Many magicians feel that a young performer should begin with as many free shows as possible, in order to gain experience in front of an audience, and the professionalism that they will require later on in life as (possible) full time professionals. This isn't a bad idea overall, but where does one draw the line? When do you reach the point of being ready to accept money for your show? When we older magicians frequently hand out advice we seem to deal with what we perceive to be the facts. Or, perhaps a better statement would be that we assume what the facts are. For some reason when we get older the tendency is to think that we know more, have more experience and that we are more well rounded than our younger counterparts in magic. In many cases these facts might hold true, but I don't feel (personally) that they should be assumed.

I began doing paid performances at the age of fourteen. At fifteen I was performing for one the largest orthopedic manufacturers in the world. Now, this company didn't hire me because they wanted to help out a budding magician with his magic career, they hired me because they had heard I was an enigma. I was a wonder-kid who could baffle and entertain adults with wondrous feats of magic.

Another example is Joshua Jay, a seventeen-year-old enigma. I'm sure that many of you have heard or read the name somewhere before. Joshua is a performer, a lecturer and now an author. He exhibits knowledge, professionalism and abilities that are far beyond his years. Or, is it that we assume these abilities are beyond his years? Are you starting to understand? (Note: You will definitely hear more from Joshua in the future.)

A further example is Ashford Kneitel, a fourteen-year-old fellow member of the electronic International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 2100. I don't think that you could find too many long time card workers that have absorbed as much in-depth information as Ashford. His knowledge of magic is truly astounding. And I don't even have to see Ashford perform to know that it would be a special experience. Your mind couldn't contain that kind of knowledge without some of it rubbing off on your performance. (Note: Ashford will be appearing on Lance Burton's upcoming TV special for young magicians.)

The point I am trying to make here is that there is nothing wrong with a young performer earning a reasonable fee for his performance. If their performance is lacking, they will more than likely have a dry spell between shows. But this will undoubtedly be a very valuable experience for them. In order to cross the river you have to get your feet wet. You can't assume that there will always be a boat handy for you to use. And as for the occasional bad performance hurting us other magicians, I don't fully agree with that either. I believe that anyone having a good solid show will always have performances to do. Even I have heard the occasional horror story from a client concerning a past magician's gruesome performance. But, believe it or not, they still hire me. Why? Because of the letters of recommendation, references and word of mouth advertising that my performances bring about. Just simply having a good show that people will talk about can overcome any obstacle of a past magician's debacle.

Being paid for a performance has multiple benefits for the young performer.

1. It gives them a sense of accomplishment.
2. It will create the desire to produce a better show, in order to receive more bookings, which in turn creates more income.
3. The money gives them the ability to improve their show by purchasing new effects, books and DVDs.
4. And most importantly, it builds their self-esteem.

It is my humble opinion that the benefits of a paid performance far outweigh those of an unpaid performance. After all, maybe these young performers are spending three or four hours a night honing their skills, where some of us older performers spend two, or less? I see nothing wrong with receiving compensation for hard work.

Now for the question, "What should I charge?" Before I give my opinion on that, I'll need to give you the criteria for actually charging a fee for your performance.

The first and foremost thought on your mind should be, whom am I going to perform for? You need to decide on the people you want to perform for, is it kids, adults, church groups or …? Have a target audience in mind, and then design your show around that particular group. Some tricks (or routines) might look good in front of ten people, but they might not look so good in front of twenty. Make sure that the material you choose will cover the size (and type) of audience you are going to perform for. Besides the size of the audience, take into consideration how close they will be sitting to you. And also, will they be sitting in front of you, or, will there more than likely be some sitting on your right and left sides? Angles can play an important part in the success of your show. Remember that you need to work hard to become an accomplished performer. Work on every trick and routine until you can perform them without thinking. When you've reached that point, then and only then, are you ready to show an audience and charge a fee. Don't go out and buy an effect, practice it twice and then show it to someone. It's not possible to have the simplest of routines ready that fast, no matter how well you think you perform it. When you choose an effect for your show, imagine yourself sitting in the audience watching. Do you like it now? Would it impress you? Keep all of these things in mind as you develop your show.

Another important point you should keep in mind is audience participation. Make sure that you include your audience in your performance. Use spectators whenever and wherever you can. And remember that you are performing for an audience, and not too an audience. Making an audience feel like they are an important part of your performance will go a long way in developing a reputation as an entertainer. Finally, the most important point I would like all of you young magicians to remember is, if you charge $30 for a show - give them $45 worth of entertainment. Always leave them wanting more, and always give them more than they expect. If you follow this simple advice you'll find your magic career jumping ahead by leaps and bounds.

As for the main question of this article, "What should a beginning magician charge?" This is a tough question, and the answer will vary according to your location and the type of performance you are doing. For example, we'll say that your show is thirty minutes long. If it is a birthday party in a Midwestern rural district I'd probably start out at $30. If you're located in a big city on either coast I'd probably go with $50 to start with. But, you must remember that these figures are only accurate if you have a good show that is polished and ready to be viewed by an audience.

If you are performing your show for (let's say) a company or corporation the fee should be more than what you charge for a birthday party show. Your pricing should be based on common sense. A company can of course afford (and expect) to pay more than a private individual, so remember to keep that in mind. A good way to figure your pricing is to ask people about it. Don't ask a family member, because you will more than likely hear the answer you want. Instead, ask an adult that you know if they think your show would be worth a certain amount of money, and see what they say. You might be surprised at the answers you receive. Even I used this particular method of setting prices when I first began performing, and I had a lot of success with it.

I hope that some of the young magicians who read this article will find it useful, and take advantage of the information contained within. Getting started is always the hardest part of any journey you undertake. Just remember to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and before too long you'll be walking the path of a successful professional entertainer.