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Expertise

$4.17/min

Do You Need Help CRUSHING IT at Freelancing?

(17)

Created 8 years ago

Going freelance can be an exciting but scary prospect. Are you new to freelancing and find that you're not exactly hitting the ground running?

Or have you been trying to build up a freelance career yet you're having a hard time getting paid what you're worth, if you're getting any leads at all? Frustrated with the whole "feast or famine" conundrum that seems to comprise the freelance life, getting fed up with looking for work when you'd just love to have it come to you?

I can help you build the freelance career that you want so you can live your life on your own terms!

Originally structured for game developers, my "Level Up Your Freelance Game Dev Career" classes and series of talks have taken off and I have structured both my freelance career coaching and e-courses in progress to fit any career type. Speaking from personal experience going from starving indie developer to a professional hustler earning a comfortable living, I have been trusted in the game development community to teach classes and give talks on how to build a successful freelance career.

If you've noticed the variety of tags on this page, this is because there are several facets to attacking the roots of problems most new freelancers tend to face. Branding and positioning are a major component in getting paid what you're worth, and if you schedule a call with me I can tell you the secrets to avoiding deadbeat clients and getting out of that vicious cycle of constantly looking for work.

Whether you've got just one burning question or need to block off a lot of time-- I can help you level up your freelance game.

Rachel Presser

Los Angeles, CA
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Rachel is an indie game developer, writer, tax law expert, business and B2B/B2C marketing adviser and content strategist, and freelancing coach. In short, she's a professional hustler who loves to help other people develop fulfilling careers and attain both financial freedom and self-worth. As an IRS-licensed Enrolled Agent with a decade of practice experience, she wrote the first and only tax law book dedicated to indie developers and has frequently been called upon in the industry for her perspective on game dev tax matters. She teaches the best-selling Basics of Business For Indie Developers and Taxes For Indie Developers classes at Playcrafting NYC, and has spoken at Indiecade East, East Coast Game Developers' Conference, IGDA events, and guest-lectured at MBA programs on the business of games and career development for the self-employed. As CFO and Executive Producer of Himalaya Studios, Rachel oversaw their six-figure Kickstarter campaign and has advised game developers, publishers, and clients in other industries on how to form a successful campaign. Rachel resigned from the company in 2017 to focus on Sonic Toad Media & Consulting's coaching and writing services arms which currently lay the foundation for Sonic Toad Publishing. Frequently featured on the front page of Gamasutra, Rachel writes about business and lifestyle issues for game developers on the noted industry rag and is also an accomplished ghost-blogger. She effectively developed active and passive income streams that have enabled her to pursue game development without a full-time or part-time job and has made it a mission of Sonic Toad Consulting to help other indie developers and creative people do the same. Rachel's strategies have helped freelance writers get paid more and indie developers transition from traditional jobs to full-time hustling and thriving in the process. Her clients will vouch for her knowledge of grassroots and email marketing that have helped their lists grow and become more effective at selling their games and services. Gamasutra Page: https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RachelPresser/924879/ Other Clips: rachelpresser.contently.com The Definitive Guide to Taxes for Indie Game Developers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0197G82MK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=sontoamedcon-20&linkId=13df7ff020d7aad50da2d79964a02617

5.0

Reviews (16)

Rachel did such a great job answering all of my questions about how to navigate international tax laws, giving me many tips on how to avoid unexpected headaches. My accountant did not have this specific experience, so it's very reassuring to talk to someone who has not only done it but can skillfully communicate how things work in layman's terms. I am so glad I came across Rachel's work through her talk at a game event and would recommend to any indie game devs working internationally.

Source: Clarity Karen Stritzinger Jul 17, 2024

Rachel was able to answer all of our questions regarding company financing and tax laws. She also provided information beyond the questions to give us a more complete picture of how we should handle our finances going forward.

Source: Clarity MATTHEW A ZAHM Apr 25, 2022

Rachel was very insightful, helpful, and supportive on what I need to do, and gave a wealth of experienced advice. I will definitely be looking to her for help when I am in a business bind!

Source: Clarity Jeremy Reece Mar 13, 2022

I went into the call hoping for clarification on a development path for an upcoming project and I came away from the call with SO MUCH more than I hoped for. Rachel clearly understands the game development business and has a wealth of information to share. My call saved me hours of time and should shorten our development time!

Source: Clarity Sue Cline Sep 7, 2021

Rachel was able to answer my questions and provide me a wealth of knowledge and guidance on my next steps. Would absolutely recommend!

Source: Clarity Lee Smith Mar 5, 2021

Rachel was very helpful in discussing my situation and how to best approach it. Would highly recommend!

Source: Clarity Daniel DiIorio Feb 23, 2021

I highly recommend Rachel. She has extensive experience in the indie development scene, business, branding and tax advisement and it showed in the call. I gained much needed clarity about the next steps with pitching to investors and growing a rock star team.

Source: Clarity Alexander Yurchenko Sep 24, 2020

Rachel is simultaneously extremely personable and knowledgable about everything I asked. I came in with 0 understanding of what to do what I wanted to and left with a really solid plan and explicit, actionable information about how to do what I'm looking to with a games business. Cannot recommend her enough for getting started with a small operation in the games industry!

Source: Clarity James Vaughan Jun 28, 2019

Rachel pointed me into the right direction and helped me navigate through some tax questions. Very friendly conversation!

Source: Clarity Daniel Huynh Jul 7, 2018

Rachel is very welcoming and inviting. She was very thorough with her answers, touching on my main topic and also giving prime examples from her personal perspective as well as general examples. She also gave some useful suggestions, resources about keeping track with our finances as a startup company. All my questions were answered. By the end of the call I had a clear understanding of how to move forward with my company's Capital Contributions & Distributions. I would definitely use her again.

Source: Clarity Tamaru Aultman Mar 11, 2018