Marion, so glad to hear your project is coming along so well and so fast. Good on ya!

Rita, I do think confirmation forms are a good idea -- especially if you book a program while you are there in person and can get the signatures on the sheet without taking a lot of time. When you fax or mail them, sometimes people return them promptly (usually the responsible people/facilities, who need them the least), and other times they either won't be returned or you'll find that they aren't worth the paper they are written on. They are valuable as memory aids, in case either party forgets what time and date were booked and for what price. But if a facility chooses not to return the confirmation form or not to honor the oral contract, what are you gonna do?

I do use confirmation forms, when I have time, and when it's a high-demand time slot like Christmas Eve or St. Patrick's. But I have yet to devise a contract that covers what I want it to cover (e.g., they agree not to cancel me due to budget shortfall and then book someone else later for the same month; they agree to pay a cancellation fee if they cancel within two months of the gig without proper cause) yet would not be intimidating to prospective clients.

If anyone else uses contracts for this type of short, low-paying gig (e.g., for a one-time, one-hour program at a nursing or retirement home), I'd be interested in seeing the kind of contract you use and hearing how well it works.

Genie