The Kalzumeus podcast by Patrick McKenzie (patio11) will teach you about pricing, business value, and consulting. You’ll make your clients happier and increase your rates as a result of listening, so you should subscribe now. Patrick’s mailing list is also full of goodies – sign up for it on his site. Patrick’s blog, podcast, and mailing list are the reason I found all the other resources in this post, so you need to read and listen to him.
Getting To Yes will help you to do a better job of negotiating. (That’s not an affiliate link, so you can trust that I just think it’s a great book.) You’ll learn to negotiate better as you consider your best alternative to negotiated agreement (BATNA) and focus on principles rather than positions (read the book for a thorough explanation). You’ll be able to negotiate better rates with your clients like I have. It’s useful for anyone who’s breathing (since everyone negotiates in some way every day), but especially for freelancers who want to learn to negotiate better rates. (And yes, I believe this is better for your clients, too.)
Double Your Freelancing Rate by Brennan Dunn will help you (yes, you guessed it) double your freelancing rate. It’s not all about you, though – after reading this book, I’ve been more focused on the value I provide to my clients. That is, I’m more concerned with making them more money. And clients who make more money are happier clients. Get the book – it’s more than worth the $49 it costs. Think about it this way: if you start charging only $25 more per hour (I’m convinced you can), it pays for itself in two hours of work. Go get it. Brennan also has an excellent podcast you should listen to if you’re serious about growing your freelancing business.
And finally, Copy Hackers by Joanna Wiebe will teach you a ton about writing copy that sells (whether you’re selling apps, services, or anything else). I’ve learned to write like a human and think about what you (my good-looking readers) want so I can give that to you. I’m on the mailing list, which you should sign up for if you want to increase your sales. I’ve gotten tons of practical advice that has helped me to increase sales from my website, communicate the value of my mailing list, and just write better in general (which is always a good thing). Additionally, if you sell apps (and want to increase your sales), you need to read How to Write an App Store Description and do what she says.
I’m sure these resources will help you to increase your profits as a freelancer and make your clients happier as you focus on making them more money. If you have great freelancing resources to share that I missed, send me an email and let me know. And if you want more (free, exclusive) content like this, you should join our mailing list.