--- title: "Open Mic Stand-Up Reps: A Comic's Roadmap | D.O.C." description: "A roadmap for open-mic reps: what mics ask of comics in their own words, how to log, record and rewrite each set, and the proof that the material grows." url: https://disciplesofcomedy.com/career-atlas-open-mic-reps.html updated: 2026-11-10 --- The Career Atlas · The common start · stop 2 of 5 # Open-mic repetitions: your roadmap Start the playbook → Your proof The short answer Open mics are where unfinished material gets tested. Go up as often as your week allows, finish on the light, log each set, record where the room allows it, and rewrite one weak minute before the next one, so the material improves, not just the confidence. - **19** steps, each with its “done when” - **3** buyers, in their own words - **6** places to send it - **4** notes ready to send By D.O.C. Editorial · [The Career Atlas](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-career-atlas.html) ## This roadmap, in five parts Your roadmap ## From here to a usable live tape 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… ### Open-mic comic: getting the reps in - You’ve done your first sets, and you know how sign-up works at a mic or two. - You finish on the light most nights, and you’re starting to see which bits hold. - You go up as often as your week allows, and you want each set to teach you something. - You record where the room allows it, or you’re about to start. You’re ready to move on when… ### …to [a usable live tape](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/career-atlas-stand-up-tape.html) These are the tests the next stop’s buyers set in their own published rules, for the tape they ask for. Tick each one when it’s true for you. You have a set that fits the shortest tape a buyer asks for: Gotham Comedy Club asks for a 2–5 minute tape, Bushwick Comedy Club for your best 5 minutes. [Gotham Comedy Club ↗](https://gothamcomedyclub.com/New-Talent/) · [Bushwick Comedy ↗](https://www.bushwickcomedy.com/contact/out-of-town-submission) You have 5–10 minutes that hold, for the rooms that ask for longer: Lafayette Comedy asks for a 5–10 minute video of a stand-up set. [Lafayette Comedy ↗](https://www.lafayettecomedy.com/submissions/comediansubmission) You record your sets where the room allows it, and you listen back. Lafayette Comedy tells its open-mic comics to set a phone on the stool and record the set. [Lafayette Comedy, open mic ↗](https://www.lafayettecomedy.com/pages/open-mic-comedy) You’re writing new material, not only polishing the old: Bushwick Comedy Club welcomes a new submission each time you film a set with new material. [Bushwick Comedy ↗](https://www.bushwickcomedy.com/contact/out-of-town-submission) 0 of 4 true ### The playbook 19 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. #### Go up and finish on time From the Career Field Manual: Become the comic rooms trust and Do the first set. In [the D.O.C. book](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-book.html): topics 400–434 and 71–114. 1. Become the comic rooms trust · pro-02 #### Confirm each room’s code of conduct and recording rules Read the room’s posted rules before you go up: the light, the sign-up, recording, and whether comics stay for the show. **Done when** A note for rooms with different expectations. [Open mic etiquette →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-open-mic-etiquette.html) Questions to ask at a new mic → **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 2. Do the first set · first-06 #### Perform your first set and finish on time **Done when** Date, venue, actual minutes and notes. [Finish on a real stage →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#first-set) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 3. Do the first set · first-07 #### Record only when the venue permits it Ask the host first. Where the room allows it, an audio recording on your phone is enough to learn from. **Done when** A recording or a note explaining why not. [Recording your sets →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-record-your-stand-up.html) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 4. Do the first set · first-08 #### Write down what got a response and what fell flat **Done when** Three specific observations from the room. [Keep the facts from the room →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#tool-log) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 5. Become the comic rooms trust · pro-05 #### Respect set time even when the room is going well **Done when** Consistent finish times over several sets. [The light, in Open mic etiquette →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-open-mic-etiquette.html) If you can’t make your spot → **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 6. Do the first set · first-09 #### Book the next opportunity before momentum disappears **Done when** Next verified mic and date. [Find the next mic →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#find) Mics on this page → **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date #### Build the habit From the Career Field Manual: Build a repetition habit. In [the D.O.C. book](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-book.html): topics 96–114 and 415–434. 7. Build a repetition habit · reps-01 #### Keep an accurate log of every performance Log the night you do it: the room, the minutes, which bits got a laugh and which fell flat. **Done when** Venue, date, minutes, set and room notes. [Your log in Stage Time →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#log) The set log entry → **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 8. Build a repetition habit · reps-02 #### Listen to a recording without watching the screen **Done when** A note on pace, clarity and pauses. [Count the laughs →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#tool-laughs) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 9. Build a repetition habit · reps-03 #### Run a transcript through Comic Critique **Done when** The findings you choose to act on. [Run it through Comic Critique →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/critique.html) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 10. Build a repetition habit · reps-04 #### Revise one bit based on what happened onstage Change one thing at a time, so the next room tells you whether that change worked. **Done when** Two versions and the reason for the change. [Review your set →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#lesson-6) The rewrite note → **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 11. Build a repetition habit · reps-05 #### Try the revised bit in a different room Try it at a different mic, before a different audience, before you decide. **Done when** Two-room comparison rather than one verdict. [Find another room →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#find) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 12. Build a repetition habit · reps-06 #### Practice an opening and a closer until they are dependable **Done when** Evidence from several different sets. [Opening and closing strong →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-five-minute-set.html) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 13. Build a repetition habit · reps-07 #### Track your sets and minutes over the last 30 days **Done when** Your real count, not a target presented as fact. [Your reps, counted in Stage Time →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#log) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date #### Grow the five From the Career Field Manual: Grow the act without padding and Write original material. In [the D.O.C. book](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-book.html): topics 51–70, 115–131, 435–455 and 21–50. 14. Grow the act without padding · set-01 #### Build a dependable five-minute set **Done when** Two or more performances that fit the slot. [Build a five →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-five-minute-set.html) [Order the set →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#tool-set) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 15. Write original material · write-08 #### Keep a retired-material folder instead of erasing work **Done when** A place for unused bits and past versions. [Keeping track of your jokes →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-joke-notebook.html) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date #### Keep it going From the Career Field Manual: Choose your starting point and Build a career you can keep. In [the D.O.C. book](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-book.html): topics 1–20, 435–455 and 400–455. 16. Choose your starting point · start-03 #### Set a 90-day goal based on work you control **Done when** One measurable goal with an end date. [Give yourself a next step →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#month) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 17. Choose your starting point · start-06 #### Decide your monthly career-development budget Mics can cost travel, time and sometimes a drink minimum or a fee: set a ceiling and keep to it. **Done when** Your spending ceiling in dollars. [Fees up front: know what you get →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/pay-to-play-comedy.html#fees) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 18. Choose your starting point · start-08 #### Choose one habit you will stop if it steals stage time **Done when** One trade-off written down. [Time, money and next steps →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#lesson-10) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date 19. Build a career you can keep · sustain-01 #### Review what actually improved over the last 90 days **Done when** A before-and-after record of work done. [Look back over your log →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#log) **Your note and target date** Your note: what you did, a link, what's next Target date ### What speeds this up - **Choose mics with a real audience** People who came to watch tell you more than a room of comics. [Find stage time →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#find) - **Log every set** Your log shows what’s improving, and what isn’t yet. [Your log in Stage Time →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stage-time.html#log) - **Read the tape, not the mood** A transcript shows where the laughs landed. [Comic Critique →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/critique.html) - **Count the laughs** Mark each laugh on the recording, bit by bit. [Count the laughs →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/how-to-start-stand-up-comedy.html#tool-laughs) - **Treat a rough set as evidence** Take the one note it gives you, and go up again. [Bouncing back →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-bounce-back-after-bombing.html) - **Be good company** Stay, listen and help the host: comedy scenes are small. [Your scene →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-comedy-scene-relationships.html) 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. - **Go up at two mics** Two sets in two rooms teach more than one set twice. - **Log it the same night** The room, the minutes, what got a laugh and what fell flat. - **Listen back** Play the recording without the picture, and mark where the laughs land. - **Rewrite one minute** Change the weakest minute before your next set, and keep the old version. - **Stay for the show** Watch the comics after you: the room that gives you stage time needs an audience. - **Bring one new bit** One new idea a week keeps the mic testing material, not just nerves. 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 club’s published open-mic rules ### EastVille Comedy Club Sign-up in person, 30 minutes early and first come; five minutes a comic, varying with the lineup’s size; and a one-drink minimum for comics. - Comics must arrive 30 minutes early to sign up in person. - 5 Minutes of Stage time per comic - 1 Drink Minimum for comics. [EastVille Comedy Club’s page ↗](https://www.eastvillecomedy.com/open-mic) · checked 10 November 2026 A club company’s published open-mic rules ### BARK Entertainment, mic rules A light with one minute left and another at your time, and word ahead of time if you can’t make your night. - You will get a Light when you have 1 minute remaining and another once you have reached your time. - If you cannot make it to your selected day, please let us know within 24 hours’ notice. [BARK Entertainment, mic rules’s page ↗](https://www.barkentertainment.com/open-mic-rules) · checked 10 November 2026 A club’s published submission rules ### BABS Comedy Club Its booker hosts the weekly open mic, and names that mic as the best way to be considered for the Friday showcase. - The best way to be considered is by doing a set at our weekly Open Mic (Thursdays at 8pm). - there's no better way for me to get to know your comedy than seeing you perform live. [BABS Comedy Club’s page ↗](https://www.babscomedyclub.com/Comedian-Bookings-Submissions) · checked 10 November 2026 ### Where to send it Places that publish how an open-mic comic gets in, each checked on 10 November 2026. Save one to your booking desk to keep its status, a follow-up date and a note. [62 places in all, on the Career Atlas →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-career-atlas.html#ways) Published route Brooklyn, NY · Open mic · In person #### EastVille Comedy Club, open mics Open mics through the week: comics sign up in person, arriving 30 minutes early, first come, with the lineup set on the day; five minutes a comic, varying with the lineup’s size. **Worth knowing.** No email or phone sign-ups, and a one-drink minimum for comics. An open mic is stage time, not a paid spot. [Its page ↗](https://www.eastvillecomedy.com/open-mic) Checked 10 November 2026 Published route Tulsa, OK · Open mic · Form #### Bricktown Comedy Club, open mic Sign up online between the 1st and the 15th for the next month’s open mics, or arrive between 6:00 and 6:50 PM for one of three walk-in spots. **Worth knowing.** An open mic is stage time, not a paid spot. [Its page ↗](https://bricktowntulsa.com/pages/open-mic) Checked 10 November 2026 Published route Oklahoma City, OK · Open mic · Form #### Bricktown Comedy Club, open mic Open mics on Tuesdays and Wednesdays: sign up online between the 1st and the 15th for the next month’s, with the lineup emailed on the month’s last Wednesday, or arrive between 6:00 and 6:50 PM for one of three walk-in spots. **Worth knowing.** An open mic is stage time, not a paid spot. [Its page ↗](https://www.bricktowncomedy.com/pages/open-mic) Checked 10 November 2026 Published route Los Angeles, CA · Club spots · Form #### Laugh Factory Hollywood A video submission form on its website for its booking team, and a Tuesday open mic, 5:30–6:30 PM, with sign-up in person from 5:00. **Worth knowing.** Its FAQ says neither the form nor the open mic guarantees a booking. [Its page ↗](https://www.laughfactory.com/clubs/hollywood/faqs) Checked 10 November 2026 Published route Lakewood, OH (Cleveland) · Bucket spots · In person #### Henceforth Comedy, One More Joke For comics based in Cleveland: at One More Joke, its Tuesday showcase at The Winchester in Lakewood, comics put their names in the bucket for a chance at a one-minute spot. Comics who can’t attend regularly may send a five-minute video instead. **Worth knowing.** Bucket spots aren’t guaranteed; its page says the more it sees you perform and work on your act, the more likely it is to consider you for a longer showcase spot. [Its page ↗](https://henceforthcomedy.com/) Checked 10 November 2026 Published route Forest Park, IL · Club spots · Form #### BABS Comedy Club, Local Laughs Apply through its form for the Friday Local Laughs Showcase; one person books the comics and watches every clip sent. [Its page ↗](https://www.babscomedyclub.com/Comedian-Bookings-Submissions) Checked 10 November 2026 The money here ### What the reps cost you Open mics don’t pay, so the money here is what the reps cost: travel, time, and whatever a room asks of comics. Each venue’s own page says what that is; EastVille Comedy Club’s, for one, sets a one-drink minimum for comics. Set a monthly ceiling, and spend it on the mics that teach you the most. **Know before you go up** - Any cost to perform, from the venue’s own page - The travel, parking and hours each mic takes - Your monthly ceiling, and what’s left of it - Which mics give you a real audience for the cost - Whether a show asks you to bring paying guests, and what you get for it - Who to tell, and how far ahead, if you can’t make your spot Questions to ask at a new mic · [Road Maps: the Math of a Gig, with your own numbers](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/comedy-road-maps.html#math-of-a-gig) · [Get Paid, Get Back: the deal in writing](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/get-paid.html#deal) · [The IRS on gig work ↗](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/manage-taxes-for-your-gig-work) Ready to copy ## The notes to send 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 Your name The host’s name The mic and its venue The date and night Your minutes on stage Your bits, in order What got a laugh What fell flat The one change Recorded? Audio, video or no The bit you rewrote The next room to try it ### The set log entry ``` [The date and night] · [The mic and its venue] Minutes: [Your minutes on stage] Bits, in order: [Your bits, in order] What got a laugh: [What got a laugh] What fell flat: [What fell flat] One change before the next set: [The one change] Recorded: [Recorded? Audio, video or no] ``` ### The rewrite note ``` Bit: [The bit you rewrote] What the room did: [What fell flat] The change: [The one change] Next room to try it: [The next room to try it] ``` ### If you can’t make your spot ``` Subject: Can't make [The date and night]: [Your name] Hi [The host's name], I'm on the list at [The mic and its venue] for [The date and night], and I can't make it. I'm letting you know now so the spot can go to someone else. I'll sign up again for the next list. Thank you, [Your name] ``` ### Questions to ask at a new mic ``` 1. How does sign-up work here, and when does it close? 2. How long is a set, and when does the light come on? 3. Is there a cost to perform? 4. May I record my set? 5. Do comics stay for the whole show? 6. If I can't make my night, who do I tell, and how far ahead? ``` 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 A log of your sets: date, room, minutes and what happened Sets at two different kinds of mic A bit in two versions, with the reason for the change A recording of a set, made where the room allowed it A five you’ve finished on the light, more than once Your status ### Open-mic repetitions A link to your proof: a tape, a booking, a review Your private note **On your record** Nothing yet: your status changes and ticks appear here, each with its day. [Your whole passport: the timeline, your booking desk, your 90-day plan, the printable career record, the yearly review and the cloud copy →](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-career-atlas.html#passport) Saved in this browser ## Next stops [The common start · The proof **A usable live tape** Make it easy for a booker to judge the act itself.](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/career-atlas-stand-up-tape.html) [The common start · The invitation **A booked spot that isn’t a mic** The first invitation is an audition for the next one.](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/career-atlas-comedy-showcase-spots.html) ## Go deeper - [Open mic etiquette: how to find one, sign up and get it right](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-open-mic-etiquette.html) The explainer, from the D.O.C. book - [Chapter 5, Open Mics and Early Career](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-book.html) In D.O.C.’s companion book, Stand-Up Comedy: From Writing to Touring - [Mitch Hedberg: Turning the Obvious Sideways](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/study-mitch-hedberg.html) The comic study: a joke reworked in front of the room ## Sources 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. - [EastVille Comedy Club, open mics ↗](https://www.eastvillecomedy.com/open-mic) A club’s published open-mic rules. - [BARK Entertainment, open mic rules ↗](https://www.barkentertainment.com/open-mic-rules) A club company’s published open-mic rules. - [BABS Comedy Club, comedian submissions ↗](https://www.babscomedyclub.com/Comedian-Bookings-Submissions) A club’s published submission rules. - [Gotham Comedy Club, New Talent ↗](https://gothamcomedyclub.com/New-Talent/) A club’s published submission rules. - [Bushwick Comedy, out-of-town submissions ↗](https://www.bushwickcomedy.com/contact/out-of-town-submission) A club’s published submission rules. - [Lafayette Comedy, comedian submissions ↗](https://www.lafayettecomedy.com/submissions/comediansubmission) A club’s published submission rules. - [Lafayette Comedy, open-mic tips ↗](https://www.lafayettecomedy.com/pages/open-mic-comedy) A club’s published advice to open-mic comics. - [Bricktown Comedy Club, open mic ↗](https://bricktowntulsa.com/pages/open-mic) Its published route, checked 10 November 2026. - [Bricktown Comedy Club, open mic ↗](https://www.bricktowncomedy.com/pages/open-mic) Its published route, checked 10 November 2026. - [Laugh Factory Hollywood ↗](https://www.laughfactory.com/clubs/hollywood/faqs) Its published route, checked 10 November 2026. - [Henceforth Comedy, One More Joke ↗](https://henceforthcomedy.com/) Its published route, checked 10 November 2026. - [The D.O.C. book](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-book.html) The 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](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-career-atlas.html): the common start, stop 2 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 how open mics work, from sign-up to the light, read [Open mic etiquette: how to find one, sign up and get it right](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/answer-open-mic-etiquette.html). Updated 10 November 2026 · [The Career Atlas](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-career-atlas.html) · [Comic's Corner](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/tools-for-comedians.html) · [Privacy](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/privacy.html)