For those wanting to know how to become a comedian on a new level, I want to talk about comedy competitions and comedy talent shows.

Sometime, somewhere you are probably going to compete in a comedy competition or comedy talent show (or at least consider it).

Let me just say beyond the very first comedy competition I was in (which I won), my experience with comedy competitions has not been that favorable.

The main reasons comedy competitions weren’t usually favorable was because of my own lack of knowledge about how many comedy competitions REALLY work and my own unrealistic expectations. Read the rest of this entry

For more information about Steve Roye, author of this blog and the Killer Stand-up Online Course, click here.

If you want to build a stand-up comedy career, this book is a must read.

If you want to write comedy, this book is a must read. If you simply enjoy comedy, well . . . this book is a must read.

Part One offers essential advice about understanding the fundamentals of stand-up, studying other comedians, finding your own style, writing your material, working the live performance and appearing on television.

Fascinating, candid, insightful interviews with today’s top comedians, who discuss at length why and how they do what they do, comprise Part Two, the bulk of the book.

Interviews with: Louie Anderson, Richard Belzer, Elayne Boosler, George Carlin, Ellen DeGeneres, Rich Jeni, Jay Leno, Richard Lewis, Bill Maher, Paul Reiser, Chris Rock, Roseanne, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Sinbad, George Wallace, Jonathan Winters.

The last part of the book addresses your stand-up career through interviews with noted comedy club owners, an agent, a personal manager and a (more…)

For more information about Steve Roye, author of this blog and the Killer Stand-up Online Course, click here.

I think it is important to ask yourself seriously…

Why are you trying to become a comedian? But before you do…

Let me just cut right to the chase and tell you what perspective I am going to approach this question from.

I come from the perspective that stand-up comedy is a business. Your stand-up comedy act is a product for sale.

That’s the way Hollywood looks at it. That’s the way comedy clubs look at it. That’s the way corporations, cruise ships and resorts look at it.

Seems to me that this is how you should look at it too. Read the rest of this entry

For more information about Steve Roye, author of this blog and the Killer Stand-up Online Course, click here.