An Actor’s Guide: Making It in New York City Publishes Second Edition

Realize Your Big Acting Dreams--On Your Microscopic Budget
Updated Guide Helps You Build a Successful Acting Career in New York City

An Actor's Guide:
Making It in New York City, Second Edition
By Glenn Alterman

You're ready to make the biggest leap of faith of your life: moving to New York City to pursue your dreams of becoming a professional actor. You've got talent and training, but can you really survive in one of the most competitive industries and one of the most expensive cities in the world? The thrill of performing will feed your soul, but what's going to pay your rent?

In the second edition of his book An Actor's Guide: Making It in New York City, actor and performing arts coach Glenn Alterman takes beginning actors step-by-step through the process of jump-starting their careers, offering insider advice on everything from landing day jobs to the often-neglected concept of marketing oneself as an actor.

"As you may be aware, there are many very talented actors who are unemployed simply because they haven't yet learned how to market themselves effectively," says Alterman. "The people with whom you will be dealing on a daily basis-the talent agents, the casting directors-are all businesspeople. You must be able to communicate with them, hold your own, and play the game."

The second edition of An Actor's Guide-Making It in New York City updates the winning strategies and effective marketing techniques offered in the original book, with new tips on how to leverage the power of the Internet to find work, make connections, and market yourself effectively as an actor. Included are in-depth interviews, several of them new to this edition, with legendary show business figures such as casting director Juliet Taylor, theater director Joseph Chaikin, and actors André de Shields and Henry Winkler, and with experts in film, television, stage, commercials, and talent agencies. Additional interviews with commercial print models and actors with disabilities cover the unique challenges and experiences that beginning actors may encounter.

Glenn Alterman, veteran New York actor, writer, and coach, details the wide array of work available for performers-including television commercials and film extra work, careers in print modeling, voiceover opportunities, roles on daytime television, and stage roles on and off Broadway.

In this book readers will learn about:

- Presenting winning auditions

- Securing "survival jobs"

- Finding an agent or a personal manager

- Creating a successful "reel"

- Making and maintaining professional connections

- Seeking opportunities in nontraditional venues

- Avoiding scams and rip-offs

This meticulously researched guide will give actors the tools they need to survive and thrive in the rapidly evolving landscape of New York show business.

"This book is meant to inform, inspire, and point you in the right direction; the rest is up to you," says Alterman. "Stay focused on your goals, do something every day to further your career, and more than anything, never give up."

Glenn Alterman is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He lives in New York City.

An Actor's Guide:
Making It in New York City, Second Edition
By Glenn Alterman
$24.95, 6 x 9, 256 pages
Paperback, ISBN 978-158115-763-5
Publication Date: April 2011