My So-Called Freelance Life - Michelle Goodman [87]
www.starvingartistslaw.com. Who are these wonderful people that compiled link after link of “Copyrights 101” articles, and will they mind if I give them a sloppy wet kiss? Even more lovely is the fact that they’ve compiled a list of North American legal clinics offering free contract and business advice to creative types.
DEATH AND TAXES
Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors, Freelancers & Consultants, Seventh Edition, by Stephen Fishman, Nolo, 2008. More ass-saving advice from every freelancer’s favorite attorney and our friends at Nolo.com.
www.irs.gov. While nothing takes the place of the advice of a good accountant, the IRS site is surprisingly informative and easy to navigate. If, however, you’re dying to hear a recorded greeting that says “Welcome to the IRS!” give the feds a call with your questions: (800) 829-4933. If your income is $40,000 or less, the IRS has a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that can help you prepare your tax return. Call (800) 829-1040 for locations.
www.turbotax.com. Besides offering freelance-friendly tax preparation software, TurboTax offers a bunch of helpful tax tips, calculators, and advice on its website.
INSURE YOUR HIDE
www.ahirc.org and www.healthinsuranceinfo.net. Both sites list individual and group health insurance options available in each of the United States. Both are goldmines of information.
www.ehealthinsurance.com. This site makes comparison shopping for a health plan a cinch. But if you want someone to break down what you’re really getting with those monthly premiums, see an insurance agent (free).
www.nahu.org. The National Association of Health Underwriters lists thousands of licensed insurance agents who can help hunt down the best health policy for you.
BLOGGING 101
The cheapest way to start a blog is via a platform like www.blogger.com (free), http://wordpress.com (free), or www.typepad.com ($5 a month; two-week free trial). But if you want your own domain name (www.myradsite.com, as opposed to http://myradsite.wordpress.com) and extra blogging capabilities, get thee to http://wordpress.org, download the blogging software they tell you to download (easy), and sign up for a web hosting service (about $100 to $200 a year).
WordPress for Dummies, by Lisa Sabin-Wilson, For Dummies, 2007. If you’re a baby blogger, there’s a lot to digest at the outset. This book makes doing all of the above with WordPress—my blogging platform recommendation—even easier.
www.bloggingbasics101.com. Tagline: “Where there are no stupid questions!” All I can say is, I wish I’d known about this site when I first started blogging.
www.copyblogger.com and www.problogger.net. Want to write snap-pier blog posts, boost your blog traffic, and maybe even make a little cash in the process? CopyBlogger and ProBlogger can help.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE, ANYONE?
If you need help getting your admin done, these organizations can hook you up with a qualified professional: International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org), Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (www.virtualassistantnetworking.com), and Virtual Assistants Networking Association (www.vanetworking.com).
GIVE YOURSELF A CREATIVE KICK IN THE PANTS
www.artistcommunities.org. Find an artist retreat or residency to apply for. Nothing beats getting away from every last obligation in your life and having the time and space—usually in some fairytalelike setting—to just make stuff.
www.shawguides.com. Landscape painting lessons in Tuscany! Writing workshops on the Pacific coastline! Travel photography training in Zanzibar! If you like to mix travel with professional development, don’t miss the listings on this site.
How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights, by Ariel Gore, Three Rivers Press, 2007. Like Anne Lamott’s classic Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anchor, 1995), this book’s “get off your duff and do it now” message