About to get my first official freelance job. Any pitfalls or things I should do? CYA tips? Determining price? Would love to hear what others thing.

Make a contract

@david-hil any specifics on the proper way to do that?

@2lazy2debug solid advice thank you!

Charge at least 2x what you would expect to be paid if you were a salaried employee, and charge by the full day (not hour) if you can. Freelancers have extra overhead costs that an employer would typically cover for employees (like health insurance), plus you need to charge extra to account for nonbillable time (like finding new clients).

Retain control and ownership of anything you produce until you're paid, and make sure this is in the contract. If they don't pay, they don't get the work and they don't own it.