I do street magic and I consider myself an entertainer. Any suggestions on career strategy "where to go next"? Should I get into restaurant work, find an agent or what? I am not tied down to any one location.

The fact that you consider yourself an entertainer first is a good step. Your next career step would depend upon whether you want to focus on entertaining families, children or adults.

If your focus is on families, fairs and festivals are next; if you focus on children, libraries and community centers and schools are the next logical step. If your focus is on adults, comedy clubs and colleges would be the next step up the career ladder.

Of course, you could also continue working the streets by getting a gig as an outdoor street performer at an amusement park, then work your way inside to perform on one of the stages. There are many possibilities open to you right now. It all depends upon your own values and vision.

Hi Flooglestreet. I had to laugh when you said, "I am not tied down to any one location." That is why you are a street performer!

Street performing is one of the best training grounds I know of for a magician.
It is not easy, it takes a lot of self-motivation. You "get good"...or starve.

Jim Snack's advice would work well for you.

The experience you learn on the streets will translate to other work once you establish yourself and make yourself available for bookings. A restaurant would do you well.

For me it was easy since I ended up working as a street performer within a festival market place in a large city which would support the beginning of my magic career.

So determine where you are going to base yourself. Position yourself within that city as the resident street performer and then start passing out business cards. Invite the talent agencies down to see your show. If you are good you will start getting the bookings. But you will have to create a regular base location to work from. This way people will know how to find you.

Do you have a city in which you base yourself? Have you been able to get newspaper coverage? Or TV? Have you made copies for your promotional package?

Create your strategy, work it, and it will give you what you want. I know I have done it.

Steve Hart
Cape Canaveral, FL USA

I think a resturant is a great place to start! I work in the local Applebees and it has been a great opportunity for me to book other events. I hand out a ton of business cards. They have been very easy to work for and I make pretty good money to boot. It worked for me! Let us know what you decide to do. Best of luck,

Keith

I've been into magic now for about 7 1/2 years and was wondering the same thing. I've done a bit of everything. I'd really like to get into the business but not sure where to begin. I've recently joined SAM in my area but I have not really got any help on this which is funny becuase that's why I joined the SAM. I have quite a few restaurants in my area and I would love to work in one of them. How would I go about approching them? Even accepting to work in a restaurant, is there certain ones I should stay away from. I guess what I'm asking is can someone give the low down on working restaurants?

Purpulhaze,

SAM is a wonderful fraternal organization, but it is not the best place to go to learn about the business of magic since most of the members are amateurs. Join SAM for other reasons and get your business education elsewhere.

Take a look at http://www.success-in-magic.com for several free articles on the business of magic and sign up for my email e newsletter. There will be something on working restaurants next month.

If you're enjoying the street and making good money, why would you ever want to leave?

Robert Bloor

Street is a place that doesn't mean really good money. At least here in Chicago the permit issues make it almost not worth the time. But it is a good place to hone your skills. The moment you walk up to someone and ask if they are interested in seeing something, they will naturaly put up their defenses. This makes performing street magic very difficult. But if you get good at it there, you can make people who specificly come to you to be entertained all that more compfortable and get a handle on lowering the defenses. That is the toughest skill to master and can not be learned in a book or a video. Get good at working the streets, and you have a great foundation to work the bigger venues. Good job and good luck!

That approach would only be for amateurs.

You'll starve like that.

Learn to do circle shows.

Robert Bloor

The first I would do is to seperate busking from professional shows as much as possible.

People do not want to pay someone hundreds of dollars if they can see them on the street for 'free'.

I know performers who have failed to enter the corporate scene because people recognise them from their street days!

Nicholas is right about being careful where you are seen. When I entered the corporate arena I had to limit my visibility doing family shows. It all comes down to public perception and image.

Cafés and restaurants - they are all yours!

You don't need manager, just go and ask from place oners. Together you make up great plans . that's how I started!