Marketing Magic: A Guide to Getting the Gigs - by Stephen Ablett (Book)
723 Pages, A4 hardback book

This book examines all the markets, promotional material, S.E.O., advertising methods and business strategies in finding, getting and keeping work as a professional magician.

He reveals everything from how much performers are paid, how to get the elusive jobs, links to the relevant websites and agents responsible for recruiting along with a yearly breakdown on what months to market to particular groups and societies to maximize getting the gigs.

In the 20 years he has been performing professionally. He has been an illusionist, close-up magician, children's entertainer, bar magician, cabaret artist, agent and public speaker. He has almost done it all and he is now ready to reveal all his secrets so that you too can make a living as an entertainer in any facet of the entertainment industry.

Promotional Material
1. The Marketing Map
2. Stage Name
3. Logos
4. Leaflets
5. Colour Branding & Costume
6. Business Cards
7. Roller Banners
8. Branded Giveaways
9. Free Party Invitations
10. A-Frame Boards
11. Brochure / Flyer
12. Party Tips Flyer
13. £10 Discount Voucher
14. Sign Writing Your Car
15. Personalised License Plates
16. Profile Photos
17. Show Pictures
18. Celebrity Photographs
19. Promo Videos
20. Colouring Page of Yourself
21. Branded Clothing
22. Unique Selling Points

Your Website
23. Building a Website
24. Mobile Websites
25. Prices on your Website
26. Written and Video Testimonials
27. Availability Calendars
28. Venue Hire Web Page
29. Entertainers Database Software
30. Email Bulk Messaging Software
31. Money Back Guarantee

Online Presence
32. S.E.O. (Search Engine Optimisation)
33. Google Adwords
34. Bing
35. Netmums & Google Businesses
36. Free Listing Websites
37. Getting Reviews
38. Facebook Fan Pages
39. Facebook Pay to Advertise
40. Twitter / Instagram etc.
41. LinkedIn
42. Google Alerts
43. Using Social Media

Advertising
44. Leaflet Drops
45. Wall Planners, Posters & Magazines
46. Newspapers
47. Local Magazines
48. National Magazines
49. Parenting & School Magazines
50. Free Telephone Directories
51. Yellow Pages
52. Yell.com
53. Party Pop and others
54. Text Enquiries via a Website
55. Telephone Number Blocking
56. Adverting on Television
57. Advertising on the Radio
58. Post Office Screens
59. Giant Roadside Billboards
60. Advertising on Buses
61. Religious Holidays
62. E-mails & Letters to Schools
63. Library Shows
64. Letters to Pubs
65. Advertising to Hotels
66. Department Stores & Supermarkets
67. Advertising to Sport Clubs
68. Websites at ToysRUs

Ways to Get the Work
69. Recommendations
70. Getting a Referral
71. Wedding Fairs & Bridal Shops
72. Shopping Centre Busking
73. Charity Shows
74. Network Meetings
75. Cold Calling
76. Staying Behind to Network
77. Hair Salons
78. Host your own Funday
79. Agents
80. Beware of the Agency Scam
81. Magic Gigs Websites
82. Talent Agencies
83. Hot Leads through Hired Venues
84. Setting up a Competition
85. Personalised Tricks for Clients
86. Party & Event Planners
87. Free Phone Numbers
88. Call Divert
89. Follow-Up Telephone Calls
90. Handling Telephone Enquiries
91. Handling E-Mail Enquiries
92. Publicity Stunts
93. Using Public Venue Shows
94. Facebook Group Posting
95. Referrals from Entertainers
96. Breaking into Television
97. Networking in Church
98. The Job Centre
99. Letters to Restaurants

The Markets

Close-Up
100. Residencies: What to Charge
101. Residencies: Finding the work
102. Residencies: Keeping the Gig
103. Premier League Football Clubs
104. Mobile Stationary Magic Bar
105. Hen and Stag Nights
106. Bar Hustling
107. Working a Nightclub
108. Bar Magic
109. Graduations, Proms & Colleges
110. Cruise Ship Close-Up

Tuition
111. One on One Magic Tuition
112. Going into Schools
113. Full Day Enrichment Class
114. After School Clubs
115. Over 60's Clubs
116. Magic Workshop Lecture Notes
117. Summer Camps
118. Scout and Brownie Camps

Public Speaking
119. Women Institutes & Rotary Clubs
120. Speaking on Cruise Ship
121. Magic Club Lectures

Children's Show
122. Children's Birthday Parties
123. Ferry Entertainment
124. Working with Photographers
125. Theme Park Shows
126. Cruise Ships
127. Summer Camps
128. Caravan Parks
129. Agricultural, Animal & Flower Shows
130. Park Events
131. Hospital Giggle Doctors
132. Being Santa
133. Santa's Grotto Entertainment
134. Lapland Flight to Meet Santa
135. Cinema Kids Club
136. Blue Coat Holiday Parks
137. Circus Skills Clubs
138. Party Host at Food Restaurant
139. TV Show Warm-Up
140. Halloween Safety Show
141. Car Dealerships

Staff Training
142. Balloon Modelling Training
143. Team Building Sessions
144. Persuasion Seminars
145. Towel Folding Classes
146. Magician Master-Classes
147. Magician's UK Lecture Tour
148. Magician's US Lecture Tour

Adult Cabaret
149. Rural Touring Booking Agents
150. The Casino Circuit
151. Edinburgh Festival
152. Comedy Festivals
153. Corporate Magic
154. Rehearsal Opportunities
155. Hiring a Theatre
156. Club Med Working Holiday
157. Trade Shows
158. Cruise Ship Cabaret
159. Comedy Clubs
160. Weddings
161. Adult Birthday Parties
162. Cocktail Evenings / Retirement Parties
163. Gospel Magic
164. Christmas Light Switch On
165. Magic Festivals
166. Disability Groups
167. Retirement Homes
168. Holiday Park Circuit
169. Hotel Parlour Shows
170. Golf, Conservatives & Pubs
171. Magic Club Dinners
172. Busking with Adult Magic
173. Ghost Walks
174. Séances / Ghost Spirit Shows
175. Touring the UK with your Show
176. The Illusionist Super Show
177. Being an Illusionist

Side Selling
178. Opening a Magic Shop
179. Face-Painting
180. Bouncy Castle Hire
181. Toastmaster
182. Magic Bus Parties
183. Quiz Master at a Wedding
184. Sell Quiz Pack
185. Buying and Selling Magic
186. Becoming an Agency
187. YouTube Video Series
188. Opening a Magic Bar
189. Psychic & Palm Readings
190. Punch and Judy
191. Selling Balloons
192. Party Bags
193. Selling Your DVD
194. BOR Back-of-the-Room Selling
195. Taking on an Apprentice
196. Wedding Add-Ons
197. Writing and Selling Books
198. Convention Circuit

Specialised Shows
199. Lost Luggage Show
200. Educational Magic
201. Reading Show
202. Summer Reading Themes
203. Safety Show
204. Healthy Eating Show
205. Recycling Show
206. Applying for a Grant or Sponsorship

The Plunge
207. Part Time Limitations
208. Quitting Your Job
209. Time Spent Marketing
210. Increase your Age Range
211. Inner City Parking
212. Remembering your Name
213. The Group Photograph
214. Standing Ovations
215. After-Show Giveaways
216. Thank-You E-Mails
217. Surveys & Feedback Questionnaires

Pricing and Business
218. Adult Cabaret Prices
219. Children's Entertainers Prices
220. Adult Close-Up Prices
221. Looking At Our Competitors
222. $100,000 Magic Show
223. Deposits
224. Repeat Customers
225. Midweek Show Prices
226. Working on Christmas Day
227. Confirmations / Invoices
228. CRB, DBS & PL Insurance
229. PAT Testing
230. Risk Assessment
231. Limiting Travel Distance
232. Milking your Clients

Life Lessons
233. How Long to Fill the Diary
234. Telling the World
235. Think positive
236. Taking a Holiday and Burnout
237. Magic Competitions
238. Joining a Magic Club
239. Changing the Tricks

240. Conclusion
241. Other Marketing Resources
242. Free Podcasts

Physical Copies:
http://amazingstephen.co.uk/Shop.Books.htm

Download PDF:
Penguin: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/5859
Lybrary: http://www.lybrary.com/marketing-magic-a......562.html

I note with interest the chapter called the $100,000 magic show.

I hope Stephen posts pictures of the (surely many) $100,000 checks he's received for shows

He just gets paid in cash.

Click here to view attached image.

Guyanaese Dollars...

So do you mind if I pay for the book in Guyanaese Dollars? 100 GD = 0.5 U.S. Dollars.

This looks good. I bought Jamie D Grant's The Approach but it was very focused on a U.S. style approach. Something focused on the UK, such as this offering from Stephen, could be useful to many.

That chapter is more about how I hate the $100,000 dollar boast some performers make, and how they are all lying. Admitedly I go on a bit of a rant about how such pricing is a stupid marketing plan and why I don't believe the people who claim it. I think I wrote it after reading a marketing book from someone else and disagreed with everything they said, and was so furious I had to include a chapter in my book about how I didn't believe them and here are the raesons why.

My book is very opinionated at the same time as being educational. But I think that's what makes it fun to read at the same time!

So is this book basically geared towards U.K. bookings then as opposed to U.S.?

I'd say that UK/US doesn't really matter Dean. People are people and events are events... Basic marketing works the same on both sides of the pond.

Regarding fee's: I'd say everyone is different and it depends on your chosen area and client base. There are, and should be, magicians for all demographics and budgets. I was at a wedding exhibition last weekend. Myself and another magician. He was 75% cheaper than what I was quoting, but that's totally fine.. we both got plenty of work and attracted clients with different budgets.

I would say that most magicians are charging too little though. If you haven't been increasing your prices each year, you probably should take a look at it. It's very easy if you work for the same agents and clients each year to become stuck in a price plateau.

That moment when you 'quote'... It's very hard to force yourself to push your price up a touch when that date is clear in your diary..
There's nothing wrong with saying to a client (with a smile):

"$xxx is very cheap for a magician.. and the last thing you want at your party is a cheap magician.." One of my agents uses that line all the time.

I think anything that makes a magician think about increasing their fee over time is a positive thing. For the magicians I've worked with, slowly working on a fee increase, and as a result, a change of client base has had very good outcomes.

Hope this helps
Dominic

There are differences between the UK and US. I have worked in both markets. Saying they are the same in terms of marketing is quite frankly naive. As an example simply compare US TV commercials to those in the UK. People in the US take a much more direct approach to way they sells things. That's just one example from thousands. Hey, maybe I should write a book about the differences for people like Dominic.

With respect to you Tony, I think there's a lot less than you think. Having worked in both countries, and marketed to both for many years, most marketing techniques apply equally. The style and amount of 'pressure' may differ between the UK and US but that's common sense to guage. Each reader will know what would suit them from their own experience and knowledge of their culture.

TV advertising may be different, but communicating with clients and the sales process is not really that much different. Most of the sales training for the UK comes from the US anyway, it's just covered in a less 'full on' wrapper.

The US may have a much more 'direct' approach, but the steps are the same, and the principles identical. There are a LOT of very successful UK marketers and salepeople working in the US.

Following up
Asking for their business
Making contact
Selling the concept
Nurturing leads
etc etc

The majority of marketing that a magician does is perfectly transferable..

I don't 'think' Dominic. I know. 50+ years experience tells me that. We'll have to agree to disagree. Although you do acknowledge there are differences in the 'pressure', so you do agree with me really.

Stephen's book is more suited to magicians operating in the UK and Western Europe. For U.S. based magicians I'd recommend Jamie D. Grant's The Approach instead.

Yep. let's just agree to disagree As you know, 'marketing' and 'sales' are quite different beasts. The sales approach is different between countries, but much of the marketing process is identical. The style and amount of 'pressure' at the close may differ between the UK and US but that has little to do with much of what books like this can teach.

I've not read this ebook, but I have read Jamie's and it's very good indeed.

Tony, if you would like to write a guest blog post or have a chat on the MoM podcast about the topic, I'd love to make it available to the subscribers. Just drop me a PM

Best wishes
Dominic

[quote]On Sep 25, 2015, Dominic Reyes wrote:


Well said Dominic, and a very positive and polite way of addressing a (partial) difference of opinion - Tony, I would genuinely be interested in hearing what you have to say on the blog, if you're up for it?

I have the approach and David Stone's book. Both are good in differing ways. As for Stephen's book, it's unfortunately too expensive for me to take a chance on, but would be interested in seeing a detailed review.

Charlie

I found the difference in marketing was less about countries, but more demographic in regards to size of the town you live in. A major city has different strategies to a Country village. For example, in the big cities you might want to try Adwords and google SEO. But in villages, a flyer in the post office window might be all you need. How people get the gigs really comes down to where they are based and also what they are doing. Tourist towns also have additional revenue options such as hotel residencies.

The book is a lot more than just advertising strategies though. It details the many types of markets you can target. I discuss what effects I did when I worked them giving a guide for you to use yourself. For example, I wrote eight short stories that could be used in a ghost tour which are given in here for free. Basically, its the entire script for you to memorize and start making money with tomorrow.

Its not a cheap book and that's intentional. It costs a fortune to print and its hardback, A4 size and 723 pages. It weighs over 2kg so it also costs a fortune to post. The only people I want buying and reading this book are professionals serious in having a business as a magician. This is not a book for hobbyist or those with a passing interest. This is a serious guide for getting work. And lets be honest, its cost is 1/4 the price of any professionals gig, and if it helped you bring in just one booking - it will have paid for itself.

Will it work for everyone? Parts of it will. But you will read its chapters and decide which markets you want to target and which strategies you feel will work for you. It will open your eyes to new methods and places to go, that you may not have coincided before such as Rural Touring or the cost of advertising on the side of a bus. Some of it like touring guides for an illusionist will be of no use to a close-up magician and the prices for children's entertainers in America may not be of use to those in the UK (and vice versa). But there will be people that find that information of use, which is why its included.

There are copies out for review, but its a very big book with a long DVD accompanying it, so it will be a while before they are ready to write it. And I’m in no rush for them to do it either because I know the info once revealed may give away the secrets and effect my own business. But the information is a legacy as it were and I felt the information deserved to be shared.

That is one gianormous book. That's quite an accomplishment, Stephen, even just getting something like this out of your head and into a finished product. Good for you. Like the idea of the project combining print and video, as well.

Having said that, I'm going to be wishy washy and wait for a couple of reviews. Nothing personal - I do that with all books, magical and otherwise.

Suggestion: maybe you could try what Vanishinginc and some recent authors have done and make a sample chapter or two available to preview. That might help some folks decide whether to pull the trigger. In a book store you can flip through a couple of chapters and see if it's right and you like the style.

Stephen thanks for your candor.

MaxfieldsMagic I also appreciate your take, which is mine as well. The nice dialogue and courteousness between Dominic and T.G. is also avert of fresh air. Thanks for your posts guys as I'm thinking of the purchase myself. This is what makes the Café great.

Stephen thanks for your candor.

MaxfieldsMagic I also appreciate your take, which is mine as well. The nice dialogue and courteousness between Dominic and T.G. is also avert of fresh air. Thanks for your posts guys as I'm thinking of the purchase myself. This is what makes the Café great.

Stephen thanks for your candor.

MaxfieldsMagic I also appreciate your take, which is mine as well. The nice dialogue and courteousness between Dominic and T.G. is also avert of fresh air. Thanks for your posts guys as I'm thinking of the purchase myself. This is what makes the Café great.

Stephen thanks for your candor.

MaxfieldsMagic, I also appreciate your take, which is mine as well. The nice dialogue and courteousness between Dominic and T.G. is also a breath of fresh air. Thanks for your posts guys, as I'm thinking of the purchase myself. This is what makes the Café great.

Puggo what's the title of David Stone's book? Is it CU: The Real . . . (397)?