Allison Boyer’s eBook “Out of Thin Air: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Finding Work When Bills are Due” is all about one thing: Finding clients when you’re on the brink of disaster. Sometimes, work runs low, and you have to get money fast. Boyer’s book can help you get out of a bad hole fast.
What I like
Boyer provides a comprehensive list of places and people you can potentially take up as clients. These go beyond typical places such as content mills, online bidding sites (Although working those sites effectively is covered as well) and online job sites; she gives places many people wouldn’t think would be looking for writers, myself included.
Boyer also offers useful thoughts in ways to make more money for your blog, ranging from setting up link bait titles to monetization and strategies toward making yourself look good to advertisers. There’s also information on setting up your own products (Such as eBooks) and sales and specials for your work.
Lastly, I also like the personal stuff Boyer includes in the margins, from things she did in the past to how to approach life as a freelancer. It helps to let people know that no matter how dire their situation may be, they are not alone, and there’s people happy to help you step up.
What could be improved
I’d like to see more information on actually approaching prospective clients. Although Boyer offers a lot of very useful places and potential clients, there isn’t much in the way of setting up connections. Although there are some form letters in her book, I would talk more about querying potential clients (using letters, resumes, etc) and cold calling, as that’s one of the more stressful parts of freelancing. However, she still provides sufficient detail for negotiating additional work from current clients.
The Bottom Line
If you’re at the end of your rope in terms of work (And we’ve ALL been there, I might add) this is the book for you. I’d also recommend it if you’re starting out in freelance writing too, since it can give you a general idea of how to build and maintain relationships with clients.
Out of Thin Air is available as an eBook for $21. Click here to purchase “Out of Thin Air: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Finding Work When Bills are Due.” You can check out Allison on her blog: After Graduation.
Disclaimer
I received my copy of Out Of Thin Air for free from the author. However, my free receipt of the ebook did not influence my review in any way shape or form, nor was I asked to influence it in a particular direction. I certify that these are my own thoughts and opinions and personally recommend this book myself.