A campus date is a show and a piece of institutional business. Confirm who signs, read the contract, advance the room, the rules and the parking, do the show you agreed to, and send the paperwork the school needs so the payment can go through.
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…
Booked campus comic: the first date
A school, or an agent for you, has offered a date.
You have a contract or a confirmation to read, and perhaps a form or two from the school.
You haven’t yet played a campus show as the act the school paid for.
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
18 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.
Read the offer
From the Career Field Manual: Get paid. Keep records., Explore specialty markets and Choose help when it solves a problem. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 234–289, 132–142, 143–173 and 290–313.
01
Get paid. Keep records. · money-01
Confirm the buyer, slot, set length and fee in writing
Read who the contract is with: the student who called you may not be the person who signs for the school.
Track the contract and travel terms unique to the market
Campus contracts can come with their own paperwork, such as purchase orders, vendor forms, tax forms and insurance, depending on the school. List what’s needed, and by when.
Done when A market-specific cost and risk checklist.
From the Career Field Manual: Route the road, not the poster and Become the comic rooms trust. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 197–233, 314–347 and 400–434.
06
Route the road, not the poster · road-07
Check the room’s technical needs and advance contacts
Ask who runs sound, what the room is and where you load in: a campus show can be in a theater, a ballroom or a dining hall.
From the Career Field Manual: Become the comic rooms trust and Turn one good night into a return. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 400–434, 348–366, 383–399 and 435–455.
11
Become the comic rooms trust · pro-05
Respect set time even when the room is going well
Do the show the school agreed to: its length, its content and its start time.
Done when Consistent finish times over several sets.
From the Career Field Manual: Get paid. Keep records., Become the comic rooms trust and Build a career you can keep. In the D.O.C. book:
topics 234–289, 400–434 and 400–455.
14
Get paid. Keep records. · money-05
Create a simple invoice and expense-recording system
Send the invoice and the forms the day they’re asked for, and keep a copy of each with the contract.
Done when Sample invoice and current expense ledger.
Arrive earlyEarly, prepared and on time makes the next booking an easy yes.Show night →
Plan the driveCampus roads, parking and early shows take planning.On the Road →
Keep the paperwork togetherThe contract, the forms, the invoice and the payment, in one place.Get Paid, Get Back →
Each week
Your weekly rhythm here
Habits, not a timetable: the atlas has no stopwatch. Keep these going, and the proof for this stop builds
up week by week.
Advance one dateConfirm the room, the sound, the parking and your contact for the next date on your calendar.
Read the paperworkRead one contract or school form through to the end, and list what’s due and when.
Rehearse the agreed showRun the set the school agreed to, at its length, clean.
Send what’s dueSend a form, an invoice or a confirmation the day it’s asked for.
Thank someoneSend a short thank-you to the adviser and the board after a show.
Check the moneyMatch what was promised with what has arrived.
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.
The campus buyers’ association
APCA Conferences
At APCA’s conferences, the exhibitors explain their rider and contract terms to schools, and keep sample contracts at the booth: the paperwork is part of the sale.
They can answer questions, explain rider and contract terms, and generally give member schools all the information they need to bring an artist or vendor to their campus event.
Typical booths will have bios, pictures, sample contracts and cooperative buying forms available.
This stop begins once a school or your agent has offered a date, so there’s nothing new to send here. The places to apply are on the stop before, Reach the campus buyers; at this stop, read the contract, advance the show and settle it. 62 places to send a submission, on the Career Atlas →
The money here
Ask, and get it in writing
None of the buyers on this page publishes what a school pays a comic, so this page gives no figure. A school’s paperwork can include a purchase order, vendor forms, tax forms and insurance, depending on the school: ask what it needs, how and when you’re paid, and get it in the contract.
In the contract, before you go
The date, the room, the show’s length and the content rules
Who the contract is with, and who signs it for the school
The fee, when and how it’s paid, and the paperwork the school needs first
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 advance email
Subject: Advance for [The show's date]: [Your name] at [The school]
Hi [Your contact at the school],
I'm looking forward to [The show's date]. A few things so the night runs smoothly:
1. Where is the show, and where do I park and load in?
2. What time should I arrive, and who meets me?
3. Who runs sound, and is there a handheld microphone and a stand?
4. How long is my set, and who introduces me?
5. Are there content or audience-interaction rules I should know?
6. Is the show being recorded?
My rider is attached. Thank you,
[Your name]
[Your phone]
Sending the school’s paperwork
Subject: Paperwork for [The show's date]: [Your name]
Hi [The office handling payment],
Attached for the show on [The show's date]: my invoice [Your invoice number] for the agreed fee, and the forms you asked for.
Please tell me if anything else is needed before payment can be made, and when I should expect it.
Thank you,
[Your name]
The thank-you after the show
Subject: Thank you, [The school]
Hi [Your contact at the school],
Thank you, and the board, for having me on [The show's date]. [One line on how the show went]
If you'd like comedy again next term, I'd be glad to come back. I'm routing dates near you [The dates you're routing].
Best,
[Your name]
Questions to ask before you sign
1. Who is the contract with: the school, a student organization or an agency?
2. Who signs for the school, and who approves the content?
3. What paperwork does the school need from me, and by when?
4. When will I be paid, and how?
5. Is travel or lodging included?
6. What insurance, if any, does the school require?
7. What happens if the show is cancelled?
8. May the show be recorded, and by whom?
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
Your first campus date
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: colleges & campuses,
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 the school’s side of a college booking, read
How do comedians get college gigs?.
