Hello,
I have been playing in a little Italian restaurant for 6 years and almost all of my "cream of the crop" jobs have come from the exposure I receive from this particular venue. Years ago, I placed ads in the yellow pages and various other ad recourses. The only really successful ads were the ads that were directed at children’s entertainment, for whatever reason. I have many friends that are outstanding musicians that work far less than I do - a mediocre player. I have found that if you Entertain, not just play well - ensure that your audience has a great time, 'they'll' beat your door down. Of course, you must impress upon your audience that you really enjoy what you’re doing, even on those occasions that you are exhausted to the bone, have a headache, problems at home etc. You must make it obvious that you’re having a great time, in turn, your audience will enjoy themselves and become patrons and pay you good money - often.
Ciao,
Jerry