Written from scratch and packed with advice from real-world experiences, career.fork() is a hit-the-ground-running guide for developers wanting to be their own boss.

This 150-page title combines author Steve Jalim's experience as a respected, trusted independent developer (and many years before that as a freelance journalist) with relevant advice drawn from his professional network of smart fellow hackers.

READERS GET FREE STUFF! The latest release includes the start of the "Deals Directory" - no-strings, no-kickbacks discounts and deals on services which new freelancers will find handy, from award-winning accoutancy software to quality business cards. It all helps you go from zero to own-boss quicker than you think.

What people are saying about it

"I learned something on every page" @pete_naish

"Fantastic book; read this a year after starting and it still has some great tips to abide by" DM

"This is a well-written book packed with priceless information for those intending to make a career as a freelance developer. I wished I paid more for it!" KM

"Marvelous book. Light read, full of useful info. Heartily recommended for everyone who is thinking about freelancing or has already taken the leap." ST

"A really interesting book about freelancing. Recommended if you're thinking about it." @pyriku

"Really impressive. I wish I'd had it when I first started freelancing." @prydie

"Read a nice e-book about starting out as a freelancer by @stevejalim" @redskyforge

"For anyone thinking about doing the freelance thing, check out this gem of a book" @madteckhead

What's in it?

It covers a heap of key topics: from striking out on your own to keeping clients happy; from managing your finances to winning new work; from avoiding bad gigs to perfecting your work/life balance and lots, lots more.

The current version available is v0.9, with the plan that relevant feedback will be worked in before the book hits v1.0. And because this is Leanpub, when you buy v0.9, you'll get those updates for free. So if you're reading the book and feel like there's some more detail you want it to contain, ask Steve and he'll happily look into it.