Book excerpt: A freelancer is a term that is used to refer to a self-employed person that may not be committed to a single employer for an extended period. They may sometimes be represented by a company or agency that represents them to clients. Some freelancers work independently through websites to facilitate their clients. In some cases, the term independent contractor may be used but the term freelancer is mainly coined in most cases. This type of work can span many professions such as acting, music, writing, computer programming, web design and translating services.