How To FAIL at Stand-Up Comedy: Avoiding the Pitfalls that Kill a Comic's Career Paperback – March 31, 2021

First off, this is not a book about how to write jokes. There are plenty of other books that break down that process. Steve's book is about what you do, AFTER you've spent plenty of time crafting material that will work 90 percent of the time in a variety of scenarios, or can be slightly altered to fit those scenarios(ie, clean comedy rooms).Steve doesn't pull any punches. He's telling it like it is, and it's coming from a guy who not only talks the talk, but has walked the walk for three decades.I've been doing standup for awhile. and I can tell you that what he says in this book will help you get work. I've actually employed some of the strategies he lays out with positive results.He's made plenty of mistakes in the standup trade, and he lays out the details in plain, unvarnished English, in hopes that you can avoid making the same mistakes. And make no mistake, the faux pas he's committed would make the guy in the "Saw" movies flinch.All in all, a great read for those considering getting into standup, and for those looking for a reason not to. You've been warned!

I found this book years ago as a new comedian. I had it on my list of comedy books, but I was into 2 books at the time. I met the author Steve Sabo at a comedy club, he was the headliner and I was there to do a guest spot. Nicest guy, I did not realize until talking he wrote the book how to fail at comedy.I said your book is next on my list to read. I went home read the book and convinced in 2020 my writers group to read it. I was 2 years into comedy. I reached out to Steve thanking him for the book. 2 years later I referred to the book because now I was sending avails with no luck or bookings. I copied Steve’s outline in the book verbatim, re read about getting booked focused on what the book outlined. Yes I started getting booked. It’s a guide/bible for newbies to pros. There’s reminders about everything from joke writing to what are you doing? I’ve worked with Steve regularly opening for him since yes I used his book to get him to book me. He still reminds me hey have fun. There’s a lot to this thing always learning.It’s my go to if I see something off or I’m not getting result I was hoping for. I refer to at times almost yearly. I hope you enjoy it and get as much out of it as I did and do. I refer this book first to anyone wanting to know what it takes to get started and keep going in this buisness. Stand up is my full time job and career.

As a working stand-up, I appreciated the author's no-nonsense approach to elements of the business to bear in mind.

Certainly the comedy business is a business and Steve gives you the insight to the business. As a 20 year comedy veteran I found this book very helpful and if you're newer comic it's a must read.

They require at least twenty words for a review. I’m getting closer, but I’m not quite there. Whew! Made it!

Wish I had a book like this when I was starting acting.Steve has taken decades of real world experience and filtered out the essentials that every beginning standup comic should have at least heard of.The title is a bit of a misnomer, but the content is golden. If I knew any standup comics that I liked, I'd definitely be recommending this book to them. As it stands, I'm keeping it a secret from the dirty cretins. BwaHaHa!

You might be able to write a few jokes, but the reality of being a successful comedian has a lot more to do with your business skills and professionalism. Steve Sabo shares his big mistakes over the past few decades and how to avoid them, so deflate your ego and pay attention.The best part of this book is that it is completely applicable to all professional careers, especially if you work in a service industry, except for the part about writing 100 jokes. You can skip that if you don't intend to be a comedian. If you do though, you should probably write 300. And good luck to you, I think I'll stick to my current profession.

While I originally bought this a few months ago for my BF a week before he did a show with Steve Sabo, I found myself bored one day and picked it up and started flipping through a few pages.Great advice on what not to do, especially for the younger generations or those who are just getting their feet wet in comedy.Will recommend to our group of comedic friends!

If you're looking for a book that gives you insight into the life of a full-time touring comedian this is the book that tells you everything, from booking agents to motels, dealing with club owners and even choosing a reliable and economical car or phone. Written by a comic with a lot of skill and real-world experience, it's essential reading for anyone looking to make a career from performing comedy.