I was talking to a singer/performer/writer/storyteller at the Travelling Folk Song Ale (no-one gets paid to play there) and I gather that here too there are several different festival circuits, including at least two I had never thought of, namely (my words) pagan and alternative lifestyle festivals, mostly small, but some quite big and religio-centric (Bhuddism was mentioned).

How you get onto them (or even find them) I have no idea. But knowing they exist must be a start.

I would take a box of CDs for sale wherever you play - it makes the point for you that you are a professional. Also check out websites like Pigs Ear's.

Prostitute yourself and play some Irish stuff - Irish bands get work (often in very dingy pubs) and if they have a singer who can really sing they ought to be happy to have you sit in for a couple of numbers of hackneyed populist stuff that still stands out, like "She moves through the fair", etc (nick something, anything, off a Clannad album), and if you do an O'Carolan harp piece it will very effectively advertise you.