Rate for stand up material
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Funnebone
Nov 10, 2008, 6:42:54 PM11/10/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
I was contacted by a comedian who had run across my site asking to
refine his routine. I made significant changes and he was very happy
with the outcome. I suggested we discuss rates after I was finished
because this was my first time working with stand up. He wanted to
test the material out during the week before he settled on a rate but
then asked me to look over a 5 paragraph piece he was working on but I
suggested we come to terms first. He very well may be trying to
squeeze free material out of me but in the event that he isn't, how do
I set a price for my work?
refine his routine. I made significant changes and he was very happy
with the outcome. I suggested we discuss rates after I was finished
because this was my first time working with stand up. He wanted to
test the material out during the week before he settled on a rate but
then asked me to look over a 5 paragraph piece he was working on but I
suggested we come to terms first. He very well may be trying to
squeeze free material out of me but in the event that he isn't, how do
I set a price for my work?
CJ
Nov 10, 2008, 7:25:32 PM11/10/08
to Funnebone, moderated.alt.comedy.standup
Get money up front..half at least...because you're selling yourself short. Some new writers will sell $1 a line, or up to $25 per joke, and a friend of mine has a deal that if the lines are used on Television, she gets a percentage of the comic's pay for that performance, (ie..she wrote 10 of 12 bits used, the she gets a check for 40% of the fee the comedian got for doing TV.)
I would never sell for less than $1 a line, (set up, twist, punch, so three a joke for simple jokes). If they are using the material for tv, radio, or road work, I'd ask for a minimum of $200 a session. (up to three hours of writing time). It may sound pricey, but you are selling working material, and if you're writing well enough to have comics want to use you, you are writing well enough to be paid to do so.
But, get half up front, just for verbal contract's sake...and write up a contract explaining exactly what your services are... If you KNOW the cadence and persona of the comic, then you'll have a better shot at writing well for him or her. There are some great freelance writing contracts up at the Writers Guild sites, and I think Predators and Editors has a few listed.
Cathe--
The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.- Henry David Thoreau
I would never sell for less than $1 a line, (set up, twist, punch, so three a joke for simple jokes). If they are using the material for tv, radio, or road work, I'd ask for a minimum of $200 a session. (up to three hours of writing time). It may sound pricey, but you are selling working material, and if you're writing well enough to have comics want to use you, you are writing well enough to be paid to do so.
But, get half up front, just for verbal contract's sake...and write up a contract explaining exactly what your services are... If you KNOW the cadence and persona of the comic, then you'll have a better shot at writing well for him or her. There are some great freelance writing contracts up at the Writers Guild sites, and I think Predators and Editors has a few listed.
Cathe
The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.- Henry David Thoreau
Funnebone
Nov 10, 2008, 7:36:40 PM11/10/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
Thank You, In all fairness he did supply me with a framework. I guess
I will wait to see how his dry run held up. If he emails me back I'll
know I have some leverage. If anyone has a site that they would like
me to link to from mine just let me know. Thanks again
On Nov 10, 7:25 pm, CJ <gimpyrat...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Get money up front..half at least...because you're selling yourself short.
> Some new writers will sell $1 a line, or up to $25 per joke, and a friend of
> mine has a deal that if the lines are used on Television, she gets a
> percentage of the comic's pay for that performance, (ie..she wrote 10 of 12
> bits used, the she gets a check for 40% of the fee the comedian got for
> doing TV.)
>
> I would never sell for less than $1 a line, (set up, twist, punch, so three
> a joke for simple jokes). If they are using the material for tv, radio, or
> road work, I'd ask for a minimum of $200 a session. (up to three hours of
> writing time). It may sound pricey, but you are selling working material,
> and if you're writing well enough to have comics want to use you, you are
> writing well enough to be paid to do so.
>
> But, get half up front, just for verbal contract's sake...and write up a
> contract explaining exactly what your services are... If you KNOW the
> cadence and persona of the comic, then you'll have a better shot at writing
> well for him or her. There are some great freelance writing contracts up at
> the Writers Guild sites, and I think Predators and Editors has a few listed.
>
> Cathe
>
I will wait to see how his dry run held up. If he emails me back I'll
know I have some leverage. If anyone has a site that they would like
me to link to from mine just let me know. Thanks again
On Nov 10, 7:25 pm, CJ <gimpyrat...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Get money up front..half at least...because you're selling yourself short.
> Some new writers will sell $1 a line, or up to $25 per joke, and a friend of
> mine has a deal that if the lines are used on Television, she gets a
> percentage of the comic's pay for that performance, (ie..she wrote 10 of 12
> bits used, the she gets a check for 40% of the fee the comedian got for
> doing TV.)
>
> I would never sell for less than $1 a line, (set up, twist, punch, so three
> a joke for simple jokes). If they are using the material for tv, radio, or
> road work, I'd ask for a minimum of $200 a session. (up to three hours of
> writing time). It may sound pricey, but you are selling working material,
> and if you're writing well enough to have comics want to use you, you are
> writing well enough to be paid to do so.
>
> But, get half up front, just for verbal contract's sake...and write up a
> contract explaining exactly what your services are... If you KNOW the
> cadence and persona of the comic, then you'll have a better shot at writing
> well for him or her. There are some great freelance writing contracts up at
> the Writers Guild sites, and I think Predators and Editors has a few listed.
>
> Cathe
>
Funnebone
Nov 10, 2008, 9:04:22 PM11/10/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
What is predators and editors?
> Get money up front..half at least...because you're selling yourself short.
> Some new writers will sell $1 a line, or up to $25 per joke, and a friend of
> mine has a deal that if the lines are used on Television, she gets a
> percentage of the comic's pay for that performance, (ie..she wrote 10 of 12
> bits used, the she gets a check for 40% of the fee the comedian got for
> doing TV.)
>
> I would never sell for less than $1 a line, (set up, twist, punch, so three
> a joke for simple jokes). If they are using the material for tv, radio, or
> road work, I'd ask for a minimum of $200 a session. (up to three hours of
> writing time). It may sound pricey, but you are selling working material,
> and if you're writing well enough to have comics want to use you, you are
> writing well enough to be paid to do so.
>
> But, get half up front, just for verbal contract's sake...and write up a
> contract explaining exactly what your services are... If you KNOW the
> cadence and persona of the comic, then you'll have a better shot at writing
> well for him or her. There are some great freelance writing contracts up at
> the Writers Guild sites, and I think Predators and Editors has a few listed.
>
> Cathe
>
> Some new writers will sell $1 a line, or up to $25 per joke, and a friend of
> mine has a deal that if the lines are used on Television, she gets a
> percentage of the comic's pay for that performance, (ie..she wrote 10 of 12
> bits used, the she gets a check for 40% of the fee the comedian got for
> doing TV.)
>
> I would never sell for less than $1 a line, (set up, twist, punch, so three
> a joke for simple jokes). If they are using the material for tv, radio, or
> road work, I'd ask for a minimum of $200 a session. (up to three hours of
> writing time). It may sound pricey, but you are selling working material,
> and if you're writing well enough to have comics want to use you, you are
> writing well enough to be paid to do so.
>
> But, get half up front, just for verbal contract's sake...and write up a
> contract explaining exactly what your services are... If you KNOW the
> cadence and persona of the comic, then you'll have a better shot at writing
> well for him or her. There are some great freelance writing contracts up at
> the Writers Guild sites, and I think Predators and Editors has a few listed.
>
> Cathe
>
Ben McCowboy
Nov 15, 2008, 4:39:59 AM11/15/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
On Nov 11, 11:36 am, Funnebone <Funneb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I will wait to see how his dry run held up. If he emails me back I'll
> know I have some leverage.
Please post if you ever get paid, period. I'd be genuinely interested
> I will wait to see how his dry run held up. If he emails me back I'll
> know I have some leverage.
to know if that ever happens any more. I had a hard enough time
getting comics to pay for websites much less oneliners... magazines
pay for writing, but they tend to go out of business after a few
months on average. And I made some money from a broadcast radio
syndicator outfit that posted an ad on this group's forerunner long
ago, but that folded after about a summer as well.
If you're not cut out for standup, the best way I've found to make
money from your sense of humor is: keep your mouth shut at your day
job so you don't get canned.
Funnebone
Dec 4, 2008, 2:09:04 PM12/4/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
I did get paid. He paid me 10 for a short, 6-7 line bit and prepaid 30
to rewrite a few paragraphs.
to rewrite a few paragraphs.
Ben McCowboy
Dec 5, 2008, 12:56:49 AM12/5/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
On Dec 5, 6:09 am, Funnebone <Funneb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I did get paid. He paid me 10 for a short, 6-7 line bit and prepaid 30
> to rewrite a few paragraphs.
Congrats! Getting offered money is one thing, but getting paid (even
> I did get paid. He paid me 10 for a short, 6-7 line bit and prepaid 30
> to rewrite a few paragraphs.
a token amount) is a lot less common.
For your next trick, figure out how to live on $40 per month.
Then tell the rest of us. Please.
Funnebone
Dec 5, 2008, 9:08:22 AM12/5/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
Well first try to work for more than 8 minutes per month.
Ben McCowboy
Dec 5, 2008, 11:56:49 PM12/5/08
to moderated.alt.comedy.standup
On Dec 6, 1:08 am, Funnebone <Funneb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > For your next trick, figure out how to live on $40 per month.
>
> > For your next trick, figure out how to live on $40 per month.
>
> Well first try to work for more than 8 minutes per month.
With respect, I think you've got hold of the wrong end of the stick
there. The ultimate goal is getting income matched to expenditure;
focusing only on increasing the work part is shortsighted at best.
In my view, standup comics have few rivals when it comes to getting by
with short hours - next to refugees and homeless people, they're the
reigning experts. And they don't achieve this through massive hourly
pay rates, either!
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