| When you get to the stage that you think you | | | | whatever, but don't make it look tacky), like this: |
| are good enough to perform for real people for | | | | "AFFORDABLE CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINER", and |
| real money, it is time to start thinking. Up until | | | | then in smaller text, something like "Joe Bloggs is |
| now, magic will have been fairly straightforward; | | | | a young children's entertainer who prides himself |
| you buy a book and cards, practice for months, | | | | on his fun yet affordable shows, leaving all the |
| and can do magic. It begins to get harder here - | | | | children with a smile on their face" or something |
| you need to market yourself accurately yet in | | | | like that. Mention balloon models if you can, |
| the most positive manner possible.This is by no | | | | juggling or whatever.Once that's done, you may |
| means a definitive guide to how to market | | | | strike gold, or you may get nothing. Either way, |
| yourself for magic, but it is how I started my | | | | this is by no means the end. The next thing to do |
| magic career at the age of 15, as well as some | | | | is make up some flyers - half the size of A4 (or |
| other ideas from other people. My story isn't a | | | | Letter, for you Americans!) is perfect - there's |
| fascinating story - I'm not a stage magician, I | | | | enough space for your name (remember, you are |
| don't really do street magic, and I haven't been on | | | | selling yourself, so your name needs to be |
| TV. However, this hasn't been from failure, this is | | | | reasonably dominant), what you do (i.e. Children's |
| simply because I made a decision early on that | | | | Entertainer - initially this should be bigger than your |
| magic would not be a full time career for me. The | | | | name as your name won't mean anything), some |
| advice I will give you could help you on your way, | | | | catch phrases (i.e. balloon modelling, every child |
| as I was certainly on my way, to a magic career; | | | | involved, fun for all, parties included etc.), your |
| alternatively you can learn from my mistakes and | | | | contact details (I wouldn't recommend your |
| know what not to do!If you are young and have | | | | address for privacy issues) and then a little bit |
| little money to spend on advertising, a simple thing | | | | about yourself so that they know who to expect. |
| you can do is create a professional looking sign | | | | There's absolutely no point in trying to come |
| out of some paint and wood, and place it in your | | | | across as a 40yr old magician if you are actually |
| house window, in the garden or anywhere else | | | | 15, because as soon as you open the door, your |
| you can think of. My first sign was very simple, | | | | client may have huge second thoughts. Honest is |
| and most likely very tacky, but it did the trick, | | | | the best policy, and being young never affected |
| and cost nothing! I initially had about five words on | | | | me.These flyers can then be put up in your local |
| it, "CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINER, YOUNG, CHEAP, | | | | post office, youth groups, nurseries/kindergartens, |
| FUN" or something like that, and my phone | | | | primary schools and so forth. However, something |
| number. That is something, when looking back, | | | | that I found reasonably successful was |
| that I would have changed. "Cheap" is not a word | | | | door-to-door mailing, simply stuffing the flyer |
| used much in marketting - when was the last | | | | through the door of every door in my |
| time you watched an advert for a supermarket | | | | neighbourhood (having said that, it did rule out a |
| and they described themselves as cheap? | | | | career of a post man for me - lots of scraped |
| However, it got me my first show, so who's | | | | hands going through the letter-box, scary dogs, |
| complaining!What I would recommend would be to | | | | and even an imitation dog barked at me!)In this |
| make your sign, ideally on your computer (just to | | | | modern age, a website is a very good addition to |
| make stencils to paint the wood, or laminate it, or | | | | your marketting repertoire. |