The Best Books for Freelance Graphic Designers
While there are great resources out there for anyone interested in freelancing, working as a graphic designer can have a few twists that makes it worth your while to take a look at books that specifically offer information geared towards freelance graphic designers. These books can provide an education on the nuts and bolts of the freelance graphic design business.
Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting — Revised Edition
Deciding how to set your prices can be one of the toughest parts of setting up a freelance graphic design business: there are all sorts of variables, like your own experience and what your clients are used to paying. Theo Stephan Williams’ book, Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting — Revised Edition, provides an in-depth look at every part of the process of deciding just what you’ll charge — along with covering some aspects of client relations and project management.
- Available as a paperback
- 192 pages
- $14.96
- Purchase Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting — Revised Edition
100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative
There’s no ‘one right way’ to work as a freelance graphic designer. That doesn’t mean that other graphic designers can’t provide you with some ideas on how to operate your business — instead, it just means that you need an easy way to see the widest variety of experiences possible. 100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative is full of those different situations, bringing together help from a long list of experienced freelancers.
- Available as a hardback
- 192 pages
- $26.40
- Purchase 100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative
Freelance Design in Practice
If your goal is to freelance full-time, Freelance Design in Practice, by Cathy Fishel, can guide you through the steps necessary to making that transition. The book goes beyond just telling you about the financial and legal ramifications of working for yourself, offering a wide variety of images and illustrations that will clarify business topics, as well as bringing in quotes and stories from a wide variety of successful freelance graphic designers.
- Available as a paperback
- 208 pages
- $21.90
- Purchase Freelance Design in Practice
How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
Freelancing isn’t just about about bringing in the money: as a graphic designer, you have to enjoy doing creative work. Adrian Shaugnessy’s book, How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul guides you through doing creative work on a regular basis without losing your creativity. It doesn’t hurt that the book adds in plenty of information about the business end of freelancing, as well.
- Available as a paperback
- 160 pages
- $13.57
- Purchase How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
Leave a Comment
Hi Thursday,
Shaugnessy’s book has been on my reading list for ages, but I’m unfamiliar with the other recommendations, so thanks a lot for those. Pricing, as per usual, is a subject every designer I’ve asked wants to know more about.
Thanks for a heads up on these books.
I’m just starting my freelance design career around where I live so these should give me a good head start. Of course I read FreelanceSwitch too
Awesome suggestions!
Fully agree about “Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting”. I read it before launching into full time freelancing five years ago, and it was extremely practical.
Great list. I just added the 100 habits to my list of books, looking forward to getting into it.
Another book that has helped me a lot is “Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers by Shel Perkins”
I have “Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting — Revised Edition” book and it really helped me a lot about freelancing. Invoicing, setting your own price and other helpful tips. the book also explains about theo’s own personal experience in the industry which helps you learn faster.
I think I might need to check some of those out.
I’ve read “How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul” and would recommend it to anyone that is just starting out as a designer or wanting to become a designer. It gives you a lot of incite into the field that I didn’t learn about in college, which would have been helpful.
Oh yeah… Thanks for the post! I’ll have to check the others out as well.
These are all new to me….looks like I’ve gotta get reading
Thanks for those suggestions!
A must have book for any freelancer is “The Designer’s guide to Marketing and Pricing” by Benun and top.
List are very helpful for me. I am also a freelancer and I think it is very good to all designer. Thanks,
good references
i think its helpful guide in freelance designing world
thanx
It’ll be on my christmas gift list for sure!
Nice books from the “underground”!
Thanks for these, I will defiantly have to get my reading glasses out
One other book that I would recommend is ‘The Anti 9 to 5 Guide’ by Michelle Goodman. This is a great red with really inspiring points on how to make it out of that 9 to 5 job and into the exciting world of freelance!
Really Helpful Guide for me. Thanks
“Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting Revised Edition” I always recommend this book first. I’ll check out the other ones, thanks.