Getting a start as a freelancer

Freelanceswitch have a copious list of advice for freelancers, and it’s good - here’s a brief critique of their section on freelance programmers

* Pitch yourself as a developer who understands web designers, because most of them need a developer

Less true nowadays - the halfway-competent freelance web designer will be using CMS software out-of-the-box, you can end up dealing with the less competent end of the market. But never lose the opportunity for these alliances.

* Write a small web app like ta-da list or jobpile and get some recognition

Largely identical to the final point - see below…

* Answer tech questions on forums and use a signature that says you offer freelance coding services

Good advice - but relatively time-consuming and in marketing speak, the quality of leads is abysmally low.

* Enter a programming contest like RailsDay

Prizes, by some magic, come to proteges of the sponsors with monotonous regularity - is this harsh? Possibly… You have to go into this without firm expectations, although dividends can be high…

* Contribute to open source efforts and get known

Absolutely - whether your own app or a well-known ‘brand’, even if it’s just a plugin with a few lines of code, this is the way to get a foothold. It’s something tangible to show prospective clients, it’s absolute proof of your skills. It also gives you feedback for improvement, because you’re not the world’s best just yet.