Museum Mercenary

A Handbook for Independent Museum Professionals

Rebecca Migdal

Do you love museums? Do you believe in their wonder and power? Do you want to contribute to a wider museum community? Do you want to build a satisfying independent career?

Museum Mercenary is for you. This book is for anyone who believes in museum work but struggles to find satisfaction in traditional museum jobs. It is for those who want to be challenged and inspired by a wider network of colleagues. It is for the creative, committed, and curious who want to live fulfilling lives while building meaningful careers. It is for those just hitting the job market, for those looking for a mid-career shift, or those wanting to contribute after retirement. It is for those who hope to balance making money with making a difference. Museum Mercenary shares how a dedicated museum worker can launch and sustain a successful and satisfying career as an independent museum professional.

This book is a toolkit for anyone looking to build a career consulting for museums. It provides practical advice about establishing your business, building your network, and managing projects to ensure long-term success and satisfaction. This book will help you answer key questions, such as:

How do you market your services and find clients?
Which skills should you develop and how?
How do you manage taxes and insurance?
What professional standards should you follow?
How do you plan for the future?
And, most importantly, how do you do all of that while doing museum work that makes you proud?

Museum Mercenary bridges the gap between guides for doing great museum work and guides for building a successful freelance career. It prepares you to become freelance professional engaged in transforming the museum field. Use the tips, tactics, and activities in this book to navigate freelancing and then get back to the business of meaningful museum work.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / AASLH

Pages: 386 • Trim: 6¼ x 8¾

978-1-5381-1860-3 • Paperback • March 2020 • $61.00 • (£47.00)

978-1-5381-1861-0 • eBook • March 2020 • $57.50 • (£44.00)

Series: American Association for State and Local History

Subjects: Art / Museum Studies

Museum Mercenary

A Handbook for Independent Museum Professionals

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Do you love museums? Do you believe in their wonder and power? Do you want to contribute to a wider museum community? Do you want to build a satisfying independent career?

Museum Mercenary is for you. This book is for anyone who believes in museum work but struggles to find satisfaction in traditional museum jobs. It is for those who want to be challenged and inspired by a wider network of colleagues. It is for the creative, committed, and curious who want to live fulfilling lives while building meaningful careers. It is for those just hitting the job market, for those looking for a mid-career shift, or those wanting to contribute after retirement. It is for those who hope to balance making money with making a difference. Museum Mercenary shares how a dedicated museum worker can launch and sustain a successful and satisfying career as an independent museum professional.

This book is a toolkit for anyone looking to build a career consulting for museums. It provides practical advice about establishing your business, building your network, and managing projects to ensure long-term success and satisfaction. This book will help you answer key questions, such as:
- How do you market your services and find clients?
- Which skills should you develop and how?
- How do you manage taxes and insurance?
- What professional standards should you follow?
- How do you plan for the future?
- And, most importantly, how do you do all of that while doing museum work that makes you proud?
Museum Mercenary bridges the gap between guides for doing great museum work and guides for building a successful freelance career. It prepares you to become freelance professional engaged in transforming the museum field. Use the tips, tactics, and activities in this book to navigate freelancing and then get back to the business of meaningful museum work.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / AASLH

Pages: 386 • Trim: 6¼ x 8¾

978-1-5381-1860-3 • Paperback • March 2020 • $61.00 • (£47.00)

978-1-5381-1861-0 • eBook • March 2020 • $57.50 • (£44.00)

Series: American Association for State and Local History

Subjects: Art / Museum Studies

Author

Rebecca Migdal is an independent museum professional based in Waltham, MA. She offers collections research and interpretive writing services to clients of all kinds – anyone trying to tell great stories about objects and ideas. She specializes in American art and material culture, but works on many topics, from literature to architecture to the technology of sound.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Definitions

Table of Contents

List of Activities

Preface

Introduction

PART I: Venture

Chapter 1: Decide

Chapter 2: Start

PART II: Hustle

Chapter 3: Marketing

Chapter 4: Networking

Chapter 5: Pitching

PART III: Paperwork

Chapter 7: Business

Chapter 8: Money

Chapter 9: The Law

Chapter 10: Insurance

Chapter 11: Retirement

PART IV: Endeavor

Chapter 12: Onboarding

hapter 13: Doing the Work

Chapter 14: Troubleshooting

Chapter 15: Declaring Victory

Part V: What’s Next?

Chapter 16: Professional Polish

Chapter 17: Maintaining Momentum

Appendix: Freelancing and The Future Of Museum Work. Or, Why Should Museums Hire Freelancers?

Resource List

Index

About the Author

Reviews

As a former independent museum professional, I can say this book is a phenomenal resource. It lays out a realistic view of the joys, pitfalls, and promise of freelance life, an important and growing sector of the museum field. Well done!
— Dan Yaeger, Executive Director, New England Museum Association

Considering setting off as an independent museum professional? Or maybe you have already taken the plunge. You may even have a few years of experience. Wherever you are in your career as a freelancer, you’ll find great advice in Museum Mercenary to help you shape and grow your practice.
— Laura B. Roberts, principal, Roberts Consulting

Museum Mercenary

A Handbook for Independent Museum Professionals

Rebecca Migdal

Museum Mercenary

A Handbook for Independent Museum Professionals

ALSO AVAILABLE