Promoting your own act is a job that requires many hats. But hey, you’re already talented and creative. You can do this. Begin by establishing what kinds of venues where your act would work well. It is important not to limit yourself here. For every season there is a set of prime events or presenters where you may be just what they are looking for. Or maybe you’re not what they’re looking for but you COULD be.  Let’s say you’re an Abe Lincoln character. Obviously, schools are on the top of the list. But there are also libraries, historical museums, civil war re-enactments, political fundraisers, Black History Month, even cocktail parties. Think outside the box. Make note of what kinds of things you can add or change about your act in order to offer it to those different kinds of events. Abe could have a whole educational assembly, or he could offer a writing workshop. He could be a unique and fun character at a cocktail party. Consider whether you could pull off playing a guest “auctioneer” at a fundraiser, or strolling the crowd with some quick witted anecdotes that would entertain at adult gatherings. It all comes down to making the most of your marketability. Brainstorm every possibility no matter how unlikely. That is what will make your act easier to sell.

Now that you have a list of the kind of events and venues you can do, establish your geographical boundaries. Ask yourself how feasible it is to travel out of your metro area, your county, state or region. How long are you willing to be out on the road? How will travel costs need to affect your fees? More on that  later. Next, you need to build a mailing or contact list. Buying a mailing list is costly, not always necessary and not always a good idea anyway. The internet makes it very easy to search anything from festivals to museums to clubs. Stay within your touring area and start compiling those addresses.  The key to any marketing campaign is getting to the right person. You need to investigate who, in each type of venue, will be the one in charge of booking acts. For example, you do not want to send a flier addressed to “Central Elementary School” – as it will have a high chance of being tossed on a table in the faculty room if not just tossed out altogether. You want to have a tagline on top for the Librarian, or the Fourth Grade Teachers, or the PTA President.    Some schools, but not all, have a Cultural Arts committee that does the search for school assemblies.  For public events, it may be an Entertainment Director, Education Coordinator, or Family Stage Manager. Much of this can be determined with some internet research. The more specific you can be in the tagline, the more likely your materials will get into the right hands.

And now, a word about setting your fees. In my experience, people want to hear a flat-fee, all inclusive of any travel or lodging expenses. So it’s important that you have an idea before they call you, of the price differences you may have for various locations. The best way to quote someone your fee without regrets is to ask a lot of questions first. Find out the location, how many shows in what time span, audience size, and date flexibility. Don’t be afraid to tell them that you need to work up a quote and call them back. But don’t take too long to do that either. Or it could cost you the booking altogether.