The Approach

Book and download by Jamie D. Grant
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A complete step-by-step guide for becoming a working magician. If you’ve ever wanted to be paid, or to be paid more, for performing magic, then you need to grab a copy of The Approach by Jamie D. Grant—which is now available again after many years of being out of print. Get it as a physical book or ebook (or save big by bundling both).

We all get into magic as a hobby. But, for some of us, there comes a time when we wonder about the possibility of getting paid to share our skills. Whether you’re looking to make a few bucks on the side or want to become a full-time pro, The Approach gives you the practical advice needed to take the next step in your career.

So, why is it a softcover? Well, The Approach is not meant to be a collector's item. It's an interactive workbook filled with a variety of exercises you'll be doing as you go to help put these practical insights into action immediately. Just follow these steps and you’ll come out the other side as a working magician.

“Jamie D. Grant writes with wit, intelligence and brevity – a rare trifecta. In this book, he spills essential information that every walkaround performer needs to know. Sure, you already know some of this, but you don’t know it all. And that makes this a required investment in your performing career.” Ken Weber, author of Maximum Entertainment

The Approach by Jamie D. Grant has long been touted as one of the best resources for any magician looking to understand the real secrets behind the business aspect of show business. Sharing real-world insider knowledge from over two decades of entertaining billionaires and celebrities, Jamie teaches everything you need to go from learning a few tricks to becoming a paid professional.

It doesn’t matter if your magic journey is just getting started or if you have years of experience, this is a complete blueprint for becoming a successful working magician. You’ll learn how to book gigs, how to approach groups, how to connect with clients, how much to charge (including how to charge more!), how many tricks to do per group, how to create a contract, what to do when you get busted, and so much more.

Simply put, The Approach is designed to help you evolve from an amateur into a true professional. It is an investment that will continue to prosper for years to come.

“If you’ve been doing walk-around forever or just bought an invisible deck yesterday - The Approach is the best investment you can make. Jamie’s covered everything based on self-actualized innovation as a worker in the trenches. Two thumb tips up!” Bill Abbott

“P-ss-d that I didn’t have this back in the day.” Steve Valentine

Transform your passion into a profession. Read The Approach...and then read it again.

Contents of The Approach by Jamie D. Grant

  • How Many Tricks You Should Know
  • Who Are You?
  • Developing Your Sets Part 1
  • How to Practice
  • Your Magic Fridays
  • Business Cards
  • Websites
  • How Do You Look?
  • What to Wear
  • Funny or Serious
  • Are You Any Good Yet?
  • Starting Conversations
  • Touching People
  • How Much to Charge
  • The Cocktail Party
  • Getting Started
  • Volunteer Gigs & Charities
  • What to Say in Emails
  • The Telephone Call
  • Getting There
  • Developing Your Sets Part 2
  • Silence
  • What Does My Contract Look Like?
  • Transitions
  • Conquering Nerves
  • How to Get Gigs
  • Getting Ready for the First One
  • Fingernail Care
  • How Much Time to Prepare
  • Pocket Management
  • Your List
  • The Big Secret
  • Your Close-Up Case/Bag
  • Things to Never Forget
  • Hat or No Hat
  • The Handshake
  • What to Put in the Lobby
  • Whom to Approach First
  • My First Effect
  • What Rubber Bands to Use
  • Moving Through a Room
  • The First Words I Say
  • Highs and Lows
  • Getting Applause
  • More Transitions
  • Saying Goodbye to Your Group
  • Tables versus Standing
  • Dealing with the Alpha Male
  • Staying in One Spot
  • Busted!
  • Getting Compliments
  • Letting Spectators Shuffle
  • Reset - Reset
  • The Venue Staff
  • Kids at an Event
  • Burning Through Material
  • How Many Hours?
  • Remembering Names
  • When to Show the Event Planner
  • The Card Force I Always Use
  • Accepting Tips
  • Wallets
  • Handing Out Business Cards
  • What to Never Borrow
  • Someone Wants to Show You a Trick
  • A Regular Deck
  • Weddings
  • Large Tables
  • Joining Them for Dinner
  • Vest versus Jacket
  • The Second Big Secret
  • “Do It Again!”
  • Another Magician Shows Up
  • Gigs Outside
  • When Only Ten People Show Up
  • Do You Need a Stage Show?
  • Dance Floors
  • Checking Back In
  • Dropping Cards
  • Sponge Balls
  • Dealing with Disappointment
  • Hecklers
  • Open versus Closed Body Language
  • One-Handed Spectators
  • Stock Lines
  • Lone Stragglers
  • Journal
  • Leaving Them with Something
  • Custom Decks
  • False Memories
  • Invoices
  • How to Get Testimonials
  • Getting ALL the Money
  • Increasing Rates
  • Busking
  • Repeat Gigs
  • Pictures
  • Social Media
  • Agents
  • Going Full Time
  • Go Get It
  • The Beginning

Softback | 214 Pages

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Customer reviews for The Approach

Diego
After waiting ten years to get my hands on a copy I have to say that I am disappointed with this book and not understanding why it was so well received when it first came out.

Although I can appreciate that the author tried to include so many chapters about so many different topics related to performing magic as a walkaround magician, the chapters are very shallow and don’t provide too much truly insightful information.

May be the book is more targeted to people that have never performed live before and this gives them some material to think about before their first gig.
Wesley
Hold on to your socks, this book has over 100 chapters (Ok, ok...102 chapters, but over 100 sounds better...right?).

Is this a big book? Not by a long shot.

Because each chapter is of a particular topic which gets to its point. There's no 'fluff' (You know like the time when you added random words to your school essay to meet the required number of words in the assignment?) The author has real world working experience at a variety of venues and he details each aspect of that experience in each chapter. He briefly gives you a little background then explains what he did and why.

Topics range from practice, how many effects should you have in your working repertoire, touching (How to and how not to), how to get bookings, the necessity of having a personal website so your potential client may verify what you said you are, to how much to charge for a gig (I think, this is the first time any one has written about this in all the books I've read).

The author is forthright about his advice being what worked for him, there is still a lot which can be gained from a working performer's experiences.

Highly recommended.
K. Bruce
This is such a well organized practical book on how to start a career in magic or fine tune an existing magic career. Easy to read and interesting with great advice for MAGICIANS, but can be helpful in any profession that requires planning, vision, presentation, and branding. I wish I’d had this book 45 years ago when I was a young actor in New York.
Eric
I am retiring this year and have decided to immerse myself into magic moving from a collector of effects, books and DVDs to a performing magician. I jotted down a series of questions I desired to know about practicing and performing magic and then I reached out and had coffee with the two leaders of my local SAM. These leaders have different styles and the hours we spent discussing my questions and getting started into magic was truly inspirational. Following those meetings, I read the Approach book which I had ordered earlier and never opened. While I thoroughly enjoyed talking to fellow local magicians over coffee, this book offered so much more insight and not only answered all of my initial questions, but it also provided a treasure trove of things I haven't even thought of yet. If you want to take your magic from your personal space and in front of a mirror to a live audience, this is the book to read. It is well written and fun to go through. You can go directly to a chapter of interest or read it cover to cover. This book is made to be personalized and become an addition to your magic journal, thus making it a resource you will use again and again. I highly recommend this book.
Adam
This book helped me immensely both in getting my first gig, and for actually performing at it. I was more at ease because of what's in this book, and everyone (including me!) had a better time as a result. It offers invaluable advice, it's a really entertaining read, and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who wants to become a professional close-up magician.
Gerhard
Really enjoying this book. It has some excellent advice in it and covers certain topics at different levels of details. The production values are good. I ultimately prefer a hard back book, but this is more of a work book than a collectors item. Very useful book, and I can highly recommend it.
Steve
An excellent book for someone just beginning performing magic and for a professional as it details in short punchy paragraphs the majority of topics we all need to ask at sometime in our magic path. Very honest and surprising there are many points or advice which may never have been thought about. Using already some recommendations so this book which mentioned at the beginning is a work book so you can make notes in it, outline some parts,etc. A book which will always be a source of reference.
Justin
This book is incredible.

I read through the entire thing in two days, taking notes throughout the whole thing, and I've come away with a ton of great knowledge. I know how many effects to put in each set, how many sets to have, how much to charge, where to look for gigs, how to act at gigs, etc.

The Approach really does hit on just about everything you need to know to go from "yeah, I can do card tricks" to "yes, I'm a professional Master Magician".
Alexei
An amazing treatise that outlines the necessary steps needed to secure a string of gigs, in particular for a walk-around magician. The topics range from proper self-reflection to putting together a show, to managing the schedule, to marketing, outreach , etc . The ample advice is grounded in common sense, but also contains much nuance derived from hard won experience. The book feels like an intimate conversation with a friend who has "been there and done that". I was really surprised by how much liked this book.
Alexander
I've only just begun reading this book and it has already inspired my thought on performing magic.
So much so that I will read it the end (which is a very unusual trick for me to perform) and I am sure learn so much more to the way I think of working out my approach to magic and the presentation. Clearly worth ever penny!
Oscar
Unlike most magic books that focus on tricks, this one is all about the practical, real-world side of performing. Jamie breaks everything down step by step, showing you how to book gigs, approach groups, connect with clients, price yourself (and even charge more), decide how many tricks to perform per set, create contracts, handle mistakes, and more. It’s written as a workbook, so you’re actually doing exercises as you go, which makes the advice feel immediately usable instead of just theoretical. What I loved is how clear and witty Jamie’s writing is—he explains things without making it feel intimidating, even if you’re just starting out. The book doesn’t assume you already know the business side of magic, but it does give enough insider insight to make you feel like you’re learning from someone who’s been there and done it for decades, performing for everyone from casual audiences to billionaires and celebrities. For someone like me who wants to perform seriously, The Approach isn’t just helpful—it’s inspiring. It shows that becoming a working magician isn’t some far-off dream, but something you can start building toward right away with the right knowledge and mindset. Whether you’re new to magic or just trying to level up your performing career, this book is a practical, no-nonsense blueprint for taking that next step.
Steven
Are you a hobbyist hoping to start making decent money doing magic or interested in buying a gift for someone in that category? If so, "The Approach" is worth its weight in absolute gold. Every page of this book offers down-to-earth, practical, and time-tested guidance on getting to the point of being able to consistently earn money performing magic. Of course, to fully benefit from the book, you'll need to put in the recommended work, but part of the fun is that there's room to do that in the book itself!

If you're already a seasoned performer, there's still much to benefit from in the book. Many of the pieces of advice offered are helpful even for those who are performing for years. You'll certainly get less out of it than someone who will be tracking their growth from start to finish, but I think it's still a very worthwhile read.

Community questions about The Approach

Have a question about this product? It's possible others do too. Ask here and other Vanishing Inc. Magic customers will be able to respond with assistance! Alternatively, email us and we can help too.

  • Diego asks: Either I got a bad copy or there’s an error in this re-run as chapters 4,5 and 6 are printed twice backt-to-back?

    • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds:Just checked a few here, and they do not have that error. Please email our Support Wizards (wizards@vanishingincmagic.com) and someone will take care of you.

  • Blake asks: Judging from what I glimpse on the pages shown in the trailer, THE APPROACH seems to be seriously slanted toward close-quarters magic, especially walk-around. Those aren't the gigs I'd be looking for. Would THE APPROACH have significant value if I'm NOT interested in that aspect of the business.

    • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds:While it is mainly dealing with close up, there are other helpful pieces of advice on creating a repertoire, how much to charge and dealing with clients.

  • David asks: What is the publication year of the original edition of this book?

    • 1. Chris responds:The PDF version I bought directly from Jamie last year shows a copyright date of 2013.
    Post an answer to this question

  • Kenneth asks: As an owner (one who frequently refers back to this book) of the original, does the new edition add any further/2024 insights to make updating worth it?

    • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds:There is no updates in this book, this is a reprint of the original with a slightly modified layout.

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