Okay, so I just finished Zachary Petit's book and WOW. As someone who's been dabbling in freelance writing for a while, this is exactly the no-BS guide I needed.
First off, it's actually FUN to read? Like, who knew a writing manual could be a page-turner? Petit's humor makes all the business-y stuff digestible.
The chapter on query letters alone is worth the price. He breaks down exactly what editors want to see (and what makes them hit delete immediately). Pro tip: Calling your pitch 'revolutionary' is apparently a one-way ticket to the trash folder.
What I love most is that it's not just theory - there are concrete steps from brainstorming to getting paid. Though fair warning: after reading this, you'll have zero excuses left for not pitching editors!
Only gripe? Now I have to actually do the work. Darn you, Petit, for making freelancing seem both achievable and terrifying at the same time!