Stand up comedy is one of the most popular forms of comedy. It’s so popular that more comedians are emerging everyday. So if you are a new comedian how do you break out of the pack and accelerate your career?
Breaking out of the standard path is not easy but there are some great ways to accelerate your comedy career. In order of easiest to hardest here are some great ways to accelerate your comedy career.
- Create a Website With A Blog
- Write For Websites
- Write Jokes For Other Comedians
- Write A Book or eBook
- Start A Podcast
- Start A YouTube Channel
- Create Short Films Or Sketches
Create a Website With A Blog
I am sure most people are thinking website, sure, blog, what is this 1999? A blog is great way for you to connect with your fans and followers. One of my favorite comedians and comedy mentors Dwayne Perkins has a blog attached to his website that he then turned into a book!
Blog posts allow you to write out your thoughts and is also a great way to make sure you are writing every day. Did you forget to write everyday? I hope not. I have sat down to write blog posts and then ended up writing tons of jokes or a new bit. I still ended up writing a blog post but I also wrote some new jokes so I won and you won, and whoever hears my new jokes may also win.
Write For Websites
So maybe you don’t want your own blog, fine. But you should be writing somewhere on the world wide web. Writing for a website or magazine is a good way to get exposure as well as, you guessed it, get in the habit of writing every day.
I used to write for a site called Podahloics.com. I wrote weekly comic book reviews. Not only did I get to write and read comic books, I got to expose myself to an audience I might not have otherwise written for. Also I got to write off every comic book as a business expense!
Write Jokes For Other Comedians
If you have red this blog, or listened to The Clean Comedy Podcast (shameless plug), you already know that my first money in comedy did not come from stand up. it came from writing jokes for a headlining comedian. I had been writing jokes, and posting videos on Twitter which caught the attention of a national headliner and they asked me to write some jokes for them. A few months, a hundred or so jokes and a few thousand later I was a paid comedy writer. Take that High School English teacher!
That one act helped me to start making money on Fiverr as a comedy writer and created a monthly income stream that grows every month. I don’t have to work a full time job, and I get to work on projects I want because I built a portfolio of content. Reach out to a comedy who you love and offer to send them a few jokes for free. If they like them it could turn into a lucrative partnership.
Write A Book or eBook
I know now you are like come on guy, how much writing do you want me to do!? A book or eBook is a great way for you to share who you are, your philosophies on comedy, life, and whatever you are into. The book does not have to be a how to guide on comedy. Maybe you like writing funny stories. That’s what Jonas Polsky of The Jokes for Today podcast did when he wrote his book Riddles For The Easily Confused.
When I realized that there were no books on creating and producing your own comedy show, I decided to interview people and learn from them. I created my own book How To Produce An Independent Comedy Show: A Guide To Making Money In Stand Up Comedy. I have sold only about fifty copies but it gave me the courage to write more. One of my favorite books and one that helped me starting out was Don’t Wear Shorts on Stage: The Stand-up Guide to Comedy by Rob Durham. His book and advice (I emailed him ALOT) helped me with my comedy. He was even kind enough to talk to me on camera and help provide more help to me and others.
A book or Ebook lets you express that creative streak in you that you can’t do on stage or video. If you are a comedy fan I am sure you have read some humorous material or joke books and thought, I can do better than that. Well, do it. And when you do tell me, and I’ll buy a copy.
Start A Podcast
Sure it is a cliche that every comedian has a podcast. Yes many do but does yours have to be about comedy? What if you like pickle ball or Frisbee golf, or whatever. If you are a fan of something there are other fans of it as well. I mean there is a whole group of men who like My Little Pony. Never would I have thought that was a thing. I’m not one but it’s not a bad thing.
When I started The Clean Comedy Podcast I did it so I could learn about comedy from comedians who were doing it while going on my own journey, along with my co-host Luke, into the world of clean stand up comedy. There was not a lot of information out there and most people only knew about Jim Gaffigan or Brian Regan. So a podcast was a way to grow fans, learn from headliners, and also get my name out there.
Try a podcast about whatever you like. Even if it is not comedy related I am sure your sense of humor will give it a new twist.
Start A YouTube Channel
I know, I know, YouTube. It is comedians most hated avenue. We have all heard of “comedians” from YouTube who get famous and then tour and take stage time from people who have been grinding for years only to show up and bomb at live comedy. Yes it’s terrible when that happens but if you are already a stand up, improver, or sketch comedian why not use YouTube to showcase your humor?
YouTube is a great place for fans to see more of you or even just learn about you for the first time. Comedians Micheal Jr. and Russell Peters have YouTube channels with all kinds of content. If you post more than just your live sets or shows you have a way to share your voice with people and build a fan base that will want to see you perform live in their city.
Create Short Films Or Sketches
Comedy is one of the greatest film genres ever. Hollywood doesn’t make a lot of comedies anymore since superheros and light sabers are bigger box office draws but that doesn’t mean the world does not need more comedy.
By creating comedy shorts, or web series you give yourself to write, act, direct, and even edit video. These are all great skills and I have made a lot of money writing shorts films for people.
One of my favorite projects I worked on was with comedy actress Melissa Tucker of A Millennial Job Interview. She and I collaborated on a video called Game Of Tinder.
I have been able to work on several web series, TV pilots and even a few feature length scripts because I took time to learn how to create my own shorts.
By taking time to learn other forms of entertainment beyond stand up, improv, or sketch comedy you will be able to grow your fan base, build a portfolio, and even make a little side money allowing you to accelerate your career and head towards stardom.
