New Comedy Career Book Offers Advice to Get Laughs and Get Paid

Judy Carter's 'Making Money Being Funny' shows comics how to turn punchlines into paychecks and applause into assets.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Judy Carter, a veteran comedian, motivational speaker, and author, has released a new book called 'Making Money Being Funny' that aims to change the broken business model of stand-up comedy. The book provides a blueprint for comics, writers, content creators, and entertainers to build wealth and financial security beyond just chasing fame and stage time.

Why it matters

The book confronts the uncomfortable truth that in today's gig economy, momentum is not security for many working comedians. Carter, who has firsthand experience with this, wants to shift the focus from just writing jokes to building sustainable businesses and creating assets that generate recurring revenue.

The details

In her new book, Carter outlines a strategy for entertainers to stop chasing fame and instead become famous in a niche, leverage their talent into multiple revenue streams like films, production companies, and branded partnerships, create assets like books and courses rather than just appearances, own their intellectual property, and think like a CEO to package, price, and protect their talent.

  • Carter's new book 'Making Money Being Funny' was released on March 5, 2026.

The players

Judy Carter

A veteran comedian, motivational keynote speaker, and author of 'The New Comedy Bible' and 'The Message of You'. She has appeared on over 100 television shows and is known for helping launch the careers of top comics like Seth Rogen, Iliza Shlesinger, and Maz Jobrani.

George Carlin

An early pioneer in retaining ownership of his comedy specials, building a catalog that generated income for decades.

Kevin Hart

A comedian who has leveraged stand-up into films, production companies, branded partnerships, and multiple revenue streams, demonstrating a path for building wealth beyond just stage time.

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What they’re saying

“There's a joke comics tell each other, 'What's the difference between a stand-up comic and a large pizza? A large pizza can feed a family of four.'”

— Judy Carter, Comedian and Author

“This book isn't about getting famous. It's about not sleeping in your car.”

— Judy Carter, Comedian and Author

What’s next

Carter's new book 'Making Money Being Funny' is available for purchase online and in bookstores starting March 5, 2026.

The takeaway

Judy Carter's new book provides a roadmap for comedians, writers, content creators, and entertainers to build sustainable businesses and financial security beyond just chasing fame and stage time. By shifting the focus to creating assets, owning intellectual property, and thinking like a CEO, the book aims to help performers break out of the 'momentum illusion' of the gig economy.