An Introduction aaaaaand AHH!!

[MermaidKatia]

Hi! I'm Mermaid Katia and I'm from the Midwest.

I've always believed that I was a mermaid since I was very young because I was born with a dolphin birthmark on my left leg, so it was a dream come true when Stephanie Summers delivered my tail!

I am studying child psychology at a university in Minnesota, but can perform in Illinois and Iowa as well.

(*^^*) Hmm what else. Ohh ohh! For my 19th birthday, I asked for only money to put towards a full silicone tail, and even though I love my partial, I AM SO EXCITED THAT I CAN BARELY BREATHE.

Now for the "Ahhh" part.

I have just been in contact with a man who does a Renn Faire in Iowa, and he seems very interested in hiring me as a performer. This being my first actual potential mermaid gig...I'm completely at a loss?

I know what I want to do for an act: The act is pretty simple. I have a twelve ft x two and a half ft above ground pool of water (I can downsize if this is too big, but it's just large enough that I can swim back and forth in) that I line the bottom with seashells. Beside the pool of water is a sign outlining the tragic tale of a mermaid who sold her hair for her human lover, but lost him, and now can only find happiness in pieces of sea glass. Guests are encouraged to buy the sea glass in order to have the mermaid "give them a present" (a seashell from the bottom of the pool) or "show them her heart" (I will sing a song such as "Jolly Sailor Bold"). I currently study voice and improv.

I'm hopefully getting a video made by the Film Studies concentration students, but what do I ask for as far as pay? I was thinking $35 an hour...maybe $30, since I'm really just a novice at this point.

Help.

[Kanti]

Hey there, welcome!
Hehe glad youre saving up for your first silicone tail, those are certainly the best ones haha.

And congrats on your potential gig! That sounds really exciting, ren fairs are awesome! As for charging I mean, I guess you can do $35 if you want. I assume mers count as entertainers and those can sometimes get paid up to $100 an hour. It depends on a few things.

[MermaidKatia]

those can sometimes get paid up to $100 an hour. It depends on a few things.

$100 an hour?! :jawdrop: Wow!

I dunno really what to charge...Is $35 low-balling it too much?

Where else can I post to get this seen?

[Kanti]

*shrug*
I myself am not a performing mer so I wouldn't know for sure. But I mean, performers/entertainers cost a lot.

If I were you I'd make a facebook page and take pictures of you in your tail. People are probably going to pay based off a couple things: How good you look and how many other mers are in the area. If you look decent but there are no other mers then you'll probably get hired regardless of price.

[MerEmma]

$100 an hour for Birthday parties often isn't very much for the gig because they tend to be less than three hours since younger kid's parties are often short. If you can get the work though, a performing mer can be fairly profitable (and fun!).

[Mermaid Dottie]

I charge 25$ per/hour for kids parties, but I like to be flexible. I also do Pro-Bono for charity and stuff.
At the ren faire in Utah this year, I'm planning on just taking a tip jar with me since I won't be there the entire time.
If the Faire you'll be attending is big enough, you probably won't have a problem charging them per hour, especially if he asked about your pricing, but if the faire is small, you might want to see if they can pay you.

[Fallen]

Welcome and your act sounds amazing. Good luck

[Mermaid Avalon]

I'd def say $100, if you're comfortable requesting it! The advice you've been given by previous posters is fantastic!

[MermaidBrittany]

I feel like thats low as well, but then again im not speaking from experience :P I would say at least 50. Welcome though! Can't wait to see your tail and hope the job works out! Sounds like a fintastic experience!

[Mermaid Saphira]

Welcome and good luck with your gig ^_^

[MermaidKatia]

:yay:Hoorah! I'VE BEEN HIRED!! :yay:

First mermaid gig ever!!

We haggled a bit, and I'll be making $14.28/hr, which is $100 a day! This is super super super exciting!!

I can't wait! Thanks for everyone for giving me the courage to keep pursuing this!

[Odette]

Congrats katia!time to Go out and celebrate!

[AniaR]

welcome to the forum! My first degree was in child and youth development. Took a huge amount of child psych classes (the child psychology of language development sure was a fun one... lol)