Mazdak Momen started comedy three years ago in San Diego. Now, he runs a “Joke Swap” show in San Diego where comics trade material live. He’s also performing in festivals across the country: Big Laughs, Vermont Comedy Fest, HarCo, World Series of Comedy.  

But it took time. “Early 2025, I started applying for festivals and got into nothing,” he said. “I got to the point where I was sick of it.” 

At one point, he applied to a festival that showed its judging process live. “You could watch them review my video with a scoring system.” He didn’t get in, but it gave him feedback and a sense of how close he was. He refined his tape and kept applying. 

Then things started to shift. A waitlist turned into a spot. A few acceptances. His progression offers a look at what matters if you’re trying to break into festivals.

Think Like a Booker, Not a Comic

For Mazdak, the shift came from changing how he approached submissions. “The tape is the biggest thing…you have to look at it from a booker’s perspective, not a comic’s perspective.” And quality is key: “It could have been your best performance ever, but if it doesn't come across in the video, then it doesn't matter.” He made small tweaks to improve his tape. “I didn’t think the tape that got me into festivals was great, it was just better than what I had been sending before.” 

He also sent his tape all over. “I applied to a lot…I’d get an email and think, ‘I don’t even remember applying to this one.’”

He also researched where he might be competitive. Some festivals favor established acts, while others are more selective overall. It can be helpful to research who performed last year to get a sense of your chances. 

What Festivals Are Actually Good For

Not every festival delivers the same value. As Mazdak put it, “Some make an effort for comics to actually connect with representatives.” But for him, it was also a chance to test his material. “I want to perform in front of different types of crowds…I’m curious, if something works here, is it going to work in a different city?”

Ultimately, it comes down to your goals. Think about what you actually want out of it, then do a little homework. Talk to other comics, look at who’s performed there before, and pay attention to how the festival presents itself. You can usually tell from the website how legitimate it is and the experience you’re signing up for.

800 Pound Gorilla is launching its own streaming platform, Gorilla Comedy+, on May 5, an ad-free service built entirely around stand-up. The platform will feature 250+ titles at launch, plus early releases like Patton Oswalt’s new special. Priced at $9.99/month, it’s a bet that stand-up can live in one place. Co-founder Ryan Bitzer emphasized that the goal is to create “the ultimate stand-up experience” while ensuring comedians have a platform that properly values their work. Trailer here.

I’m very funny on paper…but it’s not working. John Kerr has heard this before. In his day job, he's a corporate culture coach, which he says “doesn’t sound like a real job”. He helps professionals communicate better. That might seem far from stand-up, but communication skills matter in comedy. 

John started Jokevember, a free, global comedy writing challenge and coaching program, after years performing and running comedy clubs. Jokevember is a simple challenge: write and share jokes for 30 days, with one prompt a day. Following its success, it now includes group coaching, with comedians working through an eight-week process to build a tight five from scratch. 

We asked John to share some of the core advice he gives to comedians.

Comedy Is About Removing Blockers

John thinks most people need to remove what’s getting in the way of being funny. “Most people are funny. Most people know what a joke is,” he said. “Getting up on stage and killing isn’t about whether you are funny or not. It’s about removing all of those blockers that say that you are not funny.”

His advice is practical: get feedback, keep writing, and stop letting nerves or unclear thinking block the joke. The gap, he says, is often clarity. What works on paper doesn’t always translate out loud. “In Europe, people are very meticulous. I’m very funny on paper. I’ve ticked all of the boxes with my joke, but it’s not working. It’s like, paper’s half of it.”

Consistency and Feedback Beat Poor Stage Time

A lot comes down to showing up. “You’ve got to have an attention span to sit in the room for an hour.” He says the comics who improve are the ones who stay in Jokevember regularly. Good writing is building a system to show up consistently and accepting that most of what you write at first will be mediocre.

I’d argue this can be better than poorly attended open mics. Good stage time helps, but good feedback is better than bad stage time.  

Feedback can be hard to come by, especially when so much writing happens in isolation. Not everyone, particularly in smaller or international scenes, has access to regular mics or people willing to workshop jokes. Jokevember fills that gap as a consistent source of joke evaluation.

That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].