Magicians, like all other living beings, must eat. Perhaps it does seem rather strange to the layman that the Magician can not conjure his money out of space a la "Miser's Dream," but alas, we all know only too well that if we want to get money we have to go out and work for it. It is my purpose to try and help those who are interested in turning their magical ability into dollars and cents.
From the commercial point of view, Magicians are divided into three parts. First there are those who depend entirely on Magic. It is their life work and profession. They are the PROFESSIONALS. At the other end of Magic we meet those whose interest in Magic is purely for the love of the Art. Magic is their hobby. They never perform for a fee. Their compensation is derived by seeing their audience enjoy themselves. They may be collectors of apparatus or books, but they never receive any money from Magic. These people are the AMATEURS. Half way between these two classes, we find the largest class of all, those who accept compensation for their performances - when they can get it, but do not entirely depend upon these little pick-ups for a living. They are known as the SEMI-PROFESSIONALS. It is for the benefit of the American Semi-Professional class that I am writing and it is to this class that I myself belong.
The Semi-Professional class includes perhaps the large majority of those interested in Magic. They are ever searching for opportunities to secure "dates." This is the point that I intend to discuss. How can these dates be secured? What should be done and what is the best way to do it? These are the problems of those in the Semi-Professional class, and if my remarks in any way aid them, I will have accomplished my purpose.