Postage Is On Sale

Postage is going up May 12, which is a great deadline to set for doing another round of mailings to agents. I'm sending one out today. I haven't done a mailing in about a year, so it's a bit overdue, but now I can include my AFTRA status and recent bookings. From what I hear, the timeline is one or two times a year, and in between you can send postcards with your career updates (classes, shows, bookings).

So what exactly is a mailing to agents? You only need 2 things:

1. A cover letter (I am looking for representation, this is my background, here are my shows)
2. Headshot w/resume trimmed to 8x10 and stapled to the back. Or your demo if it is a VO mailing.

Who do you send it to?

1. Agents- build a list from the list of franchised agents on AFTRA & SAG's websites. Non union agents can be found in the Chicago Creative Directory
2. Casting- be sure your letter to casting directors says you are submitting for their files, not looking for representation. Also find these in the Chi Creative Directory.

How do you make cute mailing labels? Use those admin day jobs skills and get this info into an excel sheet. Search 'mail merge' on word help. You can create a letter and then mail merge the greeting, and you can mail merge to get address labels. Avery 5160 are my fav labels.

Then wait for the calls to roll in. And while you ware waiting, think of something you can do that you can announce on a postcard. Fun!