Becoming a Stand-Up Comedian: How Do You Make It?

The question I'm asked most often, by aspiring comedians and fans alike, is "How do you make it?" While being a full-time comic may be a ways off from many young comics - and, perhaps, not even a goal for some - I still feel there is value in giving new comedians an understanding of the steps needed to become a professional, working, full-time comedian.

In previous articles, I've discussed a myriad of issues that comedians of all levels face. In this article, we'll take a look at the process to becoming a full-fledged professional comedian.

The Base

You should not attempt to be a full-time comedian without the following:

1. 30 minutes of strong material. THAT MEANS 30 MINUTES. Not 25, not 22. In comedy, it's always better to be six months late than six days early.

2. Significant stage experience, including time spent at the MC level. This is important for bookers to take you seriously, but mostly because thirty minutes (the typical length of a feature spot) is a long time to be on stage. You need to have learned how to manage crowds, how to handle jokes that don't work, how to ad-lib, and the like.

3. Money saved and/or a stream of non-comedy-related income. Even full-time features have to scrape by. If you are going all-out to be a comic who works 40-50 weeks a year, you are going to have take gigs for a loss (such as MC work, in hopes of being promoted to feature); spend money to travel for guest sets; pay website, printing, and mailing costs; and, by the way, feed, clothe and house yourself. The overwhelming majority of features work about 10-20 weeks their first year, meaning there had better be money in the bank, and hopefully a free bed to sleep in when you're not working.

Getting Booked