--- product_id: 65921362 title: "Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian" price: "$55.98" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.ec/products/65921362-mastering-stand-up-the-complete-guide-to-becoming-a-successful store_origin: EC region: Ecuador --- # Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian **Price:** $55.98 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian - **How much does it cost?** $55.98 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ec](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/65921362-mastering-stand-up-the-complete-guide-to-becoming-a-successful) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description This entertaining and sharply written guide—for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers—examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up. Here, Stephen Rosenfield lays out a clear plan for achieving success, candidly explaining what works, what doesn’t, and why. Including a 12-item “Successful Comedian’s To-Do List,” Rosenfield states, “Get undeniably good at each of these and you can kiss your day job good-bye. You will be a pro.” The New York Times heralded Stephen Rosenfield as “probably the best known comedy teacher in the country.” His alumni include some of today’s most prominent comedians and comedy writers, such as Lena Dunham, Jim Gaffigan, Eric Slovin, and Jessica Kirson. Rosenfield has directed, coached, and/or written for these and hundreds of other comedians. As a pioneer in the field of teaching comedy, he founded the American Comedy Institute, the premier stand-up comedy school in the United States, in 1989. Review: The "Bible" of Stand-up Comedy! - Stephen Rosenfield has written the “Bible” of stand-up comedy. As an ex-comedian, I only wish I had had this book to refer to over and over again. I would have loved to have known the author “back in the day” when I was running from club to club and very often letting the “voice” enter my head which reiterated all the reasons why I should quit, not get on stage or why I wasn’t as funny as the other stand ups. Rosenfield is the kind of teacher who can help anyone get beyond the self-doubt and severe stage fright and re-channel those emotions for much better use –great comedy! I walked away from this book realizing no comedian is “undeniably good” until the material is worked out over and over and over again. What separates great comedians from average comedians for the most part comes down to who can hang in there and do the extraordinary work required and who simply can’t. Surprisingly there is no magic bullet, but if you take Rosenfield’s subscription and follow his recipe ingredient by ingredient, you too can become a paid comedian. Hard work is the centerpiece no doubt, but persona development, connecting with the audience, and the commitment to tirelessly refining the joke is too. The author teaches us that stand ups must painstakingly listen for the laughs and cut away the extraneous words that don’t contribute to the laugh, as deftly as an artist carving wood. The author also gets us to recognize and understand when and why it’s time to let go of that “A+ joke” that has ‘killed’ for years but may now be laying flat like a pancake. It may be that the “truth” of that joke is no longer true for us, or could be that it simply is no longer as good as the rest of our material. Rosenfield not only shows us the nuts and bolts of organizing jokes by subject, but urges us not to underestimate the importance of being present for the audience and how that plays into how the audience feels about the standup—“the audience feels what the comedian is feeling”. If the comedian is not having fun, sadly neither is the audience. Even if some of the jokes are bombing, but the comedian is likable, extremely committed to his material and having fun---all is not lost. The author expertly illustrates this by sharing how Johnny Carson would stare into the camera as if befuddled the laugh didn’t come, or how David Letterman would throw the joke card behind him accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. This also illustrates the importance of being present and not ignoring the reality of the situation which ultimately sends the message to your audience that you really want to be there and are somehow connected to them. There are so many other great aspects of this book like how to MC a show, the standard etiquette around performing at clubs, and the dark side of stealing jokes, but also this books reads like the most interesting history book you’ve ever read about many of the greatest comedians of all time---whom apparently many the author has personally known and worked with. As I read Steve’s book, I would constantly go to YouTube to witness the great works of Jonathan Winters, Jackie “Mom’s” Mabley (Loretta Mary Aiken), Bob Newhart, Andy Kaufman, and many more rising stars I’ve never heard of but will certainly see in the future. Rosenfield is whip-smart and knows his stuff inside and out which makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read for this ex-comedian. But honestly for anyone interested in comedy or just wants to better understand how comedians do what they do, this is THE MOST compelling book on standup to read. Review: I Am So Glad I Found This Book - A month ago, at age 72, I decided to try stand-up at a local open mic night. I was scared to death, but it went well and people laughed. I appeared at a second mic night and it went okay, but not as well as before. Then I got Stephen Rosenfield's excellent book, and through the clear instruction and explanations on these pages, I think I know a few things I need to work on. Stephen knows what he's talking about - it is inspiring, very educational, funny, and clearly explains different kinds of humor and how one or more of them could work for you. I also enjoyed the last chapters on what to do before and during showtime, building an all-"A" set, and the chapter on creating a persona is gold, even including how to thank the audience with warmth. This is a valuable book for anyone writing or performing humor for stand-up comics, either yourself or someone else. I could not recommend it higher and it will become one of my go-to resources as I see what happens in my new passion of stand-up comedy. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #107,122 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2 in Performing Arts Industry #58 in Acting & Auditioning (Books) #77 in Comedy (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 700 Reviews | ## Images ![Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61LmVyRPZmL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The "Bible" of Stand-up Comedy! *by P***Y on November 11, 2017* Stephen Rosenfield has written the “Bible” of stand-up comedy. As an ex-comedian, I only wish I had had this book to refer to over and over again. I would have loved to have known the author “back in the day” when I was running from club to club and very often letting the “voice” enter my head which reiterated all the reasons why I should quit, not get on stage or why I wasn’t as funny as the other stand ups. Rosenfield is the kind of teacher who can help anyone get beyond the self-doubt and severe stage fright and re-channel those emotions for much better use –great comedy! I walked away from this book realizing no comedian is “undeniably good” until the material is worked out over and over and over again. What separates great comedians from average comedians for the most part comes down to who can hang in there and do the extraordinary work required and who simply can’t. Surprisingly there is no magic bullet, but if you take Rosenfield’s subscription and follow his recipe ingredient by ingredient, you too can become a paid comedian. Hard work is the centerpiece no doubt, but persona development, connecting with the audience, and the commitment to tirelessly refining the joke is too. The author teaches us that stand ups must painstakingly listen for the laughs and cut away the extraneous words that don’t contribute to the laugh, as deftly as an artist carving wood. The author also gets us to recognize and understand when and why it’s time to let go of that “A+ joke” that has ‘killed’ for years but may now be laying flat like a pancake. It may be that the “truth” of that joke is no longer true for us, or could be that it simply is no longer as good as the rest of our material. Rosenfield not only shows us the nuts and bolts of organizing jokes by subject, but urges us not to underestimate the importance of being present for the audience and how that plays into how the audience feels about the standup—“the audience feels what the comedian is feeling”. If the comedian is not having fun, sadly neither is the audience. Even if some of the jokes are bombing, but the comedian is likable, extremely committed to his material and having fun---all is not lost. The author expertly illustrates this by sharing how Johnny Carson would stare into the camera as if befuddled the laugh didn’t come, or how David Letterman would throw the joke card behind him accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. This also illustrates the importance of being present and not ignoring the reality of the situation which ultimately sends the message to your audience that you really want to be there and are somehow connected to them. There are so many other great aspects of this book like how to MC a show, the standard etiquette around performing at clubs, and the dark side of stealing jokes, but also this books reads like the most interesting history book you’ve ever read about many of the greatest comedians of all time---whom apparently many the author has personally known and worked with. As I read Steve’s book, I would constantly go to YouTube to witness the great works of Jonathan Winters, Jackie “Mom’s” Mabley (Loretta Mary Aiken), Bob Newhart, Andy Kaufman, and many more rising stars I’ve never heard of but will certainly see in the future. Rosenfield is whip-smart and knows his stuff inside and out which makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read for this ex-comedian. But honestly for anyone interested in comedy or just wants to better understand how comedians do what they do, this is THE MOST compelling book on standup to read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I Am So Glad I Found This Book *by K***E on May 16, 2025* A month ago, at age 72, I decided to try stand-up at a local open mic night. I was scared to death, but it went well and people laughed. I appeared at a second mic night and it went okay, but not as well as before. Then I got Stephen Rosenfield's excellent book, and through the clear instruction and explanations on these pages, I think I know a few things I need to work on. Stephen knows what he's talking about - it is inspiring, very educational, funny, and clearly explains different kinds of humor and how one or more of them could work for you. I also enjoyed the last chapters on what to do before and during showtime, building an all-"A" set, and the chapter on creating a persona is gold, even including how to thank the audience with warmth. This is a valuable book for anyone writing or performing humor for stand-up comics, either yourself or someone else. I could not recommend it higher and it will become one of my go-to resources as I see what happens in my new passion of stand-up comedy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mastering Stand-up Comedy by Stephen Rosenfield reviewed by Allan Guttman *by A***N on November 18, 2017* There are a lot of books out there about creating comedy, but I have never read one with as much clarity, warmth, humour, intelligence, honesty, wisdom, humanity and dedication as Mastering Stand-up Comedy. Stephen Rosenfield speaks from the heart (and from many years of experience as a teacher and comedy writer) to help potential (and working) comedians fulfill their comedy dreams. He does it by creating a masterful set of chapters which move step by step through the whole process from neophyte to pro, along with brilliant advice about the psychology of both audiences and comedians. It is as if he’s talking to the reader personally and with empathy. He even supplies an email address in case you have questions for him. There are chapters on the forms of stand-up comedy, writing material, performing, dealing with nerves, creating a stand-up persona, getting “undeniably good”, dealing with fear and doubts, the importance of hard and consistent work, and the business of stand-up—all with a very personal voice. There is also insightful analysis of the work of actual comedians, including how some of the jokes were re-written make them stronger. Full disclosure: I have seen Steve at work in the classroom, and have also worked extensively in the comedy and teaching world. People who are as knowledgeable and supportive and so absolutely dedicated to their students are relatively rare. If you have a burning desire to do stand-up, or even just a curiosity about what it takes to do it well, read this book. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ec/products/65921362-mastering-stand-up-the-complete-guide-to-becoming-a-successful](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/65921362-mastering-stand-up-the-complete-guide-to-becoming-a-successful) --- *Product available on Desertcart Ecuador* *Store origin: EC* *Last updated: 2026-07-07*