Some real News...

So far I've been using my NEWS section of the web site to blog about various entertainment industry topics. But I'll also post actual news from time to time about what's going on with me.

In just over a week (September 22, 2009), my sixth book will be published. ACTING IN YOUNG HOLLYWOOD: A CAREER GUIDE FOR KIDS, TEENS, AND ADULTS WHO PLAY YOUNG TOO is a book that I have wanted to write since I published my first book, HOLLYWOOD 101 back in 2000. Because my book on breaking into the entertainment industry was so voluminous, I purposely omitted information about acting, knowing quite well that navigating this occupation would fill it's own manuscript.

Looking back, I'm not sure I could have done justice to the subject of acting ten years ago. I was working in development and production and my interaction with actors and those who repped them was fairly limited. Seven years ago I became a manager. At first I was going to strictly represent writers because that's really what I knew. But I had a friend who was an actor who I had done a movie with years earlier who always said to me, If you ever become a manager, I want you to manage me. So I called her up one day and said, I'm a manger! I don't know anything about actors, but if you want to work with me, I'm game. For some reason she agreed. We had a lot of fun working together, but also a lot of success.

Pilot season was quickly approaching and the partners at the firm I worked at strongly encouraged me to sign some more actors to see if I could put someone on a new show. So I signed a few more actors and put one of them on One Tree Hill. I thought, I have a knack for this and I really enjoy working with actors. So I started to shift more and more of my business toward representing them.

While I was representing actors, I began to think back about the missing chapter in Hollywood 101, the one about actors. Through the years as I have been representing actors, I have been able to collect the knowledge that I didn't have ten years earlier. This year, I felt that the time was finally ripe to write my book on acting.

But there are a lot of acting books out there, so what makes ACTING IN YOUNG HOLLYWOOD different than the rest? For starters, I don't know that there is a book out there that approaches the acting business from the same angle that I do. In a youth dominated industry filled with High School Musicals and Gossip Girls, there's never been a better time for young people (and those who play young) to pursue an acting career. And since I've built my business, Management 101, on discovering, developing, and representing young talent, it seemed like the perfect niche for me to write about.

As with all of my previous books, ACTING IN YOUNG HOLLYWOOD is filled with practical advice, entertaining anecdotes, and an encouraging tone. I've always viewed myself as an advocate for people wanting to break in and succeed in this business. With the new book, I feel like I'll be able to help a greater number of people navigate the Hollywood scene.

I'll be making several appearances over the next year to promote the book, so be sure to check out my Appearance Page for updates on where I'll be. Of course, if you can't wait to read the book, you can pre-order it online now. Or look for it at most major book retailers starting September 22, 2009. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave a comment, and let me know what you think.