breaking into professional magic

[Guest]

I am finally ready to start my venture into professional magic. I would like to know exactly what to expect in terms of how much money can be made being a professional magician? I am not just interested in money but i do need to start making some and i would love nothing more than making some money doing what i love. Can anyone on here give some input on this topic? or recommend any books which might be of help?

[Brian Marks]

I find myself in a similiar position. Hustle, Hustle by Joel Bauer has come highly recommended. Ive read the book and it seems to be the very good.

[Pete Biro]

It depends on where you are and what you do.

Perhaps getting lined up with an agent/manager would be best. That person could give you an indication of what to expect.

So, what is your locale? What kind of work to do you plan on doing? Birthdays Parties, Commercial trade shows, nightclubs?

It is a varied field...

Private parties in homes in L.A. bring in around $500 for the good workers...

[Guest]

Well i live around the houston area (dont know how great the work around here is) and my act varies from a 45 min parlor routine to table hopping or strolling. I dont really want to do childrens parties as my act has cigarettes in it and is more serious magic.

[Guest]

Originally posted by EvA:
I am finally ready to start my venture into professional magic. I would like to know exactly what to expect in terms of how much money can be made being a professional magician? I am not just interested in money but i do need to start making some and i would love nothing more than making some money doing what i love. Can anyone on here give some input on this topic? or recommend any books which might be of help?

Entering the world of magic as a profession can be a daunting task. Don't plan to get rich or famous and make sure that you handle rejection well as you will have many doors closed on you as you shop your services around. You need to get used to living out of a suitcase and learning to economize on expenses while on the road, as travel is an essential part of making a living as an entertainer.

You are going tpo need a new promotional package including a video every two years and remember that the better the package, the better you look. It represents you. You might make sure that as many agencies know about you and what you do as well although do not count on the phone ringing off the hook just because agencies have your name. there is on going work for you to havbe to deal with and if you are not using the phone for a minimum of two hours a day selling your show, then you might not make it. The business part of "show business" is hard work.

You might try Jim Ryans "Trade Show" series of books which really are a great source of information and are applicable outside of selling for trade shows. I am NOT a huge fan of the bauer book as I do nopt subscribe to the barge in and be in your face attitude. Another good book you might look at is Fred Becker's Cruise book as it IS a goldmine of ideas about working on cruise ships.

It is a hard path you are chosing but one that with perseverence and dedication will be one of the most rewarding things you could ever hope to do. For me, I have never looked back or regreted it. Good luck!

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat

http://www.mindguy.com

[Guest]

I have to agree with Paul, I'm not a big fan of "Hustle, Hustle," but I would recommend calling Denny Lee in Baltimore and asking him to send a set of lecture notes he wrote several years ago on the business of magic. It's the best thing I've ever seen on the subject for someone starting out. Good luck.
Jim Snack
www.jimsnack.com

[Guest]

Simon Lovell has a great book I think it is called
The Magic os Showbusiness. It is jammed full of
sensible advice for the budding pro

[Guest]

Mr. Alberstat's advice of two hours a day on the phone is right on. If you can commit to that (and able to take rejections, again like paul mentioned) you're going to be, sooner or later, successful.

You have to decide, though, right now if you want to work with agents or promote yourself. If you go with agents it can be very rewarding, but hard to breakaway from. If you promote yourself you'll forever ostracize yourself from the agents. So choose your path wisely. Talk to someone who works with an agent and someone who promotes themselves. But be prepared for some opinionated answers!

Personally, I don't work with agents. If you want the BEST material I ever found on how to market yourself as a professional entertainer look no further than www.floraco.com . This material literally REVOLUTIONIZED my ability to market myself. Highly recommended.

[tboehnlein]

Where could one find Jim Ryan's Trade Show resources.
Thanks, Tom Boehnlein

[Tom Dobrowolski]

I believe it is Dick Ryan not Jim Ryan.

There were a series of 4 books/manuscripts published conatining Jim Ryans material written by Phil Wilmarth (as well as a set of lecture notes) but nothing on the business side or Trade shows. These contain great underrated material but are not on the business of magic.

[Steve Bryant]

Joe Stevens carries the Dick Ryan trade show material.

The Jim Ryan material is solid gold and should be preserved in a hardback book some day.

[Guest]

Becoming a professional magician means operating a successful small business. The small business administration (www.sba.gov) is an excellent place to start. Find your local office, speak with an advisor and find out what it means to run a small business. The narrow approaches other magicians have taken (e.g. Bauer) may be completely inappropriate for you. On the other hand, some traditional small business approach may be just right for you. As I have said before, when you become a pro; you are sales, marketing, administration and product all in one. You must have a decent product to sell of course, but unless you can sell it your business will be very short-lived. For this reason, I recommend taking professional sales courses (such as Dale Carnegie or Tom Hopkins) and learning as much about sales as possible. Many good books are available, as are audiotape courses (visit Nightengale Connant's website.)

Finally, if your interest in magic is only about the money, you can certainly find other more likely ways of earning a high income. Most small businesses fail. Sorry to end this on a downer, but a decision like this requires taking reality into consideration.

Good luck.
Mark