Comedy is a Business of Relationships (Part 2)

In last week’s blog post, we talked about how important the relationship is between the comedian and the audience. We connect with the crowd in every show on and off stage, and in order to succeed as an entertainer, you’re going to want to become skilled at building a good relationship with your audience.

But every entertainer will tell you, it’s not just the consumers of your content that you should be concerned about connecting with…building relationships with bookers and other comedians is absolutely essential too!

After all, you’ve heard the statement “It’s all about who you know.”

I’ll be honest, there is a lot of truth to that statement. Knowing the right people will open the right doors for you, but you best be ready to walk through those doors and do it well when the time you get the chance to shine! The only thing worse then not getting an opportunity is to not do well when you finally get that moment.

If you want chances, opportunities, and shots to perform at all the places you want to perform, you are going to have to know “the right people.” And most those people are bookers and comedians.

This week we’re focusing on communication with bookers (most specifically club bookers, but a lot of this can apply to literally anyone that books a show.)

As always, this isn’t an all inclusive list but it is just some things I’ve noticed since being a standup comic. Feel free to add more tip in a comment below for the benefit of anyone who reads this post!

Here are some tips and things to remember when messaging a booker.

Message Bookers Frequently

Your chances of being booked severely decrease when you don’t ask to be booked. The simple truth is there are SO MANY more comedians out there then there are spots for us to perform. Bookers have a lot of options, and frequently if you don’t have some kind of frequent communication with them you can expect to be “out of sight, out of mind.”

How frequently? I would say no more then once a month. The trick is to be on their mind but not be annoying. The tone of your emails can help you not be annoying. And with most places, I highly recommend emailing the booker instead of messaging them on Facebook or Instagram….even though it’s easier for them to ignore, it’s also more professional and the ones that book you will appreciate that more. For local/indie shows run by other comedians, especially the ones you have a relationship with, DM’s are okay usually.

Keep the message short and make sure it includes your avails (availability) And avoid statements like “I’m available whenever you need a comic!” or “I’m available every weekend for the next 3 months!” Even if it’s true…it’s the same philosophy as dating women, you don’t want to seem desperate or TO available. There is nothing wrong with not giving them all your available dates, and then when you start filling those up, giving other bookers the different dates!

Don’t Take It Personally

This one is INCREDIBLY hard for all of us comedians, because we are personal creatives that wear our hearts on our sleeves. When you email bookers or message other comics trying to get spots on shows, there is a strong chance they will not get back to you or say things like “I’m all booked up for right now but message me again in a few months.”

Sadly, it’s part of the entertainment culture for bookers not to respond unless they have a date for you. Don’t expect responses like “Thanks for reaching out, but we currently don’t have anything available for you.” The industry will tell you that they get so many emails a day so they can’t possibly respond to all of them…I personally think that’s crap because it’s part of your job to respond to emails people send you (In what other profession is this acceptable?) BUT whether we like it or not, it’s how the world works.

And the thing about the statement “I’m booked up for now, email me back later” is that it COULD be a nice thing they are saying to someone they don’t want to book OR it could be 100% accurate and you have no idea which one is real…so think positive, and put it on your calendar to message them again in a few months!

The key is to not take it personally….And I know I am probably the worst at this…if you don’t get responses after sending frequent emails, it’s easy to think “Oh man, they must not like me for some reason.” I have learned that the reality is that whether people book you or not often has no relationship to how they care about you as a person. It’s purely professional. Maybe they are all booked up. Maybe they don’t think your style fits their room. Maybe they are just behind and haven’t gotten to booking dates yet.

The moment you get butt hurt and stop sending out these messages, is the moment you will 100% not get booked at those places, because they will forget you exist.

Treat Bookers Like Humans

Honestly, I think the entertainment industry would thrive if EVERYONE remembered to “Treat people like people, people” but in this case I want to remind comedians to treat bookers like humans.

What does this mean? Well, first of all, it means that we should remember that they have lives outside of booking us for comedy shows. They are allowed to be behind and slow to respond. They are allowed to forget things, and even if they say they want you on a show to forget sometimes (which is why you frequently message them)

Also, gratitude goes a long way. Comedy bookers have to deal with a lot of comedians that only message them when they want a spot, and who then get butt hurt and rude when they don’t get said spot. So if you do get the opportunity to work with them, don’t be shy about thanking them for a spot. Be sincere about it, of course, but I think it’s appropriate to thank them at least once during the show or weekend, and then send a follow up email/message/text/whatever afterward thanking them for booking you.

(Pro tip: If emailing a booker a thank you for working, it doesn’t hurt to also add your current avails in case they want to rebook you again quickly..)

Lastly, regarding treating bookers like real people, try to establish a relationship and connection with the bookers if you can. And sometimes, you won’t have a lot in common with someone who books a show or club…That’s okay! Keep it professional. But be on the look out for the ones that you really connect with and share common ground with.

I want to encourage authenticity in forming relationships with everyone, but I also want to be transparent in the fact that if the booker likes you more as person, they are more likely to book you more.

And if nothing else, remember the golden rule of comedy and life:

Don’t be a jerk,

Honestly, if you do that, you’ll go further then most!

I hope this entry helped, feel free to comment below with any extra tips, questions, or comments that you may have! See you next week when in a post where we talk about the relationships with other comics!