So…You’re An Actor?! Prove It!: Branding and Marketing for Today’s Aspiring Actor

Canaan W.E.J. Robinson
Outskirts Press (2009)
ISBN 9781432740856
Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (02/10)

 

Actor Canaan W.E.J. Robinson tries his hand at publishing with the release of his debut book, “So…You’re An Actor?!  Prove It!:  Branding and Marketing for Today’s Aspiring Actor.”  Robinson gives his dos and don’ts for standing out in an already-oversaturated industry in this part book, part workbook-styled volume. While successfully communicating helpful advice with flair and personality, the book is riddled with ample and quite obtrusive spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes. 

Within its pages, “So…You’re An Actor?!” explores the concept of branding.  Robinson walks his readers step-by-step through the complicated and convoluted entertainment world with tricks of the trade, practical advice from the experts, helpful resources, and directions for further research.  His train of thought is organized and seamlessly flows as each new chapter builds upon the previous one’s concepts.  Fill-in-the-blank questions throughout the book assist readers in getting to know themselves and thereby personalizing and perfecting their very own branding styles.  While informative, the best part of this book is Robinson’s stimulating personality and his contagious enthusiasm.  Page after page, his excitement radiates for the industry and for its struggling newcomers desperately looking to stand out in the sea of ‘wanna bees.’  The combination of his obvious love for his chosen field and his upbeat and spunky sense of humor make his lessons come alive and will motivate even the most unenthused actor.  The book could, however, use a substantial editing overhaul.  Full of spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors, the lack of professional attention to proofreading takes a degree of credibility away from the author.  Instead of portraying Robinson as an ‘expert,’ the mistakes exude an amateurish and quickly-self-published quality.  Fortunately, these issues are correctable and with a little work, “So…You’re An Actor?!  Prove It!” has the potential to become an essential resource for the would-be, successful entertainer. 

“So…You’re An Actor?!  Prove It!:  Branding and Marketing for Today’s Aspiring Actor” is a fantastic resource for performers needing an edge in the cut-throat business of entertainment.  Canaan W.E.J. Robinson is both practical and creative in his methods while making his how-to book an all-around fun read.  A definite ‘don’t miss’ for today’s hopeful actor! 

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