Over on my Facebook page a few days ago I asked readers what one thing they wished somebody would have told them when they first started doing comedy. There were lots of great answers, but I thought I’d share some of the more interesting ones here in case you missed them.
“Be political in your interaction with other comics right from the start. Don’t wait until you are two years in to learn how.” – Drusso
“I wish someone would have told me that there’s a lot more to this than just being funny.” – Jose Lopez
“Bomb, learn, bomb, learn, bomb bomb bomb, killer joke, bomb, learn…” – Landon Charles Hughes
“That you can work paying gigs four nights a week and barely make enough to pay expenses and eat.” – Dave Stuck
“Always record yourself. Every performance is a lesson to do better.” – Mohammad Ali
“Someone else’s success does not mean your failure.” – Kelly Collette
“Keep going out and doing shows as much as possible. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, get that experience under your belt. Trust me, it adds up.” – Gabriel Diaz
“The comedy business is 80% business and 20% talent.” – Jay Washington
“Be friendly to everyone you meet – you never know who they are or who they know. And be friends with comics (even unfunny ones), you never know where a gig or a booker’s info will come from!” – Duncan Jay
“Recognition and minor success are the rewards for the truly exceptional. Fame for the truly lucky. Nothing for the average.” – Mason W. Foulks
What do you wish somebody would have told you? Let us know in the comments below.
PS: Want to be featured in a future article like this? Share what the single most successful thing you’ve ever done to promote yourself was here.
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don’t read banal advice posts.
Try not to be a douche
See #9
I wish someone would have told me there’s more to comedy than just jokes. They don’t call it show business for nothing.
Do not be funny. It does not matter. Go straight for the dollar bill. Do whatever it takes to get those. Do anything! Steal a joke here, or there, put it all together for a great routine! Heck, steal a whole routine! Only then will you earn money to pay a bill or two. As for anyone with potential (funny original humor and stage presence), do not quit the day job, keep on appearing on stages, anywhere, to tell your jokes and have fun with an audience.
It’s not a union job. The person in it the longest isn’t necessarily the one who’s going to get promoted first.
Do the act you’d like to see if you were in the audience.
You only have one opportunity to make a first impression. Make it count.
The fact that Comedians sell comedy but Comedy Clubs sell liquor.