As a person who generally jumps headfirst into new, interesting experiences, I tend to do many things in life backwards. Chronologically, not literally—do first, learn later. Maybe it’s the excitement of the fresh idea that spurns me or the belief that being a teacher gives me the right to not stop and read directions first, but I’m always excited by the challenge of trying something different.

Freelancing was no exception. When offered the chance to collaborate on a set of articles (not one but two) for a respected national magazine with glossy pages, I immediately agreed. I didn’t know an editorial assistant from a senior editor, one-time from reprint rights or a query from a clip. What I did know is that the opportunity wouldn’t likely repeat itself in the near future. If I wanted to leap from unpublished fiction writer to published freelancer, I’d have to teach myself.

I like to think I did a fine job, but had I found Get a Freelance Life in those first few months, I’d certainly have slept easier. Anyone considering (or even in the midst of) freelancing at any level would do themselves and their career a favor by checking out the text for serious freelancers. Not just a rehashing of the old freelance advice doled (i.e. buy Writer’s Market, study magazines, write the article you’d like to read), Get a Freelance Life offers a panoramic view of the freelancer’s life in great detail from start to finish and everything to consider in between.

The five broad sections of the book are chock-full of solid freelancing advice and insight to consider from the moment you decide to pursue the life of a freelance writer. By the end of the first section, Are You Ready to be Free?, you’ll have plotted out your business plan, know how to create positive relationships to foster your career and get the scoop on how to market yourself for the best results. Prepare gets you in tune with the one thing every successful writer has—ideas. You’ll discover how to hone and tailor your idea to not only a publication but where in the publication your idea best fits. The third section, Pitch, centers on the perfect query by giving more excellent, targeted query/pitch letter samples than any other freelancing book I’ve read. The advice on how long to wait and how to follow up on queries is excellent as well. For non-journalism majors like myself, there’s more than writing in the Write section. With suggestions on how to make one assignment grow into more and tips on how to research most effectively, even seasoned freelancers might pick up a resource or two. Rounding it out, the Mind Your Own Business section covers the stuff no one wants to waste writing time discussing but everyone must: finances, insurance, taxes, building your business.

Currently writing and envision yourself moving up sometime soon? Just getting started? Take a bit of hard-won advice from someone who’s been there: avoid freelancing-baptism-by-fire and pick up Ragland’s Get a Freelance Life first to avoid sleepless nights later.