Professional Magic For Amateurs

Written for the amateur magician, this illustrated guide offers 50 easy, effective, and well-known tricks that are used by professionals: cards, handkerchiefs, mental magic, and more. The author includes an overview for each trick, shows how the act appears to the audience, and details both the mechanisms and the presentation. 63 illustrations.

Basic text on modern card conjuring describes for specialists and amateurs alike exact methods for perfecting the Instant Reverse, Three Queens Monte, The Ambitious Card, and many other sleights of hand. Also includes advice on manipulation, the art of presentation, audience participation, use of patter, and much else.

"The best book yet on easy-to-do magic." — Martin Gardner Amaze friends, astonish your family, and fascinate any audience by infallibly dealing a royal flush, correctly predicting the outcome of the World Series, unmasking a psychic fraud, and performing a host of other dazzling deceptions. You can do it with the help of this book, one of the best guides to magic tricks that don't require long hours of practice or elaborate preparation. You'll find invaluable techniques — clearly demonstrated with abundant illustrations — for accomplishing magical feats with cards, coins, rope, comedy magic, mental displays of dexterity and much more, as well as expert advice for practicing psychological misdirection and dramatic presentation. Although the tricks in this book require little in the way of props, sleight of hand or a high degree of skill, the effects they produce are astounding. Novices especially will find Big Book of Magic Tricks a wonderful introduction to the art of conjuring but the book is crammed with so much choice new information that even professional magicians can learn something. "This book is quality — the tricks are effective, the methods ingenious, and the advice Fulves gives on presenting the tricks properly is excellent." — Robert Dike Blair

Demonstrates sleight of hand and other magic tricks, and includes tips on performing before children and television cameras.

Noted magician and magic authority offers 72 tricks that work automatically through nature of card deck. No sleight of hand needed. Often spectacular. 42 illustrations.

Over the years, many books have been written on the topics of business and marketing for magicians, covering everything from restaurant magic to cruise ships to trade shows and more. Many of these books are excellent resources for a professional magician seeking to expand their business. So far, however, no book has ever been written on the hardest part of performing magic for a living: getting started. How to Become a Professional Magician is the first book of its kind: a complete guidebook for making the transition from an amateur to a working professional, step by step, with absolutely nothing left out. Most books on the business of magic simply tell you what to do if you're already a professional magician. They assume that you already have marketing materials, a professional repertoire, a list of clients, a solid foundation of real-world performing experience, and all the other things required to be a working pro. Rather than assuming you already have these assets, How to Become a Professional Magician shows you how to actually get them. Topics covered include: Strategies for building a rock-solid professional repertoire that you can perform for anyone, anywhere, anytime, and count on getting great reactions. A detailed sequence of steps for approaching groups of people at strolling gigs and commanding their respect and attention, before you even perform a single trick. How to determine what to charge for your services (including specific guidelines and examples). Detailed discussions of various marketing materials (including which forms of marketing you should avoid in order to prevent wasting time and money). A complete breakdown of the process of booking a gig, from receiving the first email or phone call all the way up to collecting the paycheck. Specific guidelines and criteria for putting together a wardrobe of performing attire that creates a powerful, professional image and commands the respect of your audiences and clients. An entire section devoted to restaurant magic, detailing a range of strategies for locating restaurants that are well-suited for magic, approaching and selling your services, booking the gig, and keeping it long-term. A detailed discussion of negotiation principles, with a special emphasis on how these principles apply specifically to the world of magic. How to acquire a basic level of performing experience, so that your performing skills are razor-sharp from the very first time you do a professional show. How to start booking paid gigs, even if you have no prior experience marketing yourself. ...and much more. How to Become a Professional Magician is designed for performers of all kinds. Whether you want to perform large stage shows or intimate close-up magic, for children or adult audiences, at colleges, corporate events, schools, private parties, or any other venue, the principles in this book will help you build the performing skills and business foundation necessary to pursue your personal, unique goals. Many books on the business of magic are only 20-30 pages long, and often consist of crudely photocopied pages stapled together by hand. Despite their minimal content and low production values, these small booklets often cost anywhere from $30-$60, and occasionally more. How to Become a Professional Magician is over 400 pages long, with absolutely no fluff or filler, and is professionally printed and bound to the same standards used by major literary publishing companies. This is a book that you'll be proud to keep on your bookshelf for years, and refer back to again and again as your business expands and grows. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to perform magic for a living, but simply didn't know where to start, then How to Become a Professional Magician will show you exactly how to go from amateur to professional as quickly and easily as possible, so that you can earn a living doing what you love and achieve your dream of becoming a professional magician.

You don’t need a white tiger, expensive props, or hours of preparation to do magic. With a little practice, some clever misdirection (which lays at the heart of all magic tricks), and showmanship, you can surprise family, friends, and coworkers using a few everyday items! If you’re looking to saw a beautiful women in half or make buildings disappear, we’re sorry, but this book isn’t you. But if you want to act out little miracles that you can perform on the spur of the moment with items that are usually within reach, then Magic For Dummies can show you how. Magic For Dummies features more than 90 easy-to-perform deceptions, illusions, and sleights of hand for any event or occasion. You’ll discover how to perform entertaining card tricks, coin tricks, disappearing acts, as well as the always-popular mind reading trick. You’ll even see how easy it is to make money disappear as well as melt a saltshaker! Chock-full of show-stopping tricks, Magic For Dummies will: Get you started with easy-to-learn magic tricks Let you turn a restaurant into a your stage with tricks that include utensils, mugs, and even food Show you how to use a deck of cards to perform endless magic tricks Make you the life of the party with tricks such as “Call This Number,” “The Strength Test,” and “The Phantom Photo” Get you out of tough situations by giving you ten things to say when things go wrong Filled with photos, patter, and presentation tips for every trick in the book, Magic For Dummies offers a great opportunity to become familiar with some of the coolest magic tricks ever performed. With the help of author David Pogue and the stunning tricks contributed by thirty-five of America’s top professional magicians, you’ll be leaving your friends, family, and coworkers spellbound at your mastery of the mystical arts.