May I Suggest...

Though I'm not one to usually recommend books that claim to give you an insider's view of the industry (due to a healthy combination of egocentricity and skepticism), if you're looking for a title that won't crack your spine with the weight of everything you need to do to be successful, may I suggest K. Callan's The Script is Finished, Now What Do I Do? (4th Edition).

As you've probably guessed by the title, the book makes no attempt to hide its subject matter, and thankfully, unlike some writers, Callan manages to check her ego at the door. While she doesn't try to hide the near impossibility of cracking the industry shell, she manages to present a realistic strategy, based largely on quotes from industry insiders, and breaks down a (seemingly) endless list of possibilities that, by the time you get to the full agent and manger lists in the back, you feel like you have some options. Ultimately, she comes off as supportive, albeit with an if-you-absolutely-must-do-this-it-wouldn't-hurt-to-consider-these-things-first-here-hold-my-hand attitude.

Believe me, this is a positive review. The book is definitely worth the twenty dollars it will set you back. As for subsequent editions, it may just behoove you to sit in the bookstore and update your outdated copy with a pencil and a lookout.

One of our members is in job searching hell, which is only exacerbated by the fact that he's a few hundred miles away. While I enjoy the stability of my situation (to remain confidential, but let's just say it's office administrative...er, bliss), even my eyes have been roaming.

Of course, one of the places to which I recently applied just released their 2006 numbers, ending up in the red by about 185 million. Oops.

Perhaps a little research would be in order.

Write on...