What separates the Professional and Amateur?

[Dayton76]

Hello this is my fist post and I hope to catch the attention of some of the more known magicians with this question. What I want to know is how can a magician, that is not known, market an effect the same way as some of the more known magicians?

I guess what is bothering me right now, is I have been doing magic for about 7 or 8 years now. I am lucky to have a job that is able to support my magic addiction..lol. But, over the years I have purchased videos and books from magicians that have marketed an effect that is just re-vamped from an old idea. I am talking about the effects where the handlings are the same and maybe the only changes were in the patter or in one move or sleight. And a lot of magicians are making a killing financially off of doing this, because they have a "NAME". I understand that magic is all about change and coming up with new ideas. But how can the rest of us, that dont have a "name" make some money off of our ideas. It seems like the same magicians/ mentalists have been cornering the market for years..lol. Dont get me wrong, I am not here trying to talk trash about any of the magicians that we all love. But, I am sure that there are a lot of magicians out there that have great ideas that just dont have the same opportunities to show off their stuff to the world and make some money from it. Unless they put it up on a little video streamer or something like that. But no DOUGH..lol!

So, how can Joe Blow, make a few dollars off of his ideas.. and put it out before the other magicians can put it out and say that they been doing the same effect for the past 20 years?

 

[Deechristopher]

The best thing to do is approach magic producers and retailers. I got in contact with a company here in the UK who have now released my first effect and my first book is to be released in a few weeks.

Once you have one or two tricks out it's much easier to talk to other companies and get the stuff out world wide. I'm currently working with a bigger company from the US at the moment on a new release, It's just a case of having the confidence to go out there and pitch your ideas.

hope that helped!

D.

 

[Shodan]

I think you're missing the point. Magicians get well known in the magical community by being, first and foremost, good magicians. This has nothing to do with being a "professional" - paid performer - at all. If you turn up to conventions, blow people away with your original tricks, get them interested...then you'll be in a position to make some money selling your secrets.

You're not going to get very far selling your ideas if no one knows who you are. Think about it...if you're completely unknown outside of your trick being sold on a website somewhere, then there's no reason to buy that trick. We're all used to being screwed over by crappy products. If your trick appears on a website somewhere with a list of endorsements by well known magicians, then you're in much better shape.

 

[CDarklock]

What I want to know is how can a magician, that is not known, market an effect the same way as some of the more known magicians?

By spending a lot of money.

Marketing anything is just a matter of appearance. You can just go out and spend a lot of money producing a high-quality package, and it will look just like every other effect on the shelf.

Put enough packages out, and you'll become known. Your picture is on twelve different products; you must be somebody important.