Hey guys! I am looking for advice on how to launch my Lectures. I have written; "Magic In Your Hands" and I am currently working on "Magic and the Web". The problem is that I am a young magician compared to the others on the market. Im only in my early 20's and thecommon thought is "What can I learn from someone as young as that...?". Now I understand that this comes from many of us "Know it all youngsters" however I would like to think that I do not fall under this category.

How do I get around this and how do I go about getting lecture bookings?

Thanks for you help in advance...!

As much as it sounds like bad advice. Try doing a lecture for free to a local group. Invite some well known magicians to critique and write a review. Once you have endorsements/good reviews it is a lot easier. I am currently starting to do some lecturing and I have started out by lecturing to a club of Clowns Canada (similar to the IBM but for clowns in Canada).

Hey can you tell me what your lecture about magicia dn the web is all abouit pls.?

I might be able to help as I know the guy from the local magic club.

criss

Just like with anything you gotta start small.

Local magic clubs- are used to

1: Work out the kinks
2: Get feed back for selling in the future

You may want to get hold of Joshua Jay from Magic Magazine

He is young and did a lecture and it was fantastic- so he has "Been there done that" and may be able to offer advice on being young and doing lectures.

The magic and the web lecture sounds good. Maybe you could have lecture notes (or a CD Rom) containing classic posts from internet heroes eg. Craig Browning, Andy Leviss, JMT, BDC (for all the hepcats out there). I would certainly buy them.

Thank you guys for your commments. I will take all of them in to account.

Chris: I am still in the process of writing the lecture, however... The area's that I cover in it are...

What is the web? It is amazing how many people out there are unsure what actually happens on the web. The stuff it has on it etc...

Resources for Magicians! This topic covers such things as The Magic Café and Magicbunny. Sites like Allmagic.com, The Learned Pig and so on. How can we use these to benifit ourselves.

Auctions! Both Magical and Normal! A basic guide about how to use them, what to do and what not to do. An Idiots guide if you like!

How to use the web to promote yourself This is the topic that I'm currently writing. And funnily enough it is the biggest. As a web designer myself, I know the benifits that a well designed website can bring to a magician/entertainer. I talk what makes a good magic site, how to go about getting one made and most of all How to sell it!

Hidden Gems! This is promising to be my favourite section within the Lecture. This is a sort of sum up, sharing some of the little gems that I have found through out my own personal surf time.

What do you think guys? Is there anything major you think I might have missed?

Thanks again for all the advice!

Scotty

Hey scott the lecture sounds great and if you want when the lecture is finsihed thenlet me know and I will speak to my people.

I think its important for all magicians to embrace the information super internet.

Can you tell me who designed your website?

Criss

Cheers Chris much appreciated. The web-site has been built using my trusty hands! Part of the services that we offer at Magic-FX is Web and Graphics Design for specifically for magicians.

The lecture shouldn't take too long to finish, however I'm not sure how long it will be before I launch it. Feel free to pass on my details to your people just now. I presume that the earliest they will be looking for a lecturer will be sometime late next year. My deatils are on the site BTW!

If they get in touch with me then we can perhaps arange something!

Thanks Chris much appreciated.

The problem with such a lecture is that most guys who have been lecturing have been doing it for longer than you have been alive. Experience is really the only way to communicate credibility to many people. That is for your magic in your hands lecture. I feel you should possibly wait 20 years or so before even attemting to do it.

That being said the web being such a NEW thing, young is good and probably will sell well with your youth, BECAUSE older people are not percieved as being as good at the web as the younger generation. Indeed many older people shy away froma anything to do with the web at all. It is about perception and knowledge.

Because of the lack of experience you posess in magic itself, people may feel you have little to teach. This may be right or wrong, it dosn't matter, it is what they may percieve.

BUT the web being such a new thing NOBODY has 40 years experience in it and heck it changes daily so young and new is a great selling point! Go for the magic on the web as you audience will respect you more for your talent, and you will have a wider audience.

Good luck

I'm not quite sure what you're point was in that post there Danny, it kinda to'd and fro'd. However thanks for your input.
Experience is a big problem when it comes to many aspects of magic, not just the lecturing. People don't see past the early 20's yet its amazing how many of the so called older generation haven't been performing anywhere near as long as I have. I recently met someone who talked down to me like I had just bought my very first magic effect the day before. When I asked how long he had been performing he told me 8 years. that's 6 years less performing experience than myself.
Now I am not for one minute trying to claim that I am the be all and end all of magic, far from lets face it 14 years isn't long compared to some peoples experience in the art. I would go as far as to saying no-one ever reaches the status of "Ultimate Magician". This however is a completely different matter.
Thankyou for your comments danny and I agree, I think the youth could play a major part int he Magic and the Web selling stage. The point you raised about so many of the older generation shying away from the internet is one of the major inspirations behind the lecture.

Thanks again...

The reason the post was kind of round about is I didn't want you to think I was being disrespectfull. I was not and I think that you caught the point perfectly.

I should also say that 14 years of experience is a lot. But when most of that experience is actually pre-teen, how much experience is it really?

The fact of the matter is that most guys lecturing these days are not Michael Ammar or David Roth. Lets face it many of them don't even belong performing at all let alone telling anyone how to perform, and experience has nothing to do with that. If you don't fall into that catagory then more power to ya and good luck!

Thanks Danny, your comments are much appreciated. Unfortunately I know just a little too many that don't belong performing LOL!

Thanks Again!

Scotty

How come your web site doesn't have any pictures of YOU.

If you are going to lecture to people about Marketing on the web- perhaps an image or two of you would help.

Also what do your clients say about your past performances- This is basic marketing which your web site is simply not doing.

what is your marketing history or education?

as a magician are you working full time or are you struggling for work.

tell us more about you

There is a picture of myself, Its not much however it is a start. The website, is still a work in progress. I will hopefully be able to upload some more pics in the near future. Keep watching this space...So to speak!
I think the references to clients is an amateur mistake when it comes to web design and marketing. It reminds me of these bloomin JMLC or Insurance adverts on T.V.

"...Mrs Smiths say's... This is a truly great service. I made £3,000 in the first month!"

At the end of the day I could make these up and no-one would be any the wiser. And people know this. So why bother?

Our website is not a marketing wonderkey, I know this. I am working on improving the site. This is in between the million and two other things I have going on right now. I was nieve enough to believe an internet business once set-up would be practical self working. Oh boy have I found different.

I'm not a full time magician, however I also do not struggle for work. Besides probably not a good idea to Head the site with "...Hire me as your magician as I can't get work elsewhere."

Your inputs are greatly received Icentertainment. Thankyou!

A quick update on how the lecture is coming along... Very well! The interest that has been shown on the Café has been great and has really spurred me on to progress with the writing. Thanks guys! I'm hoping to have it drafted by the end of the weekend. From here I will then begin refining it and learning the points inside out.

I am still looking for societies who might be interested in the lecture perhaps for next year or the year after. Meanwhile I'm looking closer to home for a chance to launch the lecture and get comfortable in the position. Some of you experienced guys can be quite daunting to us youngsters.

Anyway thanks to everyone who has posted so far, you comments are all being noted and taken in to consideration. But please keep them coming, the more information you can cram into my pretty little skull the more likely I am to succeed.

Scotty

You have it wrong about testimonials

Writtten testimonials are very powerful not from Mr smith but from companies and with actuals names and contact details ie their letter heads so you can check up.

It's like a referee when going for a normal job like past employees

check out
http://www.icentertainment.com/Ovationstestimonial.htm
and
http://www.icentertainment.com/SpeakersTestimonial.htm

They include the name company and contact details so you can check up on me.
That is what a testimonials is.

As for your web site not being a Marketing wonderkey-IT SHOULD BE if you are lecturing on Web Marketing- You should be an expert on the topic- You should have a killer web site, not flashy or anything but some decent sales on it which you do not.

I just read your home pages keywords they are

"Magic Build Site Magician Banner Design eBook"

You don't even have commas separating the words.

I didi a google search on Scott Wilson, Magician and scott wilson Marketing
I'm sorry maby others on this web site are going to be polite but seriously as a Full time Corporate Magician- I don't think you know much about web marketing


I even typed in Magic FX into google and got http://home.acadia.net/userpages/cviolette/

is this you???


If you want to lecture you gotta be good at what you lecture about

designing web sites for other magician- show links to these magicians- I can do web design although I don't activly sell it- I do it for friends

check out

http://www.symbology-deck.com
http://www.zarbomagic.com.au/
http://www.animalmagic.net.au

not I'm not saying I'm any good but I do have proof that I can do it-
you don't

As a new member of the Café, I really hope that not everyone in here is as much of an ass when it comes to giving advice.

Okay so you didn't find me on google, well try typing my actual name, lol and you might find me. I doubt it however but you never know!

This thread was supposed to be so people could help me with lecturing and so I could learn. Not for someone to come on a slag off my web design skills.

We don't all have every minute of every day to get things up and running in a week. I have a life! Magic-FX is a side line to that. We are a new company, who are slowly trying to find our feet. If you have something that is constructive then please by all means come forward and speak up I'd love to hear what you have to say, however do not come on here and try to hit me where it hurts..."My Web Design Skills"

I'm a 20 year old, I still have a lot to learn about many things. Why do you think I am on so many forums like The Café????

However I know that so far our company has brought in more than many companies of this type in their first few months. We can't ask for more than that.

Now I understand our site needs a lot of work, and I usnderstand there are many teething problems. Each one of these is being fixed and will be sorted through time.

Your opinon about testimonials is just that. Its an opinion. I like nutella straight from the jar, with my fingers. Do you? chances are you don't. But does it matter? NO! Why? Because it's me and one my likes, NOT yours.

Now on to a point which to say the least has P*SS*D me off alot! How dare you insult other magicians who have chosen to market their products through the Magic-FX site. How can you honestly sit there and claim that books from people like Peter Duffie are not good sales! Read the bloomin reviews he gets man! If my site doesn't stand up to your expectations then Im very sorry. But until you have a career under your belt half as good as Peter Duffie's, Peter Marucci's or Mike Wild for that matter, it would be wise to sit back and take note from these guys. These are fellow magicians for god sake! What gives you the right ot slag off their work in the manner you just did? Have you written a book that sells any where near as many copies as any of Peter Duffies? I very highly doubt it.

You don't have to like Magic-FX, for that matter no-one does! I do and the people who buy our products do and If they are happy then so are we.

We will be updating the site and improving our marketing. and just for your information...I'm never wrong! ;p I might wander from the correct path from time to time but that's not the point

Cheers for reading guys....

Scotty

To be honest I think I prefer Magic-Fx's website to any of icentertainment's site.

Gotta say Scott, I don't see too much wrong with what he said. To get me to go out and spend money to watch someone lecture, I want to see that he does something really well.

Your website does for instance look better than mine, but if for instance you put "Magician Mallorca" into google, You get pointed to my site at number 2 and 3. I've tried "Magician Newquay" and Magician Cornwall, and I can't see you anywhere. My point. If someone wants to book a magician in my area, they will at least get to find out about me from the web which would seem to be one of the ideas of having a site, I can't say the same about you. I would like to think that someone doing a lecture would be demonstrably much better than me in the area they're lecturing in.

I don't see anything in the guy's post mentioning either of the two Peters. (Though it coukld have been edited.)

I think I've mentioned before, If you are lecturing, "Not struggling for work," really isn't going to make me rush out on a cold night. How much are you working?

Seriously , you seem to know where you want to get to in magic, and I admire that, but I think you need to give more thought about what you have to sell. Most good lecturers are either longtime pros, or at least getting lots of recognition for their work. Not knocking you, but what have you done, how well have you done it, and how do I know?

Andy

Thanks Mr Nutkins and Thanks Andy.

What is the big deal with Google etc... just now? Everyone keeps looking for the site on it. I'll let you into a little secret. It's not on it. The site hasn't been added to any search engines at the moment. Does this hurt the marketing of the site? Probably. Do I care at the moment? NO! I don't feel the site is ready for full blown advertising. I will not waste money on something that is not yet worthy of it. As already pointed out by icentertainments in his infinite wisdom there are still many teething problems with it.

Go and look at any lecturers site, how many of them tell you exactly how much they work? This is not important. At the end of the day what makes a lecture sell? A good lecture. How do we know if a lecture is good or not? By going and seeing it. or by Hear Say.

Anyway thanks for the points that you have raised in your post Andy. Much appreciated.

Scotty

P.s. since when has Mallorca had Cold Nights?

Hey guys, lay off Scotty. He knows what he is talking about. He is like a UK version of Ryan Oakes. If Scotty lectures I'll be there. If he releases an ebook I would DL it and have a look. Lee Asher invented the Asher Twist before he was 16. Guy Hollingworth was doing the Reformation on World's Greatest Magic when he was younger than Scotty. Give the young more credit guys. Truth for youth.