Don’t Get Taken Advantage Of

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I would guess that most commercial close up magicians have a range of show fees which they select from based on a number of factors pertinent to the booking. So, depending on the travel distance required to get to the venue, how long a show it is, whether it is a business or private social event perhaps, numbers attending and so on.

Certainly one of the ways that I have used to establish a range of show offerings and prices, is to quote different rates for varying amounts of time required for me to work. It makes sense to me that if a booker wants mix and mingle magic for two hours, he should pay a bit more than someone having a smaller event who only requires a one hour performance. Continue reading “Don’t Get Taken Advantage Of”

Commanding Higher Fees

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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! Continue reading “Commanding Higher Fees”

Building Your Credibility With Bookers

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One aspect of performing that can be, in my opinion, very instrumental to success, is your credibility with the audience.

Famous TV magicians can sell out large venues because they have already been  seen many times on the box and have established in advance with the viewers that they are good at what they do. Their credibility and standing is therefore not in question and the audience are simply hoping that the performer will live up to the reputation that has been created by these television appearances.

Continue reading “Building Your Credibility With Bookers”

Advertising – The Importance Of Who Says What And How Often They Say It

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Einstein said, “Insanity is doing exactly the same thing again and again and expecting to get a different result!” Actually, he didn’t really say that, but for some reason it is attributed to him. I suppose whoever did express the idea originally thought it would carry more weight if it appeared to come from a genius such as Einstein.

This does, however, throw up two interesting thoughts. The first is whether the saying itself is actually true, and the second is whether statements or ideas carry more or less weight and validity, depending on who expresses them.

Continue reading “Advertising – The Importance Of Who Says What And How Often They Say It”

There Are Some Things That Get Better With Age!

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As you grow older, you can be forgiven for thinking that there’s very little which actually improves for you! Your eyesight gets worse, you feel like you have diminished energy, modern gadgets appear to be unfathomably complicated, and your joints ache. Hmmm, not great!

However, I would suggest that for magicians there are a number of things which do improve as you get older, and so in the interests of redressing the balance, I thought I would tell you what they are.

Continue reading “There Are Some Things That Get Better With Age!”