The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Humor Piece - $27
Who is this eBook for?
You’d like a start-to-finish guide to writing a killer humor piece—a guide that goes into extreme depth and spares no details.
You're having trouble breaking into the humor publications where you really want to publish. Or, you’re just not publishing consistently.
You struggle to nail the revision habits needed to consistently finish great humor pieces.
Your humor writing feels stuck. You’re spinning your wheels. You don’t feel like you’re growing.
Or, you’re new to humor writing, and you want a treasure map!
If any of the above points describe you, this book is for you.
Any issues with your purchase or questions? Get in touch: [alex] [at] [alexbaia.com]
Hey, humor writers and aspiring humor writers…
This eBook contains everything I know about writing and publishing humor pieces. But it’s not just a guide to writing humor pieces; it’s also a treasure map to cultivating great editing and revision habits, building an unstoppable feedback system, and living a rich humor writing life. This is the guide I wish I had when I started out as a humor writer.
Who am I to write this sucker?
I’ve written humor for The New Yorker, Austin Monthly, McSweeney’s, Eater, Points In Case, Weekly Humorist, and others. Find some of my writing highlights here.
I’m also an editor of Slackjaw, a daily humor publication on Medium with 147,000 followers. I’ve read literally thousands of humor submissions, rejecting many, accepting some, and seeing some go viral. I’ve developed a sense of what makes a humor piece shine. Let me teach you every last thing I know about humor writing—in the form of a sacred object called a “book.”
What you will find in “The Ultimate Guide to Writing A Humor Piece” eBook
An in-depth explanation of the elements of a successful humor piece: premise, headline, heightening, specifics, and voice.
A detailed guide to voice in humor writing: what makes a funny voice, how character and author voices differ, and detailed examples.
How to make your humor more fun and surprising using “tactical shifts”—with specific examples and strategies.
How to avoid the 20 most common humor writing mistakes. All the mistakes are explained in gory detail!
Exactly how to edit your drafts to sharpen them up into professional-level pieces.
The types of outside feedback you should seek (and avoid) to improve your individual drafts and grow as a humor writer.
Tips and strategies to build an unstoppable feedback system (and a great writing group) that will give you an unfair advantage.
The most common reasons publication editors will reject you. Get inside the heads of editors and get more published pieces.
How to be way more prolific and finish more drafts per week, month, and year.
Strategies for when you get stuck. A variety of ways to get inspired, get unstuck, and start writing humor that feels fresh and exciting.
A deep dive into the pros and cons of self-publishing your humor versus sending it to humor publications. Tips on how to pick an approach that’s right for you.
And more! See the "Table of Contents” below.
FAQs
Q: How long is the book?
A: The PDF version is 150 pages (47,000 words). The Kindle/eReader page count will vary based on your settings. Note: this book contains no weird fillers. I believe in a natural lifestyle, and I don’t like fillers or additives.
Q: What format is the eBook?
A: If you buy the eBook, you get a PDF (that reads beautifully on all phones, laptops, desktops, and tablets). I’ll also include EPUB and AZW3 files for Kindles, Nooks, Apple Books, and all e-Readers ever invented. I personally like Apple Books, but do what thou will!
Q: Can I buy this book from Amazon? Can I buy a physical copy?
A: This book is only available on my website as an eBook.
Q: Can I get this info anywhere else for free?
A: Nope. I’ve written some essays on humor writing on my blog and on Medium, but this book is approximately 1,000 times better and deeper.
Q: Are these questions really “frequently asked”?
A: These are the questions I imagined that readers might want answered.