Magicians Business Cards in Party Bags

Is it OK to put your magicians business cards in event party bags?

We received this email from a magician worried about the best way to hand out his magicians business cards:

Scott writes:

'I have a gig on Wednesday, and have been emailed by the organizer who has said to me if I drop some business cards to her, she will include them in goodie bags that are being handed out. She has asked me to let her know by Monday, so I have some time to consider it. However, I have a couple of tricks I like to do that involve handing my business cards out as part of a reveal. Should I take her up on the offer? It sounds like a great idea, but at the same time takes away a part of my act'

Dominic Reyes recorded this advice for Scott:

We highly recommend that you DO include your magicians business cards in the party/goodie bags. The more people that find your card the better. Don't worry about using your business cards in a few tricks at the same time. It's unlikely that you will do that magic trick to EVERY guest, and the cards in the bags will probably remain in there until the guests get home.

Magicians Agents – Why They are Needed and How to Get One

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

Are Magicians Agents Essential for Success?

By James Nathan

With the internet taking over the world, it has been said that there is really no need for magicians agents these days. If anything, I think that the opposite is true. Read most magician's websites and it is easy to think that they are all world champions. Yes, magicians have to be positive about their own skills, and everyone is going to rave about themselves – but for clients looking to book an entertainer, they feel re-assured by working with an agent. It’s a quality control issue.

Big companies invariably will only work through agents, so if you want the most lucrative jobs, you really need to be on their books. Not only do they have top clients, they also know what to charge.

Agents have working relationships with companies for years – they know what the price structure is – and they can get the best price for the performer – even after their commission has been deducted. Also they advise the client on what is the best act for them – this is all part of the service they provide.

Professionalism is paramount and if you are working through an agent, you are already considered to be of a certain standard.

If you perform a stand-up magic act, then you basically have to work through agents. Cruise ship companies, large hotel groups, holiday centres and large corporates all work closely with agents to book their entertainers.

Finding the best magicians agents can be tricky, and knowling how to approach them is a skill in and of itself. Many magicians use the Special Agents Directory which compiles hundreds of the best UK agents who work with many of the best clients in the UK and beyond. The ebook also includes many international agents who book acts cabaret & speciality acts from the UK.

You can learn several tips for finding a magicians agent and the best way to approach them for work in this post: How to find and use magicians agents

If you are a close-up magician, or perform any type of speciality act, it's worth searching Google and making a list of agents to approach. If you prefer to have the leg work done for you, and identify the best agents that are most responsive to magic acts, then the Secret Agents Directory is a very good source for magicians agents who could use your services.

Magic Podcast 16 – How to Start a Business as a Magician

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

Merchant of Magic Podcast #16 How to Start a Business as a Magician

In this episode of the Merchant of Magic Podcast, Dominic Reyes talks with Elliott Smith about the business side of being a magician.

Elliott Smith is the co-author of Highway to Success – The Entertainers Roadmap to Business

Click here for previous episodes of the podcast on iTunes

Most people get into magic because it is fun and they love learning and performing magic for their family and friends. The majority of people continue developing their magic with that single goal in mind. However, some magicians want to take it a step further and turn their hobby into a business. If you are wondering how to start a business as a magician, it's important to understand that there is as much to learn about the business side of being a magician, as there is with the performance aspects.

About Elliott Smith

For over 40 years as a professional magician, Elliott regularly entertains corporations, television audiences and travelers across Canada, the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico. Prime Ministers of Canada, international Ambassadors, the late Liberace as well as Jay Leno have experienced Elliott’s special brand of magic and comedy! Elliott was honoured the Order of Merlin Shield, a very prestigious award by the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Elliott Smith writes:

I was six when I saw my first magic show on television. It touched and inspired me greatly. The spark was ignited, the passion was kindled, the goal was set…and the dream began. I wanted to be a MAGICIAN. My parents, seeing this, bought me my first magic set. Back then, all my friends would laugh and make fun of me; they were out playing sports or just hanging around while I was at home playing with my magic set. They’re not laughing now; while many of them are sitting in their nine-to-five jobs, I’m traveling North America, Europe and the Caribbean doing what I love most—performing.

Naturally, when I announced to my parents that I wanted to be magician, their response was, “That’s nice, but go to school, get an education, get a ‘real’ job and then you can do what you want.” But they always supported and encouraged me. They always took me to the magic shop when I asked, brought me to the library to get more books, and every time they traveled, they scoured each city they vis- ited to find a magic store to fill my shopping list of goodies.

Magic followed me through my school years and my early working years, and I took advantage of any opportunity to perform in the evenings and on weekends. Sadly, in those early years, I often felt surrounded by negative people who assured me that this dream of becoming a full-time, professional entertainer would never be fulfilled. That’s why my co-author Ian Quick and I are so deter- mined that our work would give you the tools you need to set your goals, act wisely on them, and make your dream of being an entertainer come true.

An integral ingredient of what I teach is the business “how to.” My work in varied jobs, ranging from the Canadian Federal Government to managing restaurants, marketing and promoting, working in an advertising and marketing company, and in retail sales (selling everything from shoes to phone systems), had honed my business skills. I applied these to “my” business—the business of being a professional entertainer. I attained this knowledge, along with some savvy, from the school of hard knocks, not from the halls of formal education. My way was to try a lot of different things; some worked, and some didn’t. This book is the cul- mination of all the things that did and do (if consistently applied) work.

Live Video Recording of the Podcast