Customer Reviews

Comedy FAQs and Answers: How the Stand-up Biz Really Works

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I've been doing quite a bit of reasearch on the net and this book would have saved me lots of time had I bought this book first. Everything I've learned from hours of looking is in this one book.

Another insider industry reference from Dave Schwensen, Comedy FAQs And Answers: How The Stand-up Biz Really Works covers all the basics of professional comedy, from selecting or writing the right material to running your own open comedy mike, booking gigs, handling heckling crowds, and getting a manager. The aspiring pro has everything in hand to handle club owners, publicists, and more in a guide where the major industry players - George Carlin, Jeff Foxworthy, and more - share their experiences and lessons. A 'must': one of the best industry insider guides on the market.

I've been doing comedy for a couple years and this book has the how-to answers for everything I want to achieve in my career. Wish I had a copy of this when I first started because of the writing and open mike advice. The list of comics who answer the questions is unbelievable - including writing advice from George Carlin. I want to be on "Letterman" someday and the talent booker for the show is in the book telling how! It's a great "map" into the world of comedy.

Lots of great stuff here, and one of the more recent good books on the industry. Highlights include Schwensen's professional advice to comics interested in the profession. Chances are there are questions in here that you haven't even thought of. Lots of good advice from Schwensen and the best in the biz -- even George Carlin! Can't go wrong with this one, though 20 bucks is a bit steep for a 200-page book. I recommend it though, and I would definitely choose this Schwensen book before his older "how to" book from the 90s. Plus, my first comedy coach ever, Kurtis Matthews gives this book a thumbs up to this in the inner front cover (and he's real cool).

I got this book not to help with my actual material but to help with getting into the stand-up business, and that's exactly what this book helps you do. It is a great reference, because almost any question you can come up with about stand-up is in this book. This book doesn't really talk about material. It does talk about how to market and advertise yourself, and how to get that time slot at the club you really want.