You know what’s hard? Writing a book. Over the past year or so I’ve had a front-row seat to watch Reader regular Jessica Hopper put together The Girls’ Guide to Rocking: How to Start a Band, Book Gigs, and Get Rolling to Rock Stardom, and throughout the process I’ve been glad I wasn’t the one doing it.
(Disclosure: I contributed some advice here and there. Also, Hopper and I are buds. Obviously.)
The book is aimed at a preteen-to-teen demographic, but it’s an impressively (if you saw Hopper while she was writing it, you might be tempted to substitute “insanely”) comprehensive collection of information on everything from naming your band to signing a contract. Despite its title it would be a useful resource even for grown-ass musicians, and I’m kind of jealous that I didn’t have it around back when I first started playing seriously. Having seen an advance galley copy, I can definitely say that the info it contains could’ve prevented more than a few disasters. It’s a worthy addition to the long list of books by Reader contributors.
GG2R drops June 4, but you can preorder a copy through Powell’s and Target, among other places.