You are who you are, and opportunities are out there. You’re in this for the long haul and you can start whenever, wherever you are. Always move forward to the next tier. Just get started!
– from the Introduction
I first discovered Bonnie Gillespie while searching on iTunes for acting podcasts. I subscribed to hers and became hooked. This book, ya’ll!
If you ask me, the toughest thing about an acting career is navigating the gig economy. Actually portraying a character on camera is a fraction of what the day-to-day life of an actor looks like. For actors at the highest level, a team that includes a manager, an agent, and a publicist, exist to guide and grow the actor’s career. The rest of us – we’re learning as we go. It takes tremendous hustle to self-promote, network, market, make tremendous financial and lifestyle sacrifices, all while staying positive, available, and not coming across as desperate. It’s not for everyone.
Thankfully, for those of us who are committed, Bonnie Gillespie has written a jewel of a book: Self-Management for Actors: getting down to (show) business. It’s not a roadmap (they don’t really exist for this), but an extremely helpful guidebook. Gillespie helps the actor to understand his / her role in the entertainment business as a provider of services to buyers. She goes into explicit detail about business essentials such as:
- building community
- establishing trust
- branding
- business plan
- headshots
- resume (this chapter alone is worth the price of the book)
- online presence
- money management
Bonnie Gillespie’s background is in acting, casting, and journalism. She’s an excellent communicator with the heart of a teacher. Best of all, she’s built an infrastructure for her followers (“ninjas”) that are committed to her “create the kind of Hollywood you want to be a part of” that is online, dynamic, active, and accessible.
I consider this is a must-read for anyone who is serious about a career in show business.
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