Tom "Wolf" Elliott gives you a down-to-earth, detailed guide to every aspect of establishing and running a small, local talent booking agency, written by somone who has done so successfully for over 30 years. You don't need any particular background or a fancy college degree or even much money, just a desire to own and operate one of the most fun businesses you could ever imagine.
Or, perhaps you've just begun performing and you'd like to know how to promote and sell yourself? Well, you can use this book to do that too! Learn how to create your marketing materials, find potential clients, negotiate contracts, and expand into other areas such as producing record albums and concerts on your own.
It's all here—how to find the talent, how to build up a clientele, how to promote yourself, the contracts you'll need, and a fascinating insight to where you can go fromo here, including becoming a modeling agent, a TV producer, a writer, a record album producer, and much, much more!
Here's What This Book Did For a Couple of Aspiring Talent Agents...And It Can Do The Same For YOU!
I am Marianne Windham, President of Windham Entertainment, Inc. It is both an honor and a privilege to be able to share a few comments about how grateful Windham Entertainment is to Tom Elliott of Tom Elliott Productions for his book, So You Want to Be a Talent Agent? (originally titled, Clowns, Clients, and Chaos - Starting a Hometown Talent Agency for Fun and Profit). My husband, Darin, and I opened our Southeast talent agency in 2004; and we consider Tom to be one of the biggest inspirations in starting our business.
Darin and I had both been entertainers for most of our lives. This personal passion and involvement in the performing arts had given us a unique perspective in the entertainment business. In addition, during the course of our careers in corporate sales and marketing, we recognized a growing need for a business to represent the many talented individuals in our region to the corporate world. This business could assist other businesses and private individuals in acquiring the appropriate entertainment for most any event or celebration.
Plato said that "Necessity is the mother of invention." Windham Entertainment could not agree more. Due to the overwhelming number of requests for talent that Darin and I had received for many years, we decided to embrace the idea that we had become the "go to" entertainment people in our region. We decided to start a talent agency! Though we are both determined and driven, we pictured ourselves jumping off a cliff and praying that there would either be a net to catch us or that we would grow wings! And so we began searching resources within the industry in order to lay the ground work for a successful business venture. At the same time, we were hoping that we would not have to "reinvent the wheel." And along came Tom Elliott.
Fortunately for us, I found Tom's book. As the title page states, this book most certainly includes "everything you need to know to start your own talent agency". It is packed full with detailed information from prospecting and promotion to policies and procedures. At the time that I purchased the book, I also had the opportunity to speak with Tom on the phone. He was so genuinely interested in our success, and I told him that I would keep him posted on our progress.
Jump four years ahead. Windham Entertainment, Inc. is still going strong, and growing every year. Windham Entertainment is a unique business and one that fills many needs in not only our own community, but we have now gained recognition as both a regional and national entertainment booking agency. Our roster includes people from across the nation – bands, solo artists and musicians, tribute artists and look–alikes, actors and models, magicians & unique circus acts, speakers and celebrities. Both our clients and our roster of talent come from not only our region – Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida – but also from California, New York, Texas, Washington, D.C., etc...
We continue to use the jewels of wisdom that Tom has given us through this guide, right down to verbiage on forms and contracts included in his invaluable "manual". In April of 2008, Darin and I visited Boston and had the pleasure of meeting with Tom in person; and we continue to stay in touch. We are thrilled to be in the business of promoting FUN, and will be forever appreciative of Tom Elliott's contributions to our continued success. Thank you Tom!
Marianne Cook Windham
President, Windham Entertainment, Inc.
www.windhamentertainment.com
