By Jenny Debevec

At some point in the life of the thespian, you will admit to yourself that you are an actor the way one asserts, “I am an alcoholic.” Then you give yourself over to this higher power, the limelight, in hopes that you can be saved, made part of the greater whole — the production. Luckily, the Bay Area performing arts community provides many opportunities for the newcomer.

“Quality theater exists on many levels simultaneously,” says Darkroom Productions artistic director Jon Tracey. “From guerrilla theater in the parks all the way up to ‘A Doll’s House’ you can find it here.”

But how to start? “Move to town, get a job and get settled as a person,” advises Cassidy Brown, the recent star of Art Street Theater’s “The Death of Meyerhold.”

And whenever possible, audition. Take the 40-minute trip to the South Bay for shows in San Jose, Palo Alto and Cupertino. Check out the bustling East Bay. North Bay companies, including those in Napa and Marin County, use lots of San Francisco actors.

Be sure to go to all your callbacks. Even if there is not a role you necessarily fit, use the opportunity to perfect your monologues (a working actor needs several, both classical and contemporary) and get yourself in circulation.

“Go see as many good shows as you can,” advises George McGuire, artistic director at Solano College/Harbor Theater. It exposes you to what’s happening locally, and “it’s a great way to be seen.”

Attendanees at larger houses like the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) and Berkeley Repertory Theatre regularly include many important members of the theater community, including teachers, artistic directors and benefactors. The more theater you attend, the more people you will recognize and will recognize you. Woody Allen said that 90 percent of success is just showing up.

Make your current work excellent, whether you are cast as the lead, in the chorus or as stage manager (or usher for that matter). “Work hard, and be humble about it,” advises Natalie Adona, a local actor and director. “No divas!”

Newcomers should make the best use of local resources. Weekly magazines such as the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the East Bay Express offer overviews of theater performances. A membership with the nonprofit Theatre Bay Area (www.theatrebayarea.org/) includes a subscription to their eponymously titled monthly magazine (which you can purchase at local bookstores). The group also offers a resume and headshot file for theater and film casting directors, and one-day actor training seminars (called “Spotlight”).

BAANG, a Yahoo group moderated by actor/director Renee Racan, (groups.yahoo.com/group/BAANG/) offers reliable audition listings and provides a forum for Bay Area actors. Another great place to get your A-Z’s on theater is at Limelight bookstore — they carry titles on everything from Absurdism to Ziegfeld.

If you are not sure how to prepare an audition or want to get a better understanding of how to approach the craft, take a class. Theatre Bay Area magazine lists a variety of instructors who offer private coaching for graduate school auditions, vocal and dialect training and the Alexander and Meisner Techniques. Group sessions, usually taking place over an eight to 10 week period, are in continuous rotation all over the Bay Area. Some companies, including the A.C.T., offer summer training intensives to adults. Do some research by calling around.

No matter what, don’t get discouraged. Actor Thomas Durante encourages newcomers to be patient. “Bay Area theater is a tight community that does not let people in easily,” he says. But people do it because they love it — passion is evident in every line of every act.

According to Jonathan Vandenburg, founder of the Naked Masks company: “I produced a small independent production. When the project began I was the only person involved. By the time we reached opening there were over a dozen people who had contributed in one way or another. Everyone worked for little or nothing. It was refreshing to see there are people out there looking to get involved and opportunities to do so.”

Jenny Debevec teaches theater and voice in the Bay Area, sings at weddings and funerals, freelances in her spare time, and interns with Theatre Bay Area.

By Kim Carlson

Essential to curating an art show is being organized and open minded. From the start of this challenging enterprise, open yourself to the ideas of the gallery owner or space manager where you will hold your event.

Finding a venue


These days, the number of venues and art spaces is rising. Depending on your needs, you might approach an established gallery and see about hanging a show in between their scheduled exhibits. This kind of one-night show is a good option for a group of artists coming together to produce a benefit for a local organization.

If you choose to run a show for a week or longer, you can approach galleries such as Balazo/Mission Badlands, ArtSF, the Lab, Southern Exposure, Build, the Shooting Gallery, SomArts and others (for a complete list of Bay Area galleries, visit www.artsandmedia.net/expo//galleries/). These places charge a rental fee, but with careful planning, the money can be raised by featuring bands or performers on opening night and charging a minor admission fee.

When booking a space, find what best fits your budget by calling the manager or owner. They should also be able to provide necessary info about security, gallery hours and whether they have volunteers to assist you.

Depending on the show, the space and the quality of the art, you may need to purchase insurance. If the gallery has no insurance, let your artists know that you are not responsible for damaged, lost or stolen art.

If you haven’t decided how many artists or pieces will be featured, you’ll know after you have picked a venue — but knowing ahead of time will make finding a gallery much easier.

Call for submissions


Before sending out a call for submissions to artists, ask yourself: Will you charge the artists to be in the show? Will there be any additional requirements for art submissions? Will the artists be asked to help pay for flyers? Make sure all the artists have set prices for their art, and are aware that the gallery may ask for a commission.

Artist call-outs can be posted on sites such as the Tentacle List (www.laughingsquid.org/tentacle/), Craigslist.org and Vision + Visuals ArtGroup (VVAGT, groups.yahoo.com/group/VVAGT/). The Gen Art artists’ registry (www.genartsf.org/) is another good resource. If you want to do the show in collaboration with another organization, they can also submit the call-out to their lists.

Publicity


Publicity for the show begins when sending the call for submissions, but you will need to decide how else you will promote the show. Do you want to send out a press release? If so, most newspapers or magazines like to have those at least three weeks in advance. You may need to send it out even before finalizing the artists. Later, you can promote the event with flyers, posters, email and posting on event lists such as the ones hosted by SFArts.org, the Squidlist (www.laughingsquid.org/), SFStation.com, SFGate.com, Craigslist.org and others. This is where (dependable) volunteers come in handy!

Possibly the best thing about the job is the fantastic opportunity to meet the wonderful artists in our community. A good way to get started as a curator is to volunteer at a gallery. Or if you see a call-out for an art show, email the organizer to ask if you can help. Finding a mentor to work with is an excellent way to begin. If that option is not available, just jump in. It will all come together — and you’ll learn from your mistakes.

Kim Carlson is a Bay Area-based artist and photographer whose works have been exhibited both in Japan and locally. She is co-founder of ArtSF (www.artsf.org) and runs a multilingual graphic design company, KC Communications (www.kccommunications.net/).

A brief and grievously inadequate list of venues with a local/independent/emerging arts and music focus. Get updated listings at artsandmedia.net/galleries/. Smart kids will also keep an eye open for promising local cafes and grassroots/underground spaces.

Mostly Art


Luggage Store: 1007 Market St, SF, CA 94103; (415) 255-5971; luggagestoregallery.org/

Southern Exposure: 401 Alabama St., SF, CA 94110; (415) 863-2141; soex.org/

Balazo/Mission Badlands: 2811 Mission St.
(@ 24th), SF, CA 94110; (415) 550-1108

Intersection for the Arts: See listing on previous page.

Crucible Steel Gallery: 2050 Bryant St., SF, CA 94110; (415) 648-7562; cellspace.org/

ArtSF: See listing on previous page.

Ego Park Gallery: 492 23rd St., Oakland, CA 94612; (510) 465-7723

Mama Buzz: 2318 Telegraph Ave (@23rd), Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 465-4073

21 Grand: See listing on previous page.

111 Minna Gallery: 111 Minna St., SF, CA 94105; (415) 974-1719; 111minnagallery.com/

The Canvas Gallery: 1200 Ninth Ave., SF, CA 94122; (415) 504-0060; thecanvasgallery.com/

Hang Art: 556 & 567 Sutter St., SF, CA 94102; (415) 434-HANG; hangart.com/

Locus Arts: 2857 @24th St, SF., CA 94110; (415) 269-0698; locusarts.org/

BUILD: See listing on previous page.

Mostly Music


Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk St., SF, CA 94109; (415) 923-0923; hemlocktavern.com/

Kimo’s: 1351 Polk, SF, CA 94109; (415) 885-4535

Thee Parkside: 1600 17th St., SF, CA 94107; (415) 503-0393; theeparkside.com/

Tongue & Groove: 2513 Van Ness Ave., SF, CA 94109; tongueandgroovesf.com/

Last Day Saloon: 406 Clement St., SF, CA 94118; (415) 387-6343; lastdaysaloon.com/

The Eagle Tavern: 398 12th St., SF, CA 94103; (415) 626-0880; sfeagle.com/

El Rio: 3158 Mission St., SF, CA 94110; (415) 282-3325; elriosf.com/

Edinburgh Castle: 950 Geary St.; SF, CA 94109; (415) 885-4074

Independent: 628 Divisadero; (415) 771-1420

Cafe du Nord: 2170 Market St., SF, CA 94114; cafedunord.com/

12 Galaxies: 2565 Mission St., SF, CA 94110; (415) 970-9777; 12galaxies.com/

Bruno’s: 2389 Mission St. SF, CA 94110; (415) 648-7701; brunoslive.com/

Elbo Room: 647 Valencia St., SF, CA 94110; (415) 552-7788; elbo.com/

Jenny Debevec

There are over 374 theatre companies in the greater Bay Area. If each company produces just four plays a year, that’s 1,496 productions. Statistically speaking, if five percent are completely unbearable, you have the opportunity to witness (or create) at least 75 bad shows a year.

Producing great theater can inspire and transform an audience, but it’s not easy. Yet a bad production is often just as memorable. Who doesn’t get a delicious thrill at watching something go terribly awry? Authentic schizophrenia in the middle of the ghost scene in “Hamlet,” an actor refusing to come on stage, miscued sound effects, lights gone dark, costumes unraveling behind the hero, “dead” characters in a coughing fit — some of the most savory chatter between theater aficionados concerns those very moments.

A friend relates an anecdote about a Juliet who, after an unfortunate tryst with some bad clam chowder, vomited on stage just before the balcony scene. Romeo continued to play the scene as both characters, scrambling up the trellis to deliver her lines in falsetto.

When I performed in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” we strapped on roller skates for a fast-paced ensemble number on a diminutive in-the-round stage. I go-goed down the aisle and right into a first row audience member. My costume sleeve caught in one skate and I collapsed into the older man’s lap, much like a tied hog, until several cast members extracted me. I’m sure I made the performance unforgettable.

While there is no strict recipe, by following these simple guidelines your theater disaster can be as tasty as a triumph.

1. Find a production staff worthy of a “Survivor” episode. The staff should lack interpersonal skills. Select directors who are defensive and given to hysteria. An ideal musical director will speak entirely in metaphor and change key signature and tempo at each rehearsal. For your choreographer, choose a bitter ballerina. Do not give this motley crew a chance to communicate and compromise. Meetings should be scheduled at the least convenient time possible.
2. Offend your audience. Choose controversial dramatic literature whenever possible (sex, violence, religion). If your cast members won’t agree to graphic sexual representation, at least keep them on stage, naked, for as long as possible. Get audience members to leave before intermission and you’re on the way to infamy!
3. Cast lead actors based entirely on nepotistic merit. Keep them on book (to avoid memorizing lines) as long as possible. If they can’t do a Brooklyn or British dialect, use both. And remember, bad chemistry is unforgettable.
4. Construct costumes carelessly. Cumbersome zippers, buttons and ribbons will make quick changes impossible. Loose stitching is encouraged, particularly in pants seams. Avoid flattering figures — no waistlines!
5. Create technical mayhem. IMPORTANT: Do not test special effects until dress rehearsal. Design lighting to blow all fuses within a four-block radius. Do not comply with safety codes.
6. Use animals. Make sure any creature you incorporate is nervous around crowds and children. Arrange for only the most incontinent livestock. Nothing fizzles a finale like a fresh pile of manure downstage.
7. Use food. Eating can render an actor dry-mouthed and even choke them. Anything that has the potential to be lodged in an actor’s front teeth is also recommended.
8. Use mimes. Everyone loves to hate a mime.

By Matt Shapiro

Many people think that being a booker is a glamorous job. You set your own hours, hang out with bands and spend a lot of time in bars (hey, that does sound great). The only problem is that while you are hanging out with bands and spending time in bars, you are also stressed out about the current show and the next three you have booked (or almost booked).

Then there’s the constant headache of fliers — getting them made, getting them on the street and in the stores, handing them out wherever you go. I always carry a bag with me when I leave the house. Friends and acquaintances have become accustomed to my greeting them with an outstretched hand, not to shake, but to give them a handbill.

Ah yes, and email. A day without checking email can be disastrous. It could lead to a missed opportunity — or a cancellation. Nothing’s worse than having to book the same date more than once because one band has a sick drummer and the other one has a guitarist that just got switched to night shift.

There are times when you are not dealing with booking and promotions, but you suddenly have to anyway. For example: You are being intimate with your girlfriend … the lights are out, you are snuggling up, and all of a sudden you bolt upright and say out loud, “Thursday’s Child would be a perfect headliner for that Flesh Orgy show!” Women are definitely turned on by this.

Okay, it’s not all that bad. In fact it’s kinda good. Making fliers can be stressful, but can be fun as well. Then there’s hanging out in bars. I can’t say that it sucks to watch a show you booked with a free drink in your hand (your sixth of the night).

One of the first lessons I learned when I started booking was that the philosophy, “Build it, they will come” is definitely not true. I have watched, practically alone, some really great bands I booked. I remember one time watching Kid 606 with my doorguy and two of Kid 606′s friends in the audience (both on the guestlist). I fliered for the show. I told everyone I knew. Unfortunately, everyone I knew did not give a flying
fuck about Kid 606. It would have helped if Kid 606 would have told more of his friends. Sometimes performers are under the assumption that bookers and promoters will take care of all the promotion. Three lessons I have learned: It is best to book bands that appeal to a scene you are at least somewhat connected to; you can never count on anyone; and you must always prepare for the worst.

Remember that a positive attitude can go a long way. I have worked in shitty venues, places where the management didn’t give a damn about live music. At a bar in the Tenderloin where I was once a booker, given a choice between having a reputable artist perform where the bar did $500, and having a donkey show involving midgets where the bar did $600, they would have chosen the donkey show.

There were other things that kept bands from wanting to play this venue — carrying gear up a dark stairway, and nightly noise complaints that meant bands would have to cut their sets short or not even play. I had to do my best to make it a fun place — sneaking extra drink tickets, having a good attitude and being as positive as I could muster. I’d have lax booking policies. If I could “lure” a headliner to play, I would give them the option of choosing the other bands on the bill. They’d have more fun if some of their friends were there with them on stage, if not in the audience. I would be very honest about payment, showing the bands the numbers. On the nights I bartended, I’d give touring bands unlimited free swill (don’t tell my ex-boss). It’s better than nothing.

When booking bands, book what you like. It’s kind of like picking up girls or guys. Go to a place where you know the band you like will be. Wear something sexy (optional). Introduce yourself. Tell them your purpose. Exchange digits. Do not come on too strong. Repeat these steps until you have contact info for a few bands. It helps if some of the bandmembers owe you favors or if you know a dark secret or two about their pasts.

Bands — to find a venue, befriend a booker/promoter. We can be territorial at times, but most of us don’t bite. Make sure you have an enticing lineup. Ask the booker if they’d be interested in letting you put on the show at their venue, or offer to co-promote the show with them. Also, meeting club owners can help. Make your presence known to the music community.

Matt Shapiro (crackwhorepresents@yahoo.com) books around town at various venues, including the Elbo Room. He also books Lucifer’s Hammer, the weekly metal showcase at the Cat Club (www.unholycadaver.com/). He has probably given you a flier at least once.

By Margaret Pitcher

A musician or artist without health insurance? Typical, and unfortunate given the physical and mental strains associated with the job: long hours, heavy equipment, less-than-ideal working conditions, even chemical exposure. Visual artists use painting and printmaking solvents, spirits, oils, inks and mediums that can be uniquely toxic. For musicians, just the act of playing an instrument on stage can be taxing — repetitive strain injury, tinnitus (that ringing in your ears from loud noises), and gaseous carbon dioxide (fog machines) are a few of the health risks they face.

We need to insure the van one of my bands travels in. Hell, even our borrowed trailer is covered. But human health is harder to protect. Last year my boyfriend — a performing musician who does accounting by day to pay the bills — was struck by a drunk driver while we were walking to our car after a friend’s show. He survived, and even more amazingly, he suffered no long-term injuries — which is good because we had no insurance. And we’re not alone in that.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 15 percent of the population is uninsured — that’s roughly 43.6 million people. The situation in California is particularly dire as state and federal government funding for local health services has been cut, especially with the current governor’s budget proposals.

Community Resources


If you have a “day job” then you might be lucky to have health insurance. But many who make a living as artists have forsaken such benefits, relying instead on community resources in times of need — and taking simple, inexpensive steps to protect health and avoid long-term injury.

In San Francisco, the Community Health Network (www.dph.sf.ca.us/chn/) is a good starting point for seeking free or low-cost health care services. CHN encompasses all personal health care services “with a special emphasis and commitment to serving the City’s most vulnerable, diverse populations.” Their website offers an interactive map of city health centers. Find the clinic nearest you that addresses your specific needs, and be patient when making an appointment. The staff and volunteers are doing the best they can in public facilities that are overworked and underfunded. The two main CHN hospitals — San Francisco General and Laguna Honda — have been particularly hard-hit by cuts in health care services.

Health Insurance


If you do have the money to buy insurance, consider working through a group or nonprofit plan. Listings of low-cost or free health insurance for artists of all disciplines can be found at the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center (www.actorsfund.org/ahirc/) and the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (www.craftemergency.org/resource.htm). Also see Fractured Atlas (www.fracturedatlas.org/). Media workers of all sorts can join in a group health plan through Media Alliance (www.media-alliance.org/).

Artists with life-threatening illnesses can find a community, exhibiting opportunities and more through the nonprofit Visual Aid (www.visualaid.org/). Theatre Bay Area offers theater workers a similar service through their Lemonade Fund (www.theatrebayarea.org/tba/lemonade.shtml).

You don’t need to be a member of the Musicians’ Union Local 6 to access much of the info in their website (www.afm6.org/), which includes a list of free clinics and services in San Francisco, as well as links to health organizations for musicians.

One of the more high profile of these organizations is the MusiCares Foundation (www.grammy.com/musicares/), established by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to provide a safety net for music people in times of need. Their Emergency Financial Assistance Program offers funds for doctor, dental and hospital bills, prescriptions, addiction recovery treatment, psychotherapy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other critical illnesses, as well as for basic living expenses such as rent and utilities. The toll-free help line for the West Coast is (800) 687-4227.

Vocalists: Ever hear of the Society of Singers (www.singers.org/)? Anyone who has worked as a professional singer for five years or more could qualify for SOS services, including financial aid for medical/dental expenses, substance abuse, psychotherapy and HIV/AIDS, as well as case management and referrals for insurance and benefits, career counseling and more.

Staying Healthy


You can live more conscientiously and avoid health problems in the future. Do an Internet search for “wellness” to get pages of links, or visit the American Holistic Health Association online (www.ahha.org/).

The Musician’s Health website (www.musicianshealth.com/) might lean toward soft advertising, but it does feature provider contact info, plus medical information on repetitive injuries, muscular problems, environmental and nutritional issues and more.

H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers, www.hearnet.org/) is backed by an international community of musicians, educators and medical professionals, and provides a website detailing medical and technical information about hearing loss.

All of these websites offer the same basic guidelines: stretch, breathe, relax, exercise, watch your posture, eat well and drink lots of water. More often than not we need to make a conscious effort to adhere to these actions. A cigarette might help you stay awake during a long studio session, and other substances might keep your energy going for the night. But these habits can be detrimental to your long-term well-being.

To survive as an artist you need to be resourceful and self-sufficient. Part of this is knowing what the risks are in your chosen profession and where you can go for help. Musicians and artists go to great lengths to improve their technical skills, define their unique style, create original works and captivate their audience, whether on stage or a gallery wall. Give that same attention to your body and it will enhance your chances of enjoying a long and fruitful career.

San Francisco freelance writer Margaret Pitcher works with High Sierra Music, and is publicist for the bands Sunfire Pleasure and
Surrounded By Ninjas. She also volunteers with Electric WOMB, a nonprofit group for women in all facets of music and media.

By Jennifer Joseph

The process of getting published takes a thick skin (there’s a lot of rejection), a bunch of money (mailing manuscripts requires postage) and a wagonload of patience.

But don’t let that discourage you. I’ll always remember getting published for the first time by a cool ‘zine called Lobster Tendencies, which I bought at City Lights bookstore. It’s a rare thrill to see one’s work in print, and even more fun to see it for sale in a cool bookstore. Here are a few hopefully helpful publishing tips from a slightly cranky literary publisher.

Getting published


Always read a publication first before submitting your work. Learn about the editorial viewpoint and specific areas of interest. Guidebooks like the “CLMP Directory of Literary Magazines and Presses” and magazines like Poets & Writers list calls for submission, grants, awards, and contests (which usually charge a $15-$25 “reading fee” to enter). Websites with good information include www.pw.org/ and www.writenews.com/.

If you’re set on being published by the major New York commercial houses, you’ll need an agent. Unless your work has appeared in the New Yorker, major book publishers have no interest in unsolicited poetry manuscripts or unagented, unsolicited fiction. It may be years before you find an agent for your work, another several years before you find out if anyone’s interested in publishing it, and then another couple of years before it sees print. Agents usually take 15 percent of the manuscript’s selling price. First books often garner a $5,000-$10,000 advance against royalties from NY houses, more if there’s a bidding war. Get the biggest advance you can, because often that’s all that you’ll get paid, unless sub-rights like translations or film options are sold.

Literary agents are listed in the gargantuan industry tome Literary Market Place (www.literarymarketplace.com/). The Association of Authors’ Representatives website has a downloadable agent directory at www.aar-online.org/. Smaller indie presses offer advances of $1,000 or less, but may pay royalties of six to eight percent based on actual sales. Often they pay in free copies. On the positive side, indie presses may keep your title in print far longer than major houses that will have your beloved book on the $2.98 table at Barnes & Noble within two years of its publication. Learn more about all this and more (copyrights, contracts, etc.) from the National Writers Union, www.nwu.org/, and the Authors Guild, www.authorsguild.org/.

Regardless of who you’re sending writing to, follow these handy rules:

• Get — and follow — the publisher’s writers’ guidelines (by mail or online).
• Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of work and/or reply.
• Make clear to editors whether or not the manuscript should be returned.
• Run the spellcheck — and have someone else do quick proofread before mailing.
• Never send the only copy of your work.
• Include a cover letter about yourself, your publishing history and any marketing ideas. Mention if you’ve read the publication.
• Include contact info on every page, unless otherwise stated in the guidelines.
• Check policies on simultaneous submissions to other publishers, and whether submissions via email or fax are acceptable.
• Do not call or email the publication regarding your submission. Be patient.
• Never pay a publisher to print your books. But do pay a printer — preferably a book manufacturer — to print your books.

Publishing it Yourself


So you’ve decided to forego the heartbreak of endless rejection, saved up some money and are ready to just publish the damn thing yourself. Good for you — that’s how Manic D Press got started. First, go to a bookstore and buy a book whose design –cover, typography — you admire. Take a class in desktop publishing at City College, or teach yourself how to lay out text. Study everything about the book you admire: How wide are the margins? What information is on the copyright page? Is there a table of contents? What’s on the back of the book? Take a few notes and try designing your own book.

All books sold in stores (and on Amazon.com) need an ISBN (International Standard Book Number, www.isbn.org/), kind of like a Social Security number for books. These can be expensive. Once you have an ISBN, get a barcode made instantly online at www.createbarcodes.com/ for $10, and drop it into your cover design.

Never pay a publisher to print your books. They charge up to four times the actual cost of manufacture because they’re not publishing your work for editorial reasons — they’re publishing it to milk you dry. No distribution or promotion is provided, regardless of what is promised. The entire print run will have to be sold at retail to break even, which ain’t gonna happen.

Do pay a printer — preferably a book manufacturer. For small runs of under 1,000 copies, use a reliable on-demand printer. Recommended are DeHarts Printing Services in Santa Clara (www.deharts.com/) and Fidlar Doubleday in Michigan (www.fidlar-doubleday.com/). For print runs above 1,000 copies, check out United Graphics (www.unitedgraphicsinc.com/) and Bang Printing (www.bangprinting.com/). To get an accurate quote, you’ll need the following information: title, quantity, page count, trim size (what size is the book?), cover stock and finish (glossy or matte?), paper stock (white? natural?), inks (four color? Black only?), binding and shipping destination.

Do you need proofs? Always! Look into sending digital PDF files, as most printers prefer them. Always request samples so you can see what kind of work the printer is doing.

Distribution is another headache, but everyone starts off with the hoof-and-woof method: Go into bookstores and see if they’ll take some on consignment, usually on a 60-40 percent split with you getting the former. Send out copies for review and create a website. Set up a publisher’s account directly with Amazon and sell them there. Contact the Publishers Marketing Association at www.pma-online.com. Get busy and maybe your art project will turn into a full-time career — ya never know …!

Publisher and editor Jennifer Joseph founded Manic D Press in 1984 (www.manicdpress.com/). She also writes literary criticism, lectures at universities, has appeared on CSPAN’s BookTV, and hosted San Francisco’s longest-running weekly poetry reading at the Paradise Lounge.