Sara Horowitz - The Freelancers Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams - On Your Terms

SARA HOROWITZ,

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FREELANCERS UNION

WITH TONI SCIARRA POYNTER

WORKMAN PUBLISHING, NEW YORK

FOR BERNICE

COPYRIGHT 2012 BY SARA HOROWITZ

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA IS AVAILABLE.

ISBN 978-0-7611-7505-6

COVER DESIGN BY RAQUEL JARAMILLO
INTERIOR ILLUSTRATION BY JEAN-MARC TROADEC

Names and certain identifying characteristics of individuals quoted in this book have been changed.

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I would like to thank Peter and Rachelwho make my life so full.

To Sidney Hillman, Bayard Rustin, FDR and Eleanor, and to my Grandfather Israel and Aunt Esther, whose lives have taught me so much and who act as my northern star.

To my sister Anne and to Ron and NatalieI love you so muchand for my nieces Josie, Sage, Paulotta, and Tessa: the next generation. To Michele Molotsky, my dearest friend.

To Toni Sciarra Poynter, who is divinely inspired in taking all forms of intuitive knowledge or ideas and expertly turning them into thoughtful, understandable, logical prose. You made this book journey a pleasure and I know that meant crazy extra amounts of work for you. Your ideas are genius and you are a good friend to boot.

To my agent, Heather Schroder, who had lunch with me for ten years before I could finally birth a book. I love your toughness and charm.

To Mary Ellen ONeill, who added extra zing here and there and made the book leaner.

To Savannah Ashour for reaching out and gently persuading me to make this book happen.

To the team at Workmanmany thanks for working your magic. And to Peter Workman, who is such an entrepreneur and steward that his publishing company flourishes amid much ruin.

To the Board of Freelancers UnionJoe Caserto, Trisala Chandaria, Ohad Folman, Andrew Kassoy, and especially to Charles Heckscher, Hanan Kolko, and Stephanie Buchanan, whose wisdom and kindness know no bounds.

To the staff at Freelancers Union, who have spirit, resolve, and dedication to independent workers. I would especially like to thank Althea Erickson, Caitlin Pearce, Dan Lavoie, Gabrielle Wuolo, Kaitlyn Newman, Gillian Sewake, Hollis Calhoun, and Jen Stern for all their great help on this book. Thanks also to Dina Sena, Diallo Powell, and Ann Boger for being great leaders and friends. And to Bob Belfort, whose legal brilliance is matched only by his wit and tolerance of my grumpiness (on rare occasion).

To those funders and friends who want to catalyze resources for great change, including Janice Nittoli, Nancy Barrand, Mara Manus, and Maria Gotsch. And to the Ford Foundation for getting Freelancers Union started and moving us forward.

To Bill Drayton at Ashoka, who shares with me a love for Bayard Rustin and for realizing that a life of persistence toward something good is truly a life well lived.

To Cheryl Dorsey and Echoing Green for setting me on the course of social entrepreneurship and catalyzing much support along the way.

To Nick Salvatore and the late Clete Daniel for giving me a deep love of labor history and for constantly reminding me that unionism is part of a social movement for all workers.

To Richard Winsten and New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who have made New York the most freelance-friendly state in the country. To Shelly Korman, a true legal warrior, and Jean Tom, an expert navigator through all storms.

My deep thanks to the following accomplished professionals who agreed to be interviewed for this book and who generously gave of their time and expertisewith a special thanks to Howard J. Samuels, CPA, MST, and Galia Gichon for their time and effort in reviewing portions of the manuscript:

Ilise Benun, cofounder of Marketing Mentor ( marketing-mentor.com ) and author of numerous books, including The Creative Professionals Guide to Money.

Erica Ecker, owner of The Spacialist ( thespacialist.com ).

Galia Gichon, founder of Down-to-Earth Finance ( downtoearthfinance.com ) and author of My Money Matters, a boxed set of affirmations, tips, and workbooks.

Evelyn Hecht, PT, ATC, president of EMH Physical Therapy ( emhphysicaltherapy.com ).

John Indalecio, OTR/L, CHT.

Peggy Post, etiquette expert, a director of The Emily Post Institute ( emilypost.com ), and coauthor with Peter Post of The Etiquette Advantage in Business, among others.

Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers ( careersolvers.com ).

Howard J. Samuels, CPA, MST, KDMS LLC Certified Public Accountants ( Howard@KDMSCPA.COM ).

Jennifer Shaheen, The Technology Therapist and president of the Technology Therapy Group ( technologytherapy.com ), creator of Tech Therapy TV (techtherapy.tv).

Brigitte Thompson, president of Datamaster Accounting Services, LLC ( datamasteraccounting.com ), author of Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers.

Colleen Wainwright, a.k.a. the communicatrix ( www.communicatrix.com ).

My sincere thanks to the freelancers who offered their personal stories, experiences, and insights. You helped bring alive the ideas in this book.

Finally, thanks to freelancers and independent workers everywhere, who every day find their own solutions while some still believe that theyre slacker dudes wearing jammies at their computers. Little do those people know that freelancers are quietly designing the next safety net, powering the economy, and often creating pretty groovy lives for themselves.

Sara Horowitz

Working with Sara Horowitz has been a gift. Through our many conversations and through my experiences with Freelancers Union, she has raised my consciousness about what freelancers need as professionals and as people. She has grown my faith in the capacity of human beings to create solutions where none previously existed. She has given me a close-up view of how one continues to press forward toward goals that seem very large and far away. Thanks to her and our work together, Im a better freelancer, and maybe a better person, too.

Thanks to the wonderful team at Freelancers Union who were welcoming and helpful at every turn, especially Judy Osteller, Caitlin Pearce, Jennifer Stern, and Gabrielle Wuolo.

I would also like to thank:

Ann Bramson for recommending me; Savannah Ashour for offering me the opportunity to work with Sara; Mary Ellen ONeill for her clear editorial insights and for her careful shepherding of this project; Dona Munker for listening, listening, and listening; Neil Felshman and Josleen Wilson for their living room couch in July, and Jos for her wisdom about the wall; Fern Sanford for her editorial expertise; my sister and my mother for listening raptly when our phone calls became monologues on advocacy issues for freelancers; and my husband, Donald, who, after I accomplish anything, always says, Of course, Im not at all surprised.