talkmagic.co.uk

Just thought I'd ask for a bit of input from you guys and gals...

I currently promote myself as a close-up magician who also does palm and tarot readings. However at all events I work at it is the "readings" that everybody is interested in. Case in point, last night working at a 40th birthday party I walked through the door, an old dear asked if I did palm readings, and that was it - 2 hours solid of palm and tarot readings. I even forced a bit of card tomfoolery on a spec just to give myself a break.

So my question is, should I change my promotion from magician who also does readings to "entertaining palm reader and fortune teller with a smattering of magic"??? Or should I just leave things as they are with the mindset of "if it ain't broke don't fix it"?

My main concern is scaring my beloved pink and fluffy wedding reception work away by appearing a bit too weird. But then by promoting the readings as the main part of my performance (which they are) I may attract more work, particularly in the corporate sector?

Unsure. Thoughts?

Have a go at a short term change of angle, for example a small run of cards that promotes you as a 'psychic entertainer' or whatever you'd like to be known as and see how it goes. If your reading stuff is more requested and powerful than your close-up then perhaps that's the best commercial approach for you. The only way you'll find out for sure is by trying it out.

why not just state the difference?

For those of you who wish - i can entertain you with the power of my mind with cards and devilry...

or for those who wish a more esoteric evening of entertainment - i offer the palm and the tarot...

Promote on as many levels as you can. Obviously we don't know each other so I'm not sure how you are promoting yourself, and obviously if you are happy with the way things are going then I'm of the, 'if it ain't broke..." But then the question becomes how can you make it better. Don't be afraid to promote in different ways for different sorts of clients.

I understand if you are doing psychic readings then you may not want to advertize as a magician. I do see the issue there, unless you are stating for entertainment purposes only. But again I want to clarify for all the psychics here that I understand a problem in advertising as a magician and psychic.

However I am friends with an ENTERTAINER who advertises the whole deal from bizzare type magic, to kids magic, clowing, juggling ballon artistry, walk around, conventions etc. He doesn't put it all on one flyer or business card, he doesn't try to promote his 'Zany Zach' character to weddings etc. Nor does he waste his clients time by adding everything he does to all his promotional material, he picks who gets what and there just may be times when he wants a client to know his full scope, He plays that by ear. He never hides the fact that he is a serious magician and a clown but he also doesn't promote it when it is not necessary. He is very successful has a wife two children and is able to support his family.

Just some food for thought.

Perhaps a good litmus test might be to carry two sets of business cards - one for the magician and one for the psychic.

Guests at a party don't know which hat you were wearing when the host booked you, so you can easily hand them the card that best matches their particular interests.

That way you're not distancing yourself from anyone, but putting the right face forward each time someone takes an interest.

Maybe when somebody wants to book you, ask them if they would perform tarot readings or close up magic. Whichever they prefer, stick to that for the night, even if someone asks you to do a card reading or magic trick.

themagicwand wrote:- 2 hours solid of palm and tarot readings. I even forced a bit of card tomfoolery on a spec just to give myself a break.

So my question is, should I change my promotion from magician who also does readings to "entertaining palm reader and fortune teller with a smattering of magic"??? Or should I just leave things as they are with the mindset of "if it ain't broke don't fix it

Unsure. Thoughts?

Hello TheMagicWand,

Magic needs to be fun, wonderful, and, in a word, magical. So, I think you need to do what you love and not worry about what the audience wants. If you try to please them, you are not fully being yourself and thus your own sense of magic is slightly diminished. On the other hand, by being yourself fully and totally embracing what you love, the audience will love you no matter what you do because they'll sense your energy.

Based on the way you said that you needed to give yourself a break from tarot reading and palm reading implies that perhaps these arts to you are "magic tricks," and not possilby not 100% truly real magic for you? For the readers out there who do embrace such arts with total duende, and you may be one of course, such things are not tiring for they offer a gift to be shared with others. It would seem that it is only when or if we saw such acts as merely acts that they would be tiring.

Thus, it appears, based on what you said, that your heart may be into tarot but not 100%, so, if instead your love lies with magic, then do the close up that you so love and be the best at that which you can be for in doing that, you will find true art and with that, oh my gosh, nothing compares.

The bottom line. Just be yourself. Do not hide behind a mask like we all tend to do but instead, live fully in the moment for in that is great power.

Love,

Amanda Angeli

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful and articulate replies.

I do have this internal dilema with myself about once every two months - to become a full time reader and drop the "magic" or not? This is purely because 75% of all I perform at any kind of event is readings. And I do care passionately about readings - it's my "thing". However I have again reached the conclusion that by dropping the close-up magic from my repertoire I would be cutting off my nose to spite my face. It now seems ridiculous of me to cut off any noses or indeed "revenue streams" (as we high powered entertainers say).

Another point I've re-discovered is that the general public have a very broad understanding of what magic is. I find that the average spec will not bat an eyelid when I switch from card "tricks" to swami work to tarot readings - to them it's all "magic". Ask them what Derren Brown, Derek Acorah, and Paul Daniels do for a living, they'll say "They're all a bit weird and do magic and stuff" or similar. They really don't draw the same lines that we who live in the world of magic and mentalism do.

So my decision is - if it ain't broke don't fix it. I for one am very happy to be able to make a living from being "a bit weird and doing magic and stuff".

Hello Paul,

Oh compadre, I am very happy for you that you have made your decision. It certainly feels like the right one, you know.

I think that is truly wonderful that you do readings and such, but golly, well, magic is in you and I'd so hate to see you let that part of yourself go. When we first met back in June or whenever it was, it was your magic that I felt was so beautiful. And, well, even your name, themagicwand says it all. Okay, I also thought of you as the sweet kind older uncle sort because of your avatar. I've always thought of you in that image, by the way, as Gomez.

Thinking of you as a psychic is great, but thinking of you as a psychic magician, well, that just makes me all squishy (that's what my friends call it at any rate). Okay, I know, I'm silly that way but still, I think you have so many gifts to offer your audiences and all of us too and this is one surfer girl who is so happy you are going to practice both of your arts.

Interestingly enough, as you know I'm sure, when you fully embrace your psychic art with no doubt your skill will leap in new directions. Find the psychic part of magic within yourself and then you'll be able to do both anywhere anytime.

Love,

Amanda Angeli

Dearie me. It appears that I had better come to the rescue. This is how you do both and you will have an edge over any other close up magician and not only that will get far more money than they do.

When they call you up suggest this scenario. It will keep you there longer and you will be far more popular and make far more money.

First for around an hour you do nothing but close up magic in a walkaround style. Now you have a little break. AFter the break if there is some sort of stage and a cabaret act is appropriate do a 20 minute stand up act with magic or mentalism-it really makes no difference-do what you want to do. Now near the end of your cabaret act you tell the audience that you will be setting up a little table in a quiet corner after the show and anyone that wants a brief reading can queue up and get one. Just do short readings otherwise you will be there all night. 5 minutes at the most unless there is a paucity of punters which I am sure there won't be.

You will find that the readings will be the most important part of the evenings for everyone and you will be talked about all over the place. Give out your card to everyone that has a reading and tell them that you can do either a magic show or a more detailed reading for them privately.

If there is no stage and a stand up act is not appropropriate just tell the little groups of people that you do close up to that later you will be doing palm readings. You will see great interest from them immediately. When you start your palm readings a queue will already have formed.

If you still have a long line at the end of the evening when you are supposed to be finished you can possibly negotiate more money if they want you to continue. Just sneak away for a few minutes to discuss it with the person that booked you.

This is a very successful format that I have done a number of times. Don't forget to ask double what your competitors would charge. You will be there longer than them and will be a much bigger hit than them. If a close up magician can't read palms they won't be able to compete with you.

Thanks for your kind words Amanda.

Mark - sound advice as always. I really do find that having the palm and the tarot at my disposal (and now graphology ) really does give me an added depth that other close-up guys can't compete with. Not blowing my own trumpet here - it's just the way it is.

I was working at an event where I'd been booked along with a more "traditional" magician. Half way through the evening there was a lull in proceedings while there were speeches. I went over and introduced myself to my fellow magi. He was keen to show me his floating £20 routine, and proceeded to perform the effect at the buffet table where half a dozen people were filling their plates. Nobody reacted except for one guy who looked at the magician like he was an idiot and rolled his eyes.

"You see?" said the magician. "Terrible crowd. Most places, that would have caused a riot, but not here."

An hour later while I was busy reading palms, the magician came over to me to say he was leaving as he'd only been booked for a couple of hours. I had too, but there was no way I could escape. When I spoke to the event organiser, she wasn't impressed with the other magician (who technically blew me out of the water with his sleights) but wanted me to carry on working at their after event party at a local wine bar.

My message (if there is when in this long and winding post) - if you want to really blow them away and be remembered, do them a reading.

it sounds to me as if you've got your act working a treat, you made the organiser happy so what more could you do? Sounds to me like you've hit a balance that not many people ever do and it's working well.

I get the impression of you as a very flexable magician and able switch and change what you perform to suit the audience. I think that is a very important skill and the whole reason why I like to learn as wide a range of magic as possible. And it's obviously a skill that Mr Floating £20 Note Man hasn't mastered.

Keep doing what you're doing, I've always thought that your style sounded very interesting, don't you dare change it

Why thank you Lady of Mystery.