I'm going to go ahead and post the guide I wish I had found when I first got interested in the hobby. This is for the ladies out there who want to see a provider on their own and aren't sure and/or are a bit nervous about how to do it (and you know who you are )
Rule #1: Do not use Backpage. I can't think of a more dangerous scenario than a female going to meet someone by herself off of Backpage. Many legitimate providers advertise on BP, but they also have profiles on other sites. You will want to use the other sites.
Rule #2: Get an account on Preferred411.com (P411). It costs money and they will verify you are who you say you are, but it is an absolute must. All providers on P411 have been verified as legitimate and it is a safe, easy way to contact ladies you are interested in and set up an appointment. When I first started, I set up a custom search which filtered for my city (Dallas), selected ladies who had listed Bisexual in their activities, were newbie friendly, and filtered out agencies and visiting providers. This will give you the initial list of ladies to choose from.
Next Step: Data Mining. From your list of (hopefully) bisexual newbie friendly providers, decide which ones you are interested in learning more about. ECCIE is the place to this. Even if the provider is not active on ECCIE, chances are pretty good a few gentleman have reviewed her and/or posted about her. And she may be an active poster on ECCIE which is all the better for your research. Here is the caveat: you need to have premium access to view the full details of reviews and only men can get premium access (females are not allowed). Use your best judgement in legitimately getting information about the providers you are interested in without breaking the rules.
What you are looking for with information about a provider is this: Is the gal you're interested in consistent? Is she personable? Is she reliable? Is she prone to personal issues that interfere with appointments? Some red flags are: Perpetual lateness or cancellations. A pattern of Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) with different clients. Disinterest during sessions. Any drama before, during, or after the session.
From this point, you should have narrowed the list down to the top one or two ladies you are interested in. Do a search on ECCIE for the provider's name in the subject and body of posts. You will frequently find threads where favorite providers are listed. Does her name come up during the "Who do you like the most" type of threads? On the flip side, do you see lots of posts where she stood someone up (otherwise known as a NC/NS) or other red flag type posts?
Next, search for posts by the provider herself. Some ladies don't post much but for those that do, it will help you determine whether you should contact her. What is her demeanor like in her posts? Does she have the type of personality you would feel comfortable with? You can also gain more info on whether she is truly bi as it does come up sometimes in threads.
Now that you've finally narrowed it down to the gal you would like to see, it's time to contact her on P411. How you go about contacting someone is definitely a personal choice. I have a photo on my P411 profile. I also make it clear I am a female by myself and not part of a couple. My initial inquiry is usually very short and something to the effect of: "Hello <First Name>, I was curious to know if you are willing to see female clients..." She will invariably look at your profile which should be filled out as much as possible and then she responds. Her initial response is key. By her first response, you will know whether you should proceed. If she seems a bit unsure, my advice is to not do it. It will likely be an uncomfortable situation for both of you. Ultimately it's up to you to decide if you want to go through with booking the appointment, so go with your initial gut feeling.
Once you decide to book, make sure you are clear on the price up front. I personally like longer sessions - a minimum of 90 minutes. If a two hour rate is listed, I always go with that. If it's not, I assume there is no special pricing for 2 hours and go with 90 minutes. If you are unsure about anything, ask during the initial booking. Every provider has her own method of giving you instructions on where you will meet and how you should contact her. If you are remotely unsure, ask her to clarify at the time of booking. If you book the appointment a few days ahead of time, send her a message on P411 the day prior just to make sure everything is still set. This helps minimize confusion.
The last step is the one you've been waiting for: Appointment time. There's not a lot to this. You've done your homework. You researched and found a provider who is awesome and you know what to expect when you see her. My last bit of advice: Have the donation ready in an envelope and put it on a counter or table soon after you enter (within 5 minutes). Obviously, don't mention it, just take it out and set it down where she can see it. And now...have fun!