Thread: When is a booking a booking?

Hi, I wondered if anyone could enlighten me as to the basic burly etiquette of making a booking please?

I tend to find that some promoters (and I very much hasten to add NOT all!!) don't seem to confirm bookings unless I nag them. For instance, they get in touch and say 'can you do this date?' so I reply and say 'yes, thank you very much' and then hear nothing. Does that constitute a firm booking, do you think?

I don't know if I'm just expecting confirmations too soon, or if I just don't get "the way things work round here".

Thank you muchly,
Lily x

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When I receive an enquiry as you have above, I always reply:

"yes, I'm avaiable, my fee is X. If you would like to move this enquiry forwards, toward a fully confirmed booking, please get back to me."

If they don't respond I usually follow up with:

"following our recent conversation I have not received any communication from you. I have your event pencilled in my diary for (DATE). I will continue to mark this date with your event until (7 DAYS TIME). If I have not heard back from you by this date I will remove the mark from my diary and open the date up to other bookings."

I've not come a-cropper... YET!

Unless I get a reply saying something along the lines of "We'd like to have you along then" and I get a contract signed and returned I don't pencil anything in my Diary.
Then again I barely pencil anything in my diary, I rely on facebook updates telling me that I am performing somewhere.

I have this approach to bookings.

No deposit, no booking.

I had a wedding booked a few weeks ago, the deposit only just turned up.

Like with anything, if you hold out in hope of someone coming through you tend to miss other and usually better opportunities.

Originally Posted by G3L

....Like with anything, if you hold out in hope of someone coming through you tend to miss other and usually better opportunities.

This is so true, I did this a couple of times for an event that kept getting postponed and had to turn down better gigs because I was "booked"

All you need is to do is an email to the promoter detailing Date of show, the place, number of sets and the agreed fee. You can even add your stage requirements, then always end the email with "please confirm that this is acceptable" or a question like: "what time would you like me to arrive". Once they reply you have a printable record, in short a contract. Personally I alway send event confirmations beforehand for my accounts.

Skinny Pete x

Originally Posted by G3L

I have this approach to bookings.

No deposit, no booking.

I had a wedding booked a few weeks ago, the deposit only just turned up.

Like with anything, if you hold out in hope of someone coming through you tend to miss other and usually better opportunities.

I'm with you G3L - If a booker can't commit to the terms agreed, they won't follow through...

Of course of it's a regular well known (to me) client and/or business partner, the circumstances are often different.

Thank you all for this, it's a relief to know I'm not being unreasonable by expecting people to be business-like!!
I shall go forth and be more assertive.
Lily x