As someone new to this site, I was just wondering; what are the different ways of making money out of comedy writing?
Making money out of Comedy Writing?
Quote: Griff @ July 7 2009, 10:16 PM BSTMethods of payment can include cash, cheque, credit card, PayPal and foreign currency hedge funds but the most usual is FUCK ALL.
Yeah yeah, very humourous.
Anyone with any serious answers, or am I just wasting my time?
OK There's newsrevue and treason for live topical sketches and songs in London
Occasional open submission radio shows like Newsjack.
I think the 118118 joke service has stopped now but there's always greetings cards.
Writing for stand ups - one liners for TV shows but you generally have to work your way up to those I believe.
You can try submitting sketches to people like Armstrong and Miller/ Mitchell and Webb etc
Keep an eye on the BBC writing room for opportunites and the writers section of this site.
Oh and write a brilliant sitcom that gets remade all over the world!
Quote: Adametri @ July 7 2009, 10:24 PM BSTYeah yeah, very humourous.
Anyone with any serious answers, or am I just wasting my time?
Sense of humour helps.
Quote: Jane P @ July 7 2009, 10:27 PM BSTOK There's newsrevue and treason for live topical sketches and songs in London
Occasional open submission radio shows like Newsjack.
I think the 118118 joke service has stopped now but there's always greetings cards.
Writing for stand ups - one liners for TV shows but you generally have to work your way up to those I believe.
You can try submitting sketches to people like Armstrong and Miller/ Mitchell and Webb etc
Keep an eye on the BBC writing room for opportunites and the writers section of this site.
Oh and write a brilliant sitcom that gets remade all over the world!
Thanks. 
Thats the kind of answer I was looking for. *although any other suggestions are always welcome.
Quote: Marc P @ July 7 2009, 10:29 PM BSTSense of humour helps.
Yeah, I have one, but I just find it annoying when you ask a serious question and you get some guy trying to be funny and giving a joke answer. If he'd stated it was a joke and then given a serious answer to compensate, I wouldn't have minded.
Attitude!
Might I suggest you check out some of the numerous threads on this forum. There's a very small number of small stage shows and the BBC periodically has open talent shows (Newsjack currently) all pay a little. Otherwise prodcos aren't hanging around waiting for your stuff so hope to get noticed by sending to prodcos, BBC or producing your own stuff and getting it seen.
Basically unless your super lucky it takes about a year before anyone even starts to consider, considering paying you. Or you get lucky some of us made some nice money out of a mobile phone joke service that finished. A few make money out of cards.
But my main advice is if you're asking that sort of question you may want to make sure you're writing the right stuff.
Quote: Adametri @ July 7 2009, 10:24 PM BSTYeah yeah, very humourous.
Anyone with any serious answers, or am I just wasting my time?
I can peronally vouch for writing for the greetings cards as it's still my day job (has been for a decade)and is probably one of the easier ways to make a buck through writing funny stuff.
TV is a lot of hard work for relatively-little financial rewards (until you become successful which can take ages). But the artistic rewards are huge.
There's also corporate work (especially online) although again you usually need some sort of track record. Basically when you're first starting out you do a LOT of stuff for free. It's just the way it is.
Quote: Adametri @ July 7 2009, 10:34 PM BSTYeah, I have one, but I just find it annoying when you ask a serious question and you get some guy trying to be funny and giving a joke answer. If he'd stated it was a joke and then given a serious answer to compensate, I wouldn't have minded.
Shrug it off and put it down to experience. Although there is a lot of truth in what he said.
Quote: Marc P @ July 7 2009, 10:40 PM BSTShrug it off and put it down to experience. Although there is a lot of truth in what he said.
Yeah, I'm guessing the "FUCK ALL" part.
Quote: Adametri @ July 7 2009, 10:42 PM BSTYeah, I'm guessing the "FUCK ALL" part.
It's true that there is a great deal of f**k all in comedy writing. Most of us are rolling in the stuff.
Quote: Adametri @ July 7 2009, 10:42 PM BSTYeah, I'm guessing the "FUCK ALL" part.
You'll hear a heck of a lot worse on the way if you're serious. That is when you're not being thoroughly ignored.
True. Last time we got paid for anything was 05, and that was peanuts.
You could become a clown prostitute? It wouldn't be funny. I just can't seem to find any clown prostitutes where I live.
Quote: Leevil @ July 7 2009, 10:47 PM BSTYou could become a clown prostitute? It wouldn't be funny. I just can't seem to find any clown prostitutes where I live.
Why, are you thinking of starting a double act?
I think of comedy like the Force as Obi Wan said.
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
Just get it in where you can.