When do you guys (and gals) think it's the best time to start lecturing. How do you know if you're ready. How can I get into the lecture market and become the next Michael Ammar?

How are you at public speaking and teaching? There is probably LOTS of room for good teachers.

When you have enough credibility.
If you don't have that yet, don't
expect to start packing in the
crowds.

Do you have anything to tell us that we can't find on our own? Do you have any insights into magic that other people don't have? Have you won a national or international trophy? Do you have really original material?

Do you have 20 years of experience working in a field that other magicians would like to get into? Have you managed to go from being a burger flipper at MacDonald's to being the busiest kid show performer in a major metropolitan city?

Do you have an easy way to do something that is usually very difficult?

Do you know how to communicate your information to other people?

In other words, do you have something different to teach us, and the ability to do so?

If you have to ask you're not ready.

Do you have something of interest to magicians? Do you currently perform effects or a program that others are interested in? And, can you present information in a lecture setting to share those very things?

If you do and can, I'd possibly consider preparing a future lecture.

Oh wait! Don't forget this part -

On 2005-10-10 18:37, Bill Palmer wrote:

Ask yourself, and of course do the research, to determine if what you offer is sought by anyone and what it's worth to others.

If you think I was kidding about the burger flipper -- go to a Tony Daniels lecture. That's exactly what he did. He did it in ONE YEAR!!!! He had a plan. He figured it out. He does school shows and birthday parties. He took the best ideas from everyone. Now he has a calendar that tells him what to do and when to do it.

I won't give anything away, but if I wanted to make a bundle in the magic business and I was 30 years younger, this is exactly what I would do.

8pm tends to work well.

It seems to me....

The best time to even think of starting to lecture is when you are asked to by people who know you well and have seen you develop over a period of years!

That's maybe ideal and a great way to avoid overestimating yourself.

Personally, I think there are already far too many out there doing lectures that should stay at home and watch television. BTW Jon 8:00 is fine as long as there is a cookie break halfway through.

Frank Tougas

Questions provided by the always well spoken Bill Palmer.
Answers provided by just some guy.

Q: Do you have anything to tell us that we can't find on our own?

A: The bathroom is hard to find you have to go down stairs make the first right than the second left continue through the kitchen down the hall and them make the second right look behind the aprons and that is where the bathroom is.

Q: Do you have any insights into magic that other people don't have?

A: No but I have a great collection of Cups and Balls.

Q: Have you won a national or international trophy?

A: Does the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Count?

Q: Do you have really original material?

A: Outside of the basic principles of magic (produce, vanish, etc.) no does anyone?

Q: Do you have 20 years of experience working in a field that other magicians would like to get into?

A: Yes I have found that many magicians would like to get into it with me.

Q: Have you managed to go from being a burger flipper at MacDonald's to being the busiest kid show performer in a major metropolitan city?

A: Nope I hate kids and since the outbreak of mad cow and now the chicken flu I stay away from meat.

Q: Do you have an easy way to do something that is usually very difficult?

A: Well I managed to make my wife’s mother smile last night does that count?

Q: Do you know how to communicate your information to other people?
A: Yes

Q: In other words, do you have something different to teach us, and the ability to do so?

A: Did I mention that I have a great collection of cups and balls.


Shaunproof,

Listen don’t let anyone get you down, if you have the desire to lecture why not contact your local IBM or SAM club and ask if you can give your lecture, make it a 30 – 40 min lecture and see how the local club members react.

Ask for feedback make an anonymous comment card and hand it out before you start. Take the comments and learn from them constructively. Try to get some lecturing experience under your belt even if you have to do it for free and see if you can sell your notes after the lecture to help make your expenses. Once you have a solid lecture that has been well received by more than just a few people who you know than worry about trying to take the magic world by storm and becoming the next Ammar. Remember Ammar did not become “Ammar” over night it took years and years for him to get to where he is today and from what I understand it was not an easy road.

As far as having 20 years of magic experience behind you and awards and credentials that will come in time but honestly it means very little. I have seen a ton of lectures by guys that are younger than me who probably don’t have 20 years in big boy pants that have blown me away so don’t let that discourage you. If you have something to offer than present it and see how it is received, the magic community and those who matter will let you know where you stand.

Good luck

Hey lighten up Pikacrd (Didn't you used to captain the Enterprise? - never mind, off subject). No one told the poster NOT to go into lecturing, they just gave their honest assessment about what THEY expect from a lecturer.

Yes it is true, a couple of days with Greater Magic and the ink jet dried on your business cards you can lecture. Will you get a crowd? THAT is another matter. If you are really looking to get into it I'd suggest doing some free lecturers at a local club meeting, IBM or SAM. Heck I've done a lecture of creativity in magic in that type of format. Of course they had to listen to a much younger me - I was local president at the time.

Do some teaching in order to get some real insight as to what people have as blocks to understanding what it is you are trying to convey.

Make it interesting and more real to all by adding some anecdotes and interesting stories about how you got to the conclusions your are espousing.

Have a DECENT set of lecture notes - something of real value.

Love what you are doing - don't just try and be famous, you can get famous by committing murder! Genuinely want your ideas to help further what others are trying to accomplish.

Be interested rather than trying to be interesting. People generally come to lectures for two reasons, to get some benefits they had not had before or for a social event. Make sure you can help out with both those agendas.

Just doing some neat tricks and then telling how they are done is NOT A LECTURE! Unfortunately so many lectures ARE just that.

Expect to work hard, fail, try again, fall on your face and try again. Determination and talent will prevail. Best of luck.


Oh...and don't forget that cookie break!

Frank Tougas

Frank: It's Pic a crd like Pick a Card not as in Capt Picacard.

I thought I was being Light.

By the way very good advice Frank.


Take care

Someone is a post said when other magicians start asking you about doing a lecture. I don't think that is really a good sign all the time either. I have had a couple of friends who are very good magicians ask me about me lecturing and I have more or less laughed in there face ( Not to be rude to them tho.) I just don't have anything to talk about or anything original to do. I don't think I have anything that would be worth while to lecture on. Have I thought about it? Sure but I am also smart enough to ask Myself a lot of things including the questions above to come up with the right ansewer. I would have no business doing a lecture.

Maybe the original poster does have a good reason to do one. But a lot of magicians don't so really think before you do.

I saw a "lecturette" in the middle of a lecture by a fairly well-known lecturer. The young man had a couple of semi-original coin moves, but nothing that really moved me. However, he mentioned that he had an original three cup routine, and he emphasized that it ONLY USED THREE BALLS!

So I asked him if he had realized that this was not really anything new -- Ken Brooke had such a routine that was published by Lewis Ganson in a couple of different places.

"Ken Who?"

He wasn't ready.

Was the "lecturette" extra - I'm guessing it was.


A.

The young man was unpaid. The lecturer was not paid to take a break at that point.

Shaunproof,

I've seen you do magic. You shouldn't lecture. You're too good for magicians to know about your stuff.

So how well do you think a lecture on performance and creativity but no tricks per se would go over?

I don't think it would go over very well. That's not a very good thought for me to have but I don't think it would. I myself could handle it, but I don't believe most of the members in our ring would like it. They want tricks baby, things that can be done with little or no sleight of hand preferably.

Michael Closes lecture comes close to this ideal. He limits the amount of tricks and goes heavy on theory etc. But even he realises, I'm sure, that people need something. Also if they are going to be selling tricks they almost have to demo them. Additionaly, it may be the only chance some folks get to see a "name" magician work in person and they want to see thier work, mostly because they are fans of the person.