James Lee Stanley

You’d think after decades of booking myself, I would have this down, but I am evidently an even slower learner than I have suspected.

For instance, last winter, almost a year ago, I played in the south.    The shows were all successful and the promoters were effusive in their praise and their insistence that they had never seen such a professional show.    Two of the promoters gave me quotes for my webpage, for which I am extremely grateful.

They all talked about how they wanted to have me back and  one talked about how next time, she had to make certain that they got the big hall and really promoted it because this was a special show, not the regular fare.

I smiled and thanked them and enjoyed basking in their praise. 

Months passed.

As I was putting together a return trip to happen at the same season as the previous tour, I contacted one of the promoters who was, truly the most effusive of the bunch and said that I was planning on coming back.

I was told that they had already booked the season; that there were so many people coming through that they didn’t see how they could book another one.

And then then told me who they had booked.   Kind, generous, moderately gifted people all, but few professionals.  Few who would actually increase the size of audience by virtue of giving a performance that would be talked about as something not to be missed the next time.

Not that everyone doesn’t deserve a chance in the spotlight, provided they have prepared for it; nor that no one should be allowed to work except me, though that would make things alot easier...for me.  But I digress.

If you are trying to build a series, you do it by providing the most professional event that you can.   You keep the bar high and soon your audience knows that even if they haven’t heard of someone, if you are having them in your series, they must be worth it.  

And they come back...and they bring their friends, and you are the toast of the town for creating such a wonderful series. 

What I should have done, and what I recommend to you when you are in this position of having just done a really good show and you are basking in the praise, is to sit down with the promoter, while they are enthused about what you do and set a date.  Even if it’s two years out, set a date.  

The time to book yourself is when the promoter is excited about you and your talents.    A year later, many don’t remember whether you were any good at all, let alone, wonderful.

This is the land of media overload, and it’s easy to get swept aside by the next wave of whatever.   They forget.  They can’t wait to forget.   They are standing in line to forget.   It really is, “what have you done lately?”

Book your next date when you are right there, in their face and you’ve just done a brilliant show.   Even if you have an agent, book the show and then text them, phone them, fax them, immediately and tell them to follow up and contract the date.   

You’ll thank me in the end.