Comedy is an art, and it takes a lot more than just words and jokes to make people laugh. Being a comedy writer is not an easy job. You might think it is all about having humor, as you are eating your popcorn and laughing watching your favorite stand up comedian, but a lot of work goes into things which seem very spontaneous to us. If it was that easy, everyone would be great comedians.
Humor is a simple way to sell things. From greeting cards to mattresses and web series to big-screen movies comedy is a winning combination for money. With about one thousand touring comedians and an estimated one hundred thousand wannabe comedians, there is a huge opportunity for comedy writers to make some serious money.
If you can write a comedic book or craft funny lines for films you can turn you funny into money.
Funny Is Worth Money
There are a lot of people you are going to face who will tell you there is no money in comedy unless you can sell out arena or movie theaters. And while the easiest way to become rich is by becoming famous we all know that one percent of comedians ever get there.
If you start hunting these on the internet, you will be bombarded by the results which are either how fewer comedians make or how much they make. But the secret lies in their growth. It is all about bringing what you think will be clean and comfortable for your limits. And once you get your hands dirty in the art of writing comedy, you can make a decent living.
Yes. You can make and earn a handsome amount of money as a comedy writer. A WGA comedy writer earns an average of $67,770 per year. However, you will have to be in LA. But a freelance comedy writer can make similar numbers. But what if you don’t have TV connections or no desire to write on TV or move to Los Angeles? Well, there are still some major options.
Writing Funny
There are many options and choices you can choose as a comedy writer. If you are scared to face those scary stages, then you can do great by making YouTube channels or by having your own funny blogs. Your ability to create content quickly will be a major factor in your success.
You can write a book or even create a comedy podcast. While some of these include performing there are many podcasts and YouTube channels that need writers to help churn out new content. Some of these pay between $100 and $1,000 per episode. If they have only one show a week you can make up to four thousand dollars for the writing.
Not only do YouTubers and Podcasters need content but so do brands on Twitter, or for marketing and commercials. Marketing groups like the Harmon Brothers are multi-millionaires because they turned their humor into marketing money.
YouTube and Podcasts
YouTube is a very vast place to start anything but what about comedians? Of course, I would shake every single person who writes comedy and ask them to start their own YouTube channel. If you want to start a channel you will also need equipment to record your video, a good microphone and a blog or website.
YouTube has literally changed the world of many ambitious artists. Not just artists, but there are many products and even websites that became famous due to popular online channels. For example, do you know about the story and comedians behind Broad City?
They wrote and created an entire series of short webisodes that became critically acclaimed and ended up on Comedy Central as a half-hour scripted series. It’s created by and stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glaze started with a camera and script then turned it into a show that ran for five seasons. Channels like that need constant content and often hire writers to create their scripts or outlines.
Comedy Digests
What if you want to just write funny stories or jokes? How about writing for Reader’s Digest? They print websites and magazines they’re guilty of and publish everything from puzzles to jokes. They pay $100 for each accepted application. If you are a beginner, try with the Reader’s Digest as they have monthly releases and always need new content. Check out their site and read what types of humor they publish to get an idea of what they are looking for.
In addition, there is The Writer’s Digest. It has a column called “Reject a hit”. This is a humorous explanation of the famous novel’s false rejection. If you think you can advertise, they will pay you $150. If you are a writer and want to take advantage of comedy niche markets, you can start here.
You can also consider creating your own website to promote yourself and your work. In either case, some people even get famous by those lame cat jokes, but writers can definitely do better than that and earn a great living from comedy writing.
Job Boards and Freelance Sites
Everyone starts somewhere. Whether it is your friend circle or that club where you make people laugh, writing comedy is not as simple as writing a joke. Several job boards including Fiverr and Upwork are constantly looking for comedy writers. You can build your brand and get repeat customers as long as you can provide high quality and on-time delivery. Having samples of your stand up, screenplays or even films will help clients to see what you are capable of. If you do not have any samples take some time to find out what you like and create samples in your tone and style.
Through these sites, I have done everything from writing t-shirt slogans to feature-length comedy screenplays. Not only are these great sites but sits like Reddit and Craigslist often have people looking to hire writers. A comedy writer who can turn drool writing into something witty and engaging is a huge asset.
It was via Craigslist that I end up writing a web-series and making some decent money for eight episodes of a Facebook Watch series called Abracadabra.
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to comedy writing. Think of ideas outside the box such as local retailers, your favorite brands, or even film schools for people to reach out to and offer your services. The more you look around the more you will see how you can make money. Comedy is always in demand, use your comedic talent to cash in on comedy.