I am just about to seriously begin pursuing a freelance writing career and this prize pack would be extremely helpful. Just think, when I make it big I’ll be able to say it’s all because of Freelance Switch!
Ronnie VanVarden
April 16th, 2008
hmm, its hard to choose between the web pack or the designer pack, as i usually am involved in both. I think i will choose the Designer pack. I would love to win these mostly because, I am currently making the move to Freelance work and will have to rely fully on freelance work to support my Beautiful wife and daughter. I am currently a Youth/Childrens pastor here in Salinas, ca. and get paid alright, but i feel that i am too, move my family and take on a Youth pastor job, with no pay. Because I want to help the youth of Stockton, and am willing to take a leap of faith, and rely on my web and graphic skills to support my family. That set will definitely help me get the start that I need, almost like a little boost, as this is a very scary thing not only moving my family but having to rely on freelance work.
Thank You for considering, I love your blog, and read it everytime i hear that sound of a new post alert. and if i can’t have the designer package i will make great use of the web one as well. Thank You guys.
Steven Nacario
April 16th, 2008
For The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack!
Name: Steven Nacario
Alter Ego: Obake
Born: Oahu, Hawaii
Age: 20
I have no money because of bills. It’s almost too difficult to afford going to a community college. These would be extremely helpful for faster work! I do have a strong passion for digital art. Just started building a portfolio from scratch. Hopefully I can make it! Thanks.
Jamie
April 16th, 2008
I would love to get my mitts on the Writer’s Prize-Pack! I am in the early part of my writing career and am moving to New York this summer for another round of Big Apple post-college internships where I hope to fatten my professional portfolio and pick up some invaluable experience to help me in the freelance years ahead. Interestingly enough, I am funding this budding writing career through freelance web development where I probably have a much better chance of making more money…but, writing is my first love (even when I’m cursing my career choice those times I find myself staring at a blank page that needs to be filled with something coherent and somewhat brilliant).
I’m thinking the halogen desk lamp would look good in what may turn out to be a cramped windowless Brooklyn apartment where the fountain pen will make me feel like a sophisticated writer and the headphones will help block out the honking horns of taxis and the wail of sirens at all hours of the night. I have a feeling the Belkin Cushtop notebook stand will serve me just as well as a pillow to cushion the inevitable head-to-desk banging that every writer on deadline can relate to. You, yes you, can not only continue to keep me excited about freelancing with this blog but can help save my forehead from permanent indentions. Think about that!
christian ross
April 16th, 2008
Let me be the first to say, thanks for the offer of free schwag, but don’t give it to me. Honestly. I don’t need it. But here’s my two cents on who it should go to…
Give it to someone deserving. Someone who doesn’t have the ability to obtain all of the above (yet). Don’t give it to someone just cause they just started or are planning to start a freelance career.
Give it to someone who can prove how they will be a benefit to others with it. Clients, the community, etc.
Give it to someone who has the fire and the passion for what they do. “I love design” just doesn’t cut it for me. Why do you love design? Why do you analyze billboards and street signs for typography differences? Why do you write for a blog that only your wife, mother, and two cousins read? Because you have a passion. Explain it.
Give it to that person.
Brandon Carson
April 16th, 2008
I’ve been trying to start my own freelance web design studio off and on for a few years now. I finally took the plunge in Spring ‘07 but soon after my wife became pregnant. I panicked and went back to a cubicle job, much to both our dismay.
Since then I’ve been watching our little boy get bigger and it got really hard being away from him and the wife again. So, with her support, I’m back in business for myself again and loving every minute of it.
Your website has been a huge help - both informational and motivational. Here’s to another great year
(btw, #2 would be a huge help!)
Jad Limcaco
April 16th, 2008
Why should I win the “WEB DEVELOPERS’ prize?
Well, number one, because I really need those headphones. I started freelancing about 6 months ago with the help of Freelance Switch and since then, I have enjoyed it. What I have not enjoyed is the noise here in my house that my sibling and my parents make. That would really help me out. Plus, that harddrive would be very useful so I can carry my files to Starbucks coffee and Its a Grind.
PLEASE, I am begging you (you said be honest) please give me the Web Developer’s prize.
Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!
Allison
April 16th, 2008
Happy Birthday!
I would love to win the Writer’s prize pack.
Only recently have I discovered a love of writing, and now that I know, I really want to make this into a career! The books will help me develop myself as a writer and as a freelancer, and the voice recorder and notebooks will help me keep track of my ideas, no matter where I am! Winning this would be a great way to jump start my writing career, because I’m still a starving student for a couple more months, so I can’t afford most of this on my own!
Josh
April 16th, 2008
Prize Pack #1
I’m not really sure if I deserve to win but right this moment I just feel like I could use a boost. I used to own The Elements of Style but I gave it away after high school to someone who couldn’t afford to buy her own copy. I miss having it around just so I can make myself look foolish. I also used to have a Moleskine but I filled all the pages up. I had to resort to carrying it around with me anyways because I felt empty without it.
The truth is I’m just starting to find myself again and writing has helped me through a lot of things these past few months; releasing emotions in a constructive way, working through problems or questions that I have, and discovering that I don’t have to be afraid of all of those things I buried so long ago.
In short, writing has helped me realize that I want to write professionally. When I was younger that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up but somewhere along the line I stopped believing that I could do it.
Do I need to win this? No, I don’t. If I don’t win then I’ll survive. I just feel that if I did win this prize pack it would really make my day.
Tuteken
April 16th, 2008
I would love to get that Web-Coder’s Prize Pack.
Why because that it would come in extremely hand in the fall. When I start my first semester of two years of collage school. With not a very large salary, I don’t always have the money to all the great books that are out, that have to do with web design, development, or coding. I have head that Web Standards Solutions is a really great book and I would love to read. An external hard drive is always a handy thing to have for copying files between computers or backing up files.
Also I’ve started doing a little bit of freelancing in web design and development and hope to continue freelancing. I love the challenge of having to find out why my code is not doing, what I think it should do. Although some days I just want to toss the computer out the window (its a love hate thing).
Best of luck to everyone.
Kai Brach
April 16th, 2008
Hi there and Happy Birthday!
I’d prefer price pack number 2 (designer).
Why I deserve it? Well, I’m a German web design freelancer who was just granted a permanent visa for Australia. I will be making the big move to Melbourne (my favourite city of all!) later this year. Once I’m there I will need every help I can get to set myself up (working from home at the beginning) and start a new life. This package would be a greeeaaat little support package that would come in handy for my freelance business!
Cheers
Kai
mitchell
April 16th, 2008
i can’t honestly say that i “deserve” this prize, but i don’t think that anyone can really say that except for the editors and contributors to FS.
for me, this prize could potentially tip me over that part-time precipice into full freelance freedom. i’m right on that edge, preparing myself and doing part-time work, but i need a nudge. this could be my nudge.
oh, and door #3.
Anthony Cole
April 16th, 2008
I have an exTreme addiction to freelancing, and I believe in Hard work and doing what I lovE. I’m a Work-a-holic. I lovE the Breathtaking experience that I sit down to do with my Coffee every day. I cOuldn’t even get close to Doing a sit-down job. Doing it solo has bEen one of the gReatest experienceS of my life. Freelancing has had its Peaks and its lows. I’ll pRemise this by sayIng that breaking even has been difficult. I wish I could have bought a nissan Z 350, but it just didn’t happEn. I soon learned that I wanted Power, but incorporAting my business was an exCeptionally expensive tasK.
And this is the part where I’ll detail my entry into the freelancing world. It was a feiry and ferocious act of Fulfillment and Freedom. I had just finished my final job of the fiscal quarter and I was finicky about continuing on. I finished work every day and clocked in. It guaranteed me a state of financial soundness, but there was something in me that said “F$*% this”. So I, in my fractious state, put the small startup I was currently employed by into a state of fury and walked out to the pier and took the ferry home.
And then I went into happyland, where the deers prance around and the bunnies fly in a happy place. It was a rather interesting experience. I had fun. My hangover the next morning wasn’t though. I found that I had called my former boss and sworn profusely for several minutes, hung up, and used the company credit card on a brand new Lamborghini Murcielago (don’t ask me, they had a high line of credit). I walked into my room where there was every animal imaginable and a big giant bear walked up to me and hugged me. There were beavers playing the saxophone and giraffes playing the trumpet and a parrot playing the piano and singing with a bottle of Jack Daniels. My sounds system was blaring “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Qeen and I heard sirens coming down the street.
And that’s how the cookie crumbles.
(Disclaimer: the information in this