Would you believe Acting In Chicago has been around for over a decade? The first edition was published in 2010. It’s always been about connecting actors with the reliable information they need when they need it and to do that, it had to be current.
That’s a challenge because things change slowly in our business, except when they don’t. The past few years has been a time of rapid change, so while the last edition was great when it came out in 2018, by 2022 it needed a refresh. So that’s what it got.
I’m happy to announce that the 4th edition of AIC is now available in paperback. The audiobook will be available in January. There isn’t any other place where you can find a literal roadmap to building a creatively fulfilling, profitable, and sustainable acting career in the Midwest.
There was so much new stuff to cover that the book’s been expanded by over 60 pages and three chapters. We had to update all the usual things, but really it was about stepping back and taking a look at what the business looks like in a post-pandemic world. A lot of things are still in flux. For example, the business seems to be trying to figure out when to use self-tapes and when to bring actors into the audition room. Ear prompters are starting to be replaced by teleprompters but they’re still demanded by certain clients, like those in the trade show industry. Yet even that business is still trying to figure out what it will look like in the years to come.
This uncertainty, plus the explosion in short-form educational content aimed at actors, makes a book like Acting In Chicago even more valuable than it was ten years ago. Actors can discover a lot of things about the business in blogs, forums, and on social media, but you have to gather all those nuggets of information and connect the dots yourself. That takes time and energy, plus you’re likely to miss some important dots, or draw some sketchy conclusions.
Instead, here’s what’s in a copy of Acting In Chicago 4th Edition:
- A step-by-step walk through of the 7 ways Chicago actors make money actually acting.
- How local casting works, and who the players are.
- How to approach and land an agent, how to maintain the relationship, and when to end it.
- Current best practices for self-taped auditions, with equipment recommendations for every budget.
- What to expect for every type of audition out there.
- Specific salary info on how much actors make from every type of job.
- The importance of building and maintaining your online casting profiles.
- On-set protocols and tips to make it seem like you’ve been there before, even when you haven’t.
- And so. Much. More.
I’ve always tried to make Acting In Chicago seem like the graduate-level acting class you might have never taken. I think this 4th edition accomplishes that goal, so I invite you to pick up your copy today.