Book the Gig

Registration is now open and we are on a roll. How to Book Gigs & Tour Profitably is the premiere system for success for performers that turns the tables in your favor by showing you how to book better gigs on your own and get in front of an audience who appreciates your music...all without waiting to be discovered!  How to Book Gigs and Tour Profitably is a system for touring success that you access online...takes only 8 weeks...and it's the only solution that allows you to effortlessly manage your time and focus on what will make YOU a successful touring musician without wasting time on things that just don't matter! …

Did you know that Thanksgiving is the best Gig weekend of the year to perform? Here in the U.S. Thanksgiving is just a week away. I remind you of this every year.   Meanwhile, I hope that wherever your holiday travels take you, you end up enjoying the friends and family that surround you. Now, speaking of being surrounded by friends and family, did you know that Thanksgiving weekend, Friday and Saturday are probably the best days of the entire year to do concerts? Think about it. Everyone travels during the week to get somewhere where they will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Even if you are staying home, then other people…

How Many Gigs Do Your Really Need? Did you ever consider exactly how many gigs you really need? I ask my artist clients this all-important question and wow it is an eye-opener! Most artists operate under the presumption that they have to play all the time and if they are not, there must be something very wrong with how they do their booking. I’ve devised a simple exercise that can help put you on track to booking and playing the exact right number of gigs for your situation. When you do this exercise, you can watch stress and overwhelm just slip away and experience confidence and feel motivated to book…

Whether you are ready to book your first gig or just need to fill in a few dates, booking those gigs can be challenging. If you are just getting started, you probably don’t have many or any fans on a mailing list or social media. So how the heck do you get a crowd to buy tickets to your show? And, if you need to fill a fast date with little or no lead time to round out a tour or just put something on the calendar for an off time, you don’t want to be phoning up venues who you know are probably already booked. So frustrating and such…

As the holiday’s approach I thought I would review some Gig-Booking Tips for the holidays to get some last-minute holiday gigs. This is where referrals from friends, family and business associates can come in handy. Concentrate on contacting people you know and with whom you do business, such as friends and family and their places of business or their affiliate organizations. Ask them if their office intends on having any holiday events or parties where they might need some entertainment. Ask for a contact referral to the party coordinator and make your pitch using your contact’s name. Also, Check with those on your local mailing list and suggest to some…

Deposits a down payment on your gig may be an unusual part of your business model. But, if you are making $500 or more at a gig, then you should be asking for a deposit. When you ask for a deposit, you are asking the venue to make a commitment on your gig. When they have money invested up front, it is more likely that they will do more to make the gig a success. A deposit is a percentage of the total guarantee. Normally the deposit would be 50% of the guarantee, but it doesn’t have to be. You may decide on any percentage that works for you and…

Now that you are thinking about taking deposits, here are 5 important facts about taking deposits, how they work and some legal requirements to keep you financially secure. Your contract clause: Add a clause to your contract that states the exact amount of the deposit and who it should be made out to. I always like to specify that the deposit is due with the returned contract and the date they are both due back. Make this date no more than 14 days from the date you sent the contract. That’s plenty of time for them to receive it, review it, sign it and make out a check and send…

It is the perfect time for booking college gigs for fall. It’s true that many of the students won’t be on campus right now, but in a week or two, they start returning. Meanwhile, it is likely that the student activities adviser or director of student affairs is probably around getting things ready for the student’s return. So now is the perfect time to connect with the student activities adviser, get their contact info and perhaps begin discussing some early college gigs for fall events for the returning students. Sometimes, this is booked before students leave in the spring and other times it may be booked by students who remain…

I hate cold calls! How about you? If you read any books on selling, you might come away with the impression that the higher number of calls you make equals a certain percentage of sales. Make 100 calls you might, I said might, get 1 or 2 % in actual sales. That's why I hate cold calls. I don't like those odds. I liked one-to-one odds better, one call, one email, one promo packet sent, get one gig. When you use long lists, probably from directories or purchased databases, it’s likely that don't know many, or any, of those people on the lists. Your chances of selling yourself, your act,…