Because it is believed that laughter is the best medicine, a good laugh is something that nobody would avoid. Whenever something appears to be funny, people seem to give their attention to it instantly. It is for this reason that humor is included in almost any form of media presentation one way or another.
Plato and Aristotle, 2 of the greatest ancient philosophers were said to think deeply about the meaning of comedy as they were laying out the foundations of western philosophy. Even Charles Darwin, the master of the Theory of Evolution was believed to have sought the implications of laughter among chimpanzees.
Whether these are true or not, we can just be certain that comedy is indeed a serious business. And whenever serious business is talked about, there is serious money to be made from it.
You can make money by creating jokes, you really can. Here are 4 basic ways to do it:
Make Memes
Whenever you log on to your social media account, or to any online community that you frequent, you will most certainly encounter catchy, often funny artistic slogans or media called memes.
Originally coined by scientist Richard Dawkins, it can be defined as an act of imitating something In species evolution where Mr. Dawkins is known to be very good at, memes are important because they are meant to reproduce ideas – an essential aspect to making things grow and flourish.
With the omniscience of the internet, memes are easy to find and are very hard to ignore. People consume it as if it’s the digital equivalent of hotdogs and pancakes. If this is a reality, then perhaps we can capitalize on it, and add benefit from the monetary gain that it can give.
All you need is some basic digital graphic skills, and you can start making people smirk, smile, or laugh with your humorous images.
Make a Comedy Blog or Write a Joke Ebook
If you love writing about jokes, then you may want to blog about it or publish a book about it. To make it simpler for you, just bear in mind that jokes are mostly given in 3 formats: stories, riddles, and knock-knocks.
Stories are quite longer than the other 2 and require cleverness and craftiness until the punchline is delivered. Riddles are short and often begin with a question. Knock-knock also begins with questions and often ends up with the teller singing a song with a comedic touch.
Whichever of these you pick, you should be ready to write lots and lots of it. As long as you can provide content for your blog on a regular basis, it will be easy and profitable.
For a jokebook, I must recommend that you choose to publish it as an ebook. It’s easier and could prove to be more profitable for you in the long run. Read this article about publishing ebooks to have a better understanding of it.
Make a Comedy Vlog
Youtube and many social media sites are flocked with it – videos of pranks and all sorts of funny stuff. According to surveys, the following are the most popular video types uploaded into Youtube:
Funny Animals
Video Game Walkthroughs
How To Guides and Tutorials
Product Reviews
Celebrity Gossip Videos
Travel Vlogs
Comedy / Skit Videos
Shopping Sprees
Unboxing Videos
Educational Videos
Parodies
Pranks
If you can notice, 4 of the 12 items are comedic in nature. This information highly indicates that the niche of comedy is highly profitable in vlogging. It only proves that making people laugh through videos is something that will surely never go out of style.
Write For Humor-Oriented Sites
Another method is submitting comedy articles to websites that accept them. If you think you can come up with articles that can make people laugh, check out the sites listed below and find out how you can earn by being a comedian.
Chicken Soup for The Soul – Having sold more than 100 million books in more than 40 languages, the company is one of the leading ones in providing humorous content in print and digital media. Their products are mainly about topics on books, pet stories, TVs and movies, and apps. Your articles must reach up to 1,200 words. You could be paid $200 for each submission.
Cracked – This site provides various opportunities for people who have a lot to showcase in the avenue of comedy. You can write articles, create slogans, compile image sets – anything that can be categorized as funny internet content. To get an assignment for creating such content, you need to pitch an idea to them, and communicate with their editors. Once a deal is sealed, you will be paid $50.
Funny Times – Providing content for both digital and print media, they accept cartoonish images and funny articles of up to 5 submissions from each person. Your creations must be on the fun side of relationships, technology, jobs, environmental issues, and even religion. Articles must be around 500 – 700 words. For cartoons, payment is $30 - $50. For stories, it is $60.
Imperfect Parent – The objective of this site is to make parents think about politics, social issues, and parenting in a truly humorous and prospective manner. Articles to be accepted must focus on the lighter side of parenting. You may craft your writings as a parody, as an essay, or an open-letter format – as long as it invokes happy and funny thoughts. Payment is around $25.
McSweeney’s Internet Tendencies – This site is built to help new, aspiring, and ambitious writers. It is meant to challenge conventional writing formats as it helps to promote new writing ideas. Focusing on comedy and satire, the owner claims that the website is run by just a single person. Articles must be around 1,200 words. Their guidelines don’t clearly indicate the payment, although it is stated that it should be modest enough.
Reader’s Digest – Having a publication that reaches 40 million people in more than 70 countries, this company is one of the most recognizable giants in the print industry. With the boom of the internet age, it has also expanded its influence in the digital realm. You can write for either the publication’s print or web publications. You can submit either a joke in which you could be paid $25, or a funny true story in which you could earn $100.
Sassee – This site seeks first-person, unpublished articles relating to women, in a humorous and satirical approach. You may submit essays, personal experiences, fiction, and nonfiction writings. Articles that speak about various age groups are also encouraged. Submissions must be 500 – 1000 words.
Saturday Evening Post – This site accepts articles within categories like fiction, nonfiction, and humor. To have an idea of the format and writing styles of their published materials, writers are encouraged to read their previously released materials. Although payment is not clearly specified, the site is one of the most highest-paying publishing companies as they have been around longer than most publications of their kind.
The New Yorker – With a publication that’s been around since 1926, it produces reading materials focused on lighthearted commentaries, fiction, poetry, and humor. It publishes magazines on a weekly basis and has been issuing digital materials as well since the internet became widespread. If you have the knack for writing about a variety of topics on a satirical approach, then consider writing for The New Yorker. Payment may vary depending on the quality of the articles that you can make.
Weekly Humorist – Armed with the tagline, “The Standard in American Immaturity,” the publication claims to be the best in editorial satire, cartoons, and pop culture. Submissions for this site include writeups that can be open letters, fake news, blurbs, funny reviews, top ten lists, or any other unpredictable categories. Articles that are too absurd to be published in other publications are even encouraged. Articles must not exceed 1,500 words.
As long as the internet exists, you can certainly make some money by giving jokes to people. Hurry and don’t tarry, the world is waiting for your jokes so it may laugh at them!
