"How To Deal With Agents..."

There are folks that just will not or completely hate working with bookers.

I don't understand. To me a booking is a booking is a booking. In the end, it's not about how you got the show, it's the people at the show and making them laugh.

If someone calls me from an agency and wants to book me, I have no problem with the commission they take. Customers can be intimidated calling around, they don't want to be sold by someone that won't show up. We belong to a very flakey fraternity. A lot of entertainers don't show up, do a bad job or arrive late. All sorts of terrible things.

An agency has a stable of entertainers that they trust. Pretty simple. That's why people use them, so they don't have to go through the shopping process. They also know they have a legitimate company that stands behind the entertainment they send.

I've been quite surprised when I've been at clown conventions or been around folks who will rail against the agents. I figure, an agency has ads, phones, offices, they need to stay open. They make a living off the commissions they make from my jobs. I am happy to get the work.

I try and set a price I want to make from an agent, it's generally pretty close to what I would make from a customer that's never seen me. An agent tends to have a higher level clientele, they are willing to pay a bit higher in general, they go in knowing the price is being broken apart, some for you some for the agent. If the agent offers me lower than my usual I have the option of saying no thank you, just like any job.

It's very hard to book things like country clubs, shopping malls and corporate gigs on my own. Representatives from agencies spend time cultivating clients, going to social gatherings handing out business cards. That's a skill I don't really have, I am not a big social person, so I'm happy someone does this. I can stay at home watching TV, while they're out working.

My opinion, be happy, it's a gig. Hopefully one day you'll be working so much you won't need them. Until then, smile and take it!