Mar 22 2009
Nuts and Bolts - The Money Question
… If you’re going to be performing at Faires which offer compensation, you’re going to have to confront the “how much should I ask to be paid” question.
The best guideline I can give is to determine your Cost Plus Profit rate.
In this case, Cost is what it costs you to perform - this includes
- Travel Costs (airfare? gas? car rental)
- Lodging (hotel? camper? tent? crash space at a friend
- Food and Living Expenses
When calculating your rate, think about how much is costs to get you there, and back, in one piece. Once you’ve got an idea of what your average is, double it so that you have a 50/50 ratio of Cost Plus Profit.
This may not be your best rate, but it’s a good place to start. There may be gigs which cost more, and gigs which cost less, but if you have a solid base rate and are willing to negotiate for options to mitigate costs such as passing the hat, performing more shows, etc, you should be able to make yourself attractive to show producers.
I’d also suggest taking the bold step of asking your producers what they offer on average for your type of act. I was very fortunate in that one of the producers in my area was willing to give ranges for several types of acts based on how established and well-known they are. This gave me a realistic basis for developing my own rate.
