The Freelance Manifesto: A Field Guide for the Modern Motion Designer

I am not freelancing yet, but may soon :). This book does a great job of taking the fear out of the thought of freelancing AND shows one how to do it with a better chance of success. Joeys writing style is free-flowing and it feels like you are listening to a friend explain things to you. I was engaged the whole time. I had freelanced in graphic design a long time ago and wish I would have had a lot of this advice. I did notice how expensive it can get with all the little subscription cloud apps, that is recommended or talked about. It adds up. BUT, if you land jobs, the cost is not really that much of an issue and you write it off anyway. Also, I was glad to see him mention multiple times that you must have a good portfolio of work as well. Doesn't have to be award winning, but at least good. But Kudos to Joey for a valuable book to those seeking to freelance!

This book was a real point to start freelancing from. Joey is really experienced and gives you real-work knowledge. The book is not only informative about the freelance life of motion design but also motivates you well to start seeking your freelance career and tells you how to plan for that. Giving clear information about rates average is really helpful and this is something many people refuse to declare. A little point to talk about, the book is more focused on motion design life in the United States, there are many other countries where motion designers are struggling to find their way into freelance, with much lower rates. Joey didn't talk much about how can those do with their skill set in order to make the community more inclusive. Thanks, Joey and School of Motion for this awesome book, A must-read book for every motion designer!

I had my reservations buying this book as it is written like a letter of endearment to mograph designers. However, it is applicable to any industry or field that requires a freelance form of employment. I am a film major in my Junior Year and this book has greatly increased my chances in finding work. Unfortunately my school doesn't offer enough classes or the correct kind for teaching us to truly communicate professionally to employers or potential colleagues. The guidelines he gives for writing emails turned results immediately regardless of how iffy I was on the whole idea.

I am more than halfway done with this book and it’s been pretty enjoyable. The writer is fun and it’s easy to read, and all the information seems really practical. I haven’t implemented any of it yet, but I’m looking forward to trying soon.

This book has been a great boon to me. Previously I'd tried freelancing but had not treated it as a skill in my toolset. The result was less than satisfactory and things were unnecessarily difficult and confusing. Now, with the help of this book, my outlook changed from dreading managing clients to feeling empowered to build a new facet of my career. Since freelancing is vastly independent, I'm not quite sure where else I would have learned these business practices. I recommend this book to freelancers new to the trade and seasoned. Old freelancers will learn new techniques such as cold-emails. New freelancers switching from fulltime to freelance will benefit from the outlook altering ideas here-in. Soon you will be asking, "How did I ever agree to trade most of my time for the illusion of stability?"

“Field Guide” is very appropriate. It is not the answer to all freelancing questions. Another reviewer put it should be called the Freelance Bible. Not quite. The book is geared towards guiding readers at certain points of their freelancing career. “I’m in this situation or point of my freelance career, let me check the field guide to see what to do.” Similar to a Boy/Girl Scout handbook—here are a bunch of knots to tie. They each have their definite purpose, but you can use different ones interchangeable based on your preference. Learn them all, but adapt as needed and to your preference. This isn’t going to teach you how to set up an LLC/S-Corp. The book doesn’t teach you how to write and read contracts. It gives you resources and teaches you how to approach those situations, but you’ll have to put in the extra time with those resources. They’re not going to magically appear from the book. I owe most of my freelance career to Joey. I use him as a resource all the time. I can say I am where I am at because of his lessons before buying this book. I am a bit biased in that sense. “So, then if you are so grateful to Joey, why just four stars?” Joey is always honest and straight with me and vice versa—This is a 4-Star book. It isn’t 100% perfect and doesn’t answer everything. I even found myself disagreeing with certain specifics, despite Joey being so influential on my career. That isn’t a bad thing. Everyone should have that reaction from any book of this caliber. All that said, this book is what every freelancer should use to start their careers. Not just motion designers. Any one. Don’t expect a Biblical experience, though. Expect to be amazed and swept away into wanting to freelance or be a better freelancer. Expect to need to put in the work to be successful at it, too.

This book is great at building your mindset of what freelancing is for, as well as offering a timeless playbook for motion designers in the field. Keep in mind this focuses on the business side of animation, this book doesn't explain what keyframes or story boards are. The tips are useful, to the point, and don't feel manipulative or dirty. Any animators looking for a boost in business confidence or a helping guide on their mograph journey needs to read this!

Love how practical and action oriented the book is. It literally opened my mind and eliminated almost 90%+ of the doubts, confusions , and fears I had about freelancing. Highly recommend this book for artist in any field, especially for careers that require portfolios. I believe this process can work for web designers, graphic designers, etc Great book! 👍🏻

Great book

Arrived perfectly.

Conheci esse livro por indicação em um podcast, e encontrá-lo para ler no Kindle Unlimited foi uma das melhores coisas que me aconteceu na vida! O tanto que aprendi, desde estratégia para prospectar clientes, assim como todas as ferramentas que podem me ajudar no meu trabalho, foram muito preciosas! Esse livro é mais completo que muito curso que já fiz. Gratidão ao autor por ter compartilhado tanto conhecimento de uma forma tão divertida.

Just perfect, i was discover some thing who i really was in blank about how to do, this guide take your hand and walk with you on the undiscover and scary world of the freelance, but, spoiler alert, many of this thing happends in your world and you dont know, so if, yo really want the see the light in the end of the hall of your office, buy this book...

Ce livre est une mine d'or qui va au-delà de l'aspect du travail, mais parle aussi du rapport entre notre carrière d'indépendant et notre vie en dehors. Il y a des conseils aussi bien pratiques que théoriques en quantité, et c'est un livre qui m'a énormément motivé pour ma carrière de motion designer. La seule chose que je regrette, c'est que c'est un livre qui concerne plutôt le marché américain, mais la grande majorité des conseils de ce livre sont applicables pour nous français.