A yes on the phone becomes a booking when it’s in writing: who the parties are, the date, the set, the fee, when you’re paid, travel, cancellation and what you need from the room. Send the agreement while both sides want the same night, advance the show a week out, and keep the signed terms with the payment record.
Where you are, the tests for the next stop, and the steps between, in the order most comics take them. The
steps are the Career Field Manual's; mark each one as you go, and the day goes in your passport.
You’re here if…
Comic under contract: the yes, written down
An organizer or agency has said yes to your offer, or is about to.
Until now your deals have been a text, a handshake or a promise.
This booking involves travel, a deposit or a client you don’t know.
You want to know what to sign, what to send and what to keep.
These are the tests the next stop’s buyers set in their own published rules. Tick each one when it’s true for you.
0 of 4 true
The playbook
14 steps in 4 parts, from the Career Field Manual. Each has its “done when”, a D.O.C. tool for it, and
your status, note and target date; star up to twelve for your 90-day plan.
Get the terms in writing
From the Career Field Manual: Get paid. Keep records.. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 234–289.
01
Get paid. Keep records. · money-01
Confirm the buyer, slot, set length and fee in writing
Name the parties as they really are: the company or person who will pay you, not only the person you’ve been emailing.
From the Career Field Manual: Explore specialty markets and Choose help when it solves a problem. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 132–142, 143–173 and 290–313.
04
Explore specialty markets · specialty-08
Track the contract and travel terms unique to the market
Corporate clients can ask for vendor forms, insurance certificates or invoices on their own terms; ask early what their process needs.
Done when A market-specific cost and risk checklist.
From the Career Field Manual: Route the road, not the poster, Produce your own night and Become the comic rooms trust. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 197–233, 314–347, 258–289 and 400–434.
07
Route the road, not the poster · road-07
Check the room’s technical needs and advance contacts
A week out, confirm the arrival, the set time, the microphone, the light and the person who meets you.
Habits, not a timetable: the atlas has no stopwatch. Keep these going, and the proof for this stop builds
up week by week.
Send it the same dayWhen someone says yes, send the written terms that day, while the details are fresh.
Read before you signRead any agreement you’re sent from start to finish, the rights and the cancellation terms included.
Advance one dateA week before an event, confirm the arrival, the set time, the sound and your contact on the night.
Invoice on timeSend each invoice the day it’s due, with what was agreed and how to pay.
File the papersSave each signed agreement, invoice and payment record in one place.
Chase kindlyIf a payment is late, send a polite, specific reminder in writing.
What buyers check
In their own words
Each buyer's published rule, quoted from its own page, checked on 10 November 2026. They differ, so send each one
what its page asks for, and read the page again before you send.
A clean-comedy producer’s terms for event clients
Ivy League of Comedy FAQ
Its own terms with event clients: half on booking and the balance at the event, which it calls the industry standard; a contract out usually within a day; and a tech rider in two parts.
The Ivy League of Comedy follows the industry standard, which is 50% on booking and the balance due at the event (a check or ACH transfer).
I usually get a contract out within 24 hours.
It’s divided into Must Have (sound system, seated audience, stuff like that) and Would Be Nice To Have (stage lighting, stage, etc.).
No one takes a submission at this stop: the agreement is between you and the buyer or agency who said yes. Use the deal checklist and the questions on this page, and keep the signed terms with the payment record. 62 places to send a submission, on the Career Atlas →
The money here
Settle it before you go
None of the buyers on this page publishes what it pays a comic, so this page gives no figure. Whatever the fee, settle these terms in writing before you travel or perform, and get professional advice on any agreement you aren’t sure of.
In the agreement, signed
The names of both parties, and who pays you
The date, the place, your arrival and set times
The services: the set’s length, and any hosting or extra appearance
The fee, the deposit that holds the date, and when the balance is due
Travel and a room: what’s covered, and who books it
Cancellation or postponement: what each side owes
Your tech needs, and whether the show may be recorded
Fill in what you know once: it fills every note below and stays on this device. Anything left blank shows in
[brackets], to fill in by hand.
Your details
The confirmation email
Subject: Confirming [The event], [The event's date]
Hi [The organizer's name],
Thank you for booking me. To confirm what we agreed:
Event: [The event], [The venue and town]
Date and set time: [The event's date], [Your set time]
Set and services: [The services: your set, plus any hosting]
Fee: [Your fee]. Deposit to hold the date: [Your deposit], due [When the deposit is due]. Balance due: [When the balance is due]
Travel and room: [Travel and room: what's covered]
If the event is cancelled or moved: [Your cancellation terms]
What I need: a hand-held microphone and a back-up, the audience seated, light on the stage
If that's right, a reply saying so is our record, and I'll send the agreement to sign.
Best,
[Your name]
Questions to ask before you sign
1. Whose name is on the agreement, and who pays me?
2. When is the deposit due, and when is the balance?
3. How am I paid: by check, by transfer or another way?
4. What happens if the event is cancelled, postponed or moved?
5. What does the fee cover: travel, a room, meals, parking?
6. Will the show be recorded or photographed, and what may each of us do with it?
7. Who is my contact on the night, and what's their number?
8. Does the agreement ask for anything beyond the set: an interview, a second appearance, posts?
The advance, a week out
Subject: [The event] on [The event's date]: the details
Hi [The organizer's name],
Looking forward to [The event]. Checking the details:
I'll arrive at [Your arrival time]; my set is at [Your set time], for [Your set length, in minutes] minutes.
I'll need a hand-held microphone and a back-up, the audience seated, and light on the stage.
Is there anyone I should know about, or any topic to leave alone?
Who will meet me, and where do I park?
Thank you,
[Your name]
The invoice note
Subject: Invoice [The invoice number]: [The event], [The event's date]
Hi [The organizer's name],
Thank you again for having me at [The event]. Attached is invoice [The invoice number] for the balance, [The balance owed], due [When the balance is due] as agreed.
Payment by: [How you'd like to be paid]
Best,
[Your name]
Your proof
Proof for your passport
Tick each piece when you have it: the day goes in your passport with it. The passport keeps your whole
career's record on this device, to download, print and review once a year.
The evidence
This stop is done when you have
Your status
Close a written agreement
On your record
Nothing yet: your status changes and ticks appear here, each with its day.
The buyers' rules are quoted from each buyer's own page, checked on 10 November 2026. A buyer can change its rules at
any time, so read its page before you send anything.
The D.O.C. bookThe playbook's book topics, matched to the book's contents on 10 November 2026.
About this roadmap
By D.O.C. Editorial. This is one stop of the Stand-Up Career Atlas: private & corporate,
stop 4 of 5. It's a way to plan, not a promise of bookings: it gives no expected years, its only figures are
the ones buyers and venues publish on their own pages, and the buyers' rules are theirs. For what a comedy contract covers, read
Do comedians need contracts?.
