In the January 2020 issue of Magicseen I have written a piece on how to go about deciding on the right fees for your shows.
It’s a common worry, especially for those new to paid work, about where to pitch their fees. They don’t want to charge too much, but by the same token nor do they probably want to ask for too little, and finding the right balance and assessing one’s personal value as a performer is a challenging task.
In David Regal’s excellent book Interpreting Magic, there is a quote from Derren Brown on this subject. Derren was reflecting on how as a jobbing close up performer in Bristol, he was commanding £300 fees. Yet the moment that he was seen on TV, his agent hiked his charges up to £3000 per show—overnight!
What this ably illustrates is that your value as an entertainer is not just the sum that you decide to ask for your services, it is also down to how valuable you are seen to be by those intending to book you.
It’s a bit like buying and selling a house. You can take advice from estate agents as to what your property may be worth on the market compared to others in the vicinity, but the truth is your home is only as valuable as the sum someone else is prepared to pay for it.
Price is often determined by supply and demand. If something people really want is perceived to be in short supply, the manufacturers can get away with extortionate prices because they know that people will pay it. But this only works if the item in question is seen by others to be highly desirable, otherwise the sale will fail.
So if you aspire to commanding substantial fees for your magic shows, it is clearly not just a case of charging a high price. You might get the occasional booking, but if you are an unknown in your area, the bookers will not have the trust in you to accept a price that may be far higher than your competitors.
This means that the trick to getting booked at high rates is to make yourself well known locally and to provide a show that sets you apart from others. You need to be a unique desirable commodity, not just another close upper.
Raising your profile can be done in a number of ways.
- Get a regular column in a local lifestyle magazine in which you dispense advice about how to run successful parties. This positions you as an expert and also keeps your name in the public eye.
- Have an active and interesting blog on the go. We all have stories and advice about our work that we can impart.
- Actively use PR to get features about you and what you do in all the local media. This will get you a bigger coverage and impact than regular advertising.
- Work a lot! The more you get seen performing the more you will become familiar to local people. If you don’t do many shows yet, consider offering your services to charities.
Whatever you charge, you have to provide a great show, especially if you are after the big bucks. So the first thing to consider is whether your act is actually up to scratch!