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”

Dealing With Charity Shows

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As entertainers we are always in demand with charity organisations who are looking to raise money by putting on all manner of events. The problem that the organisers face is that on the one hand they need to offer something that will excite the interest of potential attendees, but on the other the likelihood is that they can’t spend a fortune doing so if they want to make any profit for their coffers.

So it is that we performers receive an enquiry for our services, and quite often somewhere in the request will be the phrase “we don’t have much money”. The implication, even if it is not expressly stated, is that they are hoping we will work either for nothing or at least virtually for nothing.

Continue reading “Dealing With Charity Shows”