Article by Logan Parker
Every profession possesses one prominent wince; a thorn in the proverbial saddle, as it were. Poll any number of comedians and dealing with bookers will take top honors as the number one gripe. You probably have a better chance of calling North Korea and getting Kim Jong-il on the phone than you do with some bookers. They are very adept at making themselves unavailable. Especially with newbie comedians.
But there’s a reason for this. Bookers get barraged daily with calls and e-mails from comics seeking stage time for a limited number of venues. And for them to remain in business, they must book their rooms with proven acts. And because they have more acts than venues they are less likely to take a call from an unknown comic.
So given this difficulty, be certain you have an act before attempting to pursue a booking. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and the bookers time.
And having an act means being able to cover the amount of time you were hired for with prepared and proven material. Riffing with the wild-eyed drunk wearing a Clay Aiken’s t-shirt in the second row to cover your time does not constitute an act. The audience may laugh, but to a booker it indicates you don’t have enough material to cover the time you were hired for. And then you risk being permanently blackballed by that booker.
So if you think you’re ready, here are your booking options:
Comedy Club Guest Set
Arrange for a guest set at a comedy club by calling the club owner or manager. In most cases, you’ll follow the MC and be given 5 to 10 minutes. If you impress, the owner or manager will either book you for a future MC slot or ask to see another guest set. If you bomb, you may have torched a bridge. Some owners are forgiving. Others harbor long memories.
Comic Recommendation
Getting a recommendation from a proven headliner is the easiest way to get booked. It eliminates cold calling and spares having to submit a demo DVD or file with the hope of it being reviewed.
But it’s also the rarest. Most comedians are reluctant to put their name behind someone. Because say, for example, if you get hired via recommendation and then bomb, it not only reflects badly on you, but also the comedian who endorsed your act.
Mail a Bio Kit (also known as a Media Kit)
This should include a biography, a DVD of a set, and a comedy resume. (Some bookers now also accept bio kits via e-mail. But instead of a DVD you’d, obviously, send a file.) Most bookers will ask for a 30-minute DVD, yet, in reality will watch no more three minutes, if at all. After a week of mailing, start following up with phone calls.
Keep in mind that there’s no guarantee that the booker will review your submission. Some are diligent with reviewing bio kits. But there are others who treat them like junk mail. And some will only watch your DVD/file if you pay a “viewing fee.”
Online Booking Sites
There’s been a sudden flush of online booking sites over the last year, with Gig Masters being the most prominent. This is a relatively new booking option for comics. And how it works is that you pay a subscription fee to get listed on its site. You’ll then be alerted, via e-mail, of a possible gig (usually a business seeking entertainment for a company party). You then make an online bid and then hope for the best. It’s a crapshoot. But all it takes is one booking to more than pay for the subscription fee.
Different Bookers
Most one-night bookers, especially those with rooms scattered across the country, will view bio kit submissions. Because they have multiple nightly rooms, they need a larger stable of acts.
Comedy club owners, however, rely almost exclusively on guest sets and recommendations.
About the Author
Logan Parker lives his passion as a standup comic, and he also consults guys to be more charming around attractive women. Learn more Caleb at http://kim-jong-il.com/UTh.
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