freelancing

[Kathryn Seifert <kathryn_seifert -at- IL -dot- US -dot- SWISSBANK -dot- COM>]

I apologize in advance if this topic has already been done to death in this
 newsgroup.
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I'd like some help from people out there who have do freelance work.  I'd really
 like to start doing some
freelancing myself, but I don't know how to start.  Some of the questions I have
 are:

1) How do you find clients?  I have a feeling this will be the most difficult
 part of freelancing, since I have few
marketing skills.

2) How much do you charge? Do you do it by the hour or by the project?  Do you
 ever have to modify your
price to get a project?

3) How do you do your billing?


4) What are the advantages/disadvantages of being incorporated?

5) What kinds of projects do you work on (e.g. user manuals, on-line help,
 desk-top publishing, copyediting,
etc.).

6) Do you work out of your home or on-site?  If you work out of your home, how
 do you communicate with your
clients about their requirements, feedback, etc? (e.g. e-mail, fax,
 telephone....) Also, if  you work at home,
what kind of equipment and software do you have in your home office?

7) How long did it take you to get started - how long before you were making
 enough money to live on?

8) How do you deliver your product (disk, hard-copy.....)?

9) Are there other questions/issues I should be considering?


Thanks very much for any information you can provide!

kathryn seifert
seiferk -at- us -dot- il -dot- swissbank -dot- com

Disclaimer - the views expressed in this message are mine and have nothing to do
 with SBC.