Deciding to become a freelance worker can be a scary proposition. Sure there is an allure to picking what projects you work on, but it can also be stressful not knowing where your next paycheck will come from. Luckily there are numerous resources out there that not only help you find more work, but also loads of tools to help you do your job more efficiently with a professional edge.

We’ve gathered over 85 tools and job sites for a variety of freelancers and web workers. While a lot of these items are focused on web design elements such as photography, programming and writing, we made sure to include something for everyone.

Have more resources to recommend? Tell us about them in the comments.

Whether you’re a graphic designer, web designer or other creative professional, finding work in a down economy can be tough. And what do you do when a client doesn’t want your brilliant design, or you have no work to do to begin with?

Why not sell those rejected designs as templates, and spend your downtime competing against other designers for projects without having to schmooze the client first? Here are over 40 sites where you can sell everything from logos to web templates, photos, WordPress themes, and much more.

Have another site to recommend? Tell us more about it in the comments.

Stock Marketplaces

Graphic Leftovers - Sell logos, icons, illustrations, templates and more through this site. Graphic Leftovers pays higher royalties than many comparable sites.

iStockphoto - Sell photos, illustrations, flash, video, and more through this quality-controlled site. (Mashable has a partnership with iStockphoto)