Well I book rooms and I am a weekend comic, and I am glad to say I am doing 3 or 4 paid gigs a month. Not a lot, but just what I want to be doing. I have a good day job with good benifits so I am just in it to have a good time, give the folks a good laugh and make some fun money. As a booker I am up front, I tell you what the gig pays and the demo of the room. I usually won’t ask a comic unless they are a good fit. My rooms have been successful for a reason. Now as a comic I expect the same thing from who ever is asking me to do a show. I want them to tell me, what the room is like, how much I time and $$ will be getting, and any other details, whether blue is ok, or expected or they want a PG13 show. In this day of $4 gas, sometimes the drive won’t make much economic sense. If they money does not work, don’t be afraid to be upfront about it. Nothing is worse than hearing a comic bitch about the drive and how he “can’t make any money”…well just tell me “No” it really won’t hurt my feelings. I understand. And …if you take a gig, honor it, the other thing that pisses me off is getting a call 2 weeks before a show after the posters have been printed and hearing…”Dude…um…I can’t make your show, I got a gig closer and it pays better”…Really! Great! But I asked you first you SOB, so forget about being booked again. Oh and as a comic…avoid any and all bringer shows…that just shows you the booker/promoter is either in the wrong room or won’t work to promote the show. I think as a comic you should be promoting the show as much as you can. But you should not be required to have 5 people pay $7 then get 3 menu items. I think if ALL us comics refused to do bringer shows, those guys running them would get the idea. Also as a promoter, be honest, don’t over sell the talents of the comics you are booking…if you say X is selling out rooms in NYC and he or she sucks…not has a bad night…but sucks…well the venue owner will question your ability to spot talent. And as a comic, yea we may all bull shit, but come on…do not say you were on Comedy Central or BET unless you really were. People really don’t care, but it will be obvious if you are not that good. Like anything else in life, don’t be an ass hole, treat people well and they will do the same. AS a comic, treat the wait staff at the venue well. if you are getting a free meal…don’t forget to TIP THEM…maybe tip them double as you didn’t have to pay for the food. AS a booker, treat the comics well, don’t be a post set critic that night, if they bombed they know it. Pay the comics what you agreed to, and if you can, maybe pay them a little more if they really killed it. Also pay them promptly, I know sometimes you have to wait to get paid by the venue. Oh and if you are a booker and you dick someone…well you dicked us all…because by the end of the weekend…every comic in the area will know you dicked someone. So be honest and up front, don’t be an asshole, and don’t dick anyone and we all will be happy.