This Year Will Be Different: Guide to Becoming a Freelancer

In this review of This Year Will Be Different readers get a clear, practical guide aimed at entrepreneurial women who want to start freelancing or launch a small creative business. The bottom line: this book is most valuable for beginners who need actionable steps and real-life examples, because its strength is a collection of tips, interviews and stories from women who already make a living as bloggers, designers, consultants and photographers. It reads like a mentor in print and is written to be immediately useful rather than theoretical.

Key Features

• Practical guidance: The book presents step-by-step advice that helps a reader move from idea to paid client work without overwhelming jargon.
• Real interviews: Stories and interviews with working women provide concrete examples of how different creative careers actually pay the bills.
• Wide range of professions: Coverage of bloggers, designers, consultants and photographers shows multiple paths to freelancing so readers can compare options.
• Actionable tips and tricks: The text is filled with small tactics and mindset shifts that are easy to implement during the early months of freelancing.
• Focus on entrepreneurial women: Examples and tone are tailored to women starting businesses, offering relatable perspectives and role models.

Who It's For

This Year Will Be Different is best for creative professionals at the start of their freelance journey who want practical, example-driven advice. It suits readers who appreciate personal stories and prefer learning from other entrepreneurs rather than reading dense business textbooks.

Those already running established agencies or seeking in-depth financial models and legal templates may need supplemental resources, since the book emphasizes inspiration, tactics and real-world interviews over exhaustive technical appendices.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Practical, immediately usable tips from people actively earning in creative fields.
• Helpful variety of career examples that make freelancing feel achievable for different skill sets.
• Tone and examples tailored to entrepreneurial women, which many readers will find relatable.

Cons

• Not a comprehensive legal or finance manual, so readers should pair it with more technical resources for contracts and taxes.

Specifications

Our Verdict

This Year Will Be Different is a smart, readable guide for anyone at the beginning of a freelance or creative business path; it offers tangible tactics and motivating interviews that shorten the learning curve. It represents good value for beginners who need inspiration plus practical action items, though anyone needing legal or tax depth should consult specialist resources in addition to this book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book only for women?
While written with entrepreneurial women in mind, many of the practical tips and interviews are useful to anyone starting freelance work.

Will this book teach pricing and contracts?
The book provides practical pricing ideas and client advice but is not a substitute for professional legal or detailed financial guidance.

What kinds of careers are profiled?
Profiles include bloggers, designers, consultants and photographers among other creative industry roles.