5 Questions with a Comedian: Mike Sacks

Have you earned more money working with noted publishers or selling books through your own imprint?

Mike Sacks is a writer — on staff at Vanity Fair, in fact — and an author who covers comedy, comedians and is also funny. He interviews interesting people and has written for a lot of really cool publications (McSweeney’s, The New Yorker, MAD, Salon, etc., etc.) and authored many books on the theme, including his most recent book, Welcome To Woodmont College. His bio reads like a wish list, which you can read here. One of the neatest things I’ve recently read by him was (the first ever) interview with noted Simpson’s writer, John Swartzwelder. It’s a must read, and included in my daily musings, below. I’m going to let Mike take it away now with his insightful answers about self publishing books and his favorite names in comedy (and beyond).

1. You seem to collect obscure comedic heroes--who are a few of your absolute favorites?

Ha, well I don't think of them necessarily as obscure. They're just the ones I like the most. But I always did have a taste for a certain style or sensibility of comedy that others (such as my family or friends) might not also really love. Chris Elliott is one of my absolute favorites. The work he did on Late Night with David Letterman changed my life. Just really bizarre, weird characters. They scared me as well as making me laugh. He was punk rock, in a sense. He didn't give a flying shit what anyone thought. Some of my other favorites are below. But I should point out that not all are artists in comedy. Some are musicians, authors and poets and otherwise. All a huge influence: Richard Lewis (RIP, one of the nicest guys in the world), Larry David, David Sedaris, Amy Sedaris, Merrill Markoe, Jean Shepherd, Paddy Chayefsky, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Resnick, John Waters, Ian MacKaye of Fugazi, Mark Leyner, Bruce Jay Friedman, Drew Friedman, Josh Alan Friedman, Richard Yates, Philip Larkin, Walt Whitman, Jorge Luis Borges, Emily Dickinson, Beatles, Pythons, Ray Davies, Lorrie Moore, Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson, Tracy Morgan, Steven Millhauser, Hal Ashby, Dan Clowes, R. Crumb, Steve Martin (read "Cruel Shoes"), George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Flannery O'Connor, Nabokov, Stephen Leacock, Paul Reubens, Albert Brooks, Woody Allen, Doug Kenney, and so many others

2. It appears that you were at one point publishing books with notable publishers and then switched to a vanity imprint of your own creating. Can you talk about the impetus behind that?

Yes, I've published a few books with traditional publishers, such as Random House and Viking. The problem with publishing humor with such publishing houses is that they're not looking to publish what I want to write. Beyond that, agents aren't looking to represent what I'm looking to write. So that leaves me to publish on my own. I don't like the word "vanity," however. That brings up images of me self-publishing hundreds of books which I then have to store in boxes in my basement. I use a pay-to-publish process in which it's only published if someone pays for the book. It's all about control. I can write the book, edit the book, have my wife design the book (she designs for Random House) and then put it out later that week. I don't have to wait a few years. There's no reason any more to publish humor through traditional publishers. You won't publish what you want, it's a pain in the ass to get anything sold, and then even if it is sold, it'll take years to come out. I suggest doing it on your own. Beyond that, the marketing is always left to the authors anyway. Might as well handle it all yourself.

3. Have you earned more money working with noted publishers or selling books through your own imprint?

Well, a few thousand is more than what I'd be getting for not publishing with major publishers. In the past, I could sell a book for a nice sum, but those days are over. It's not even about the money anyway. It's about control and putting out what I want, how I want, and getting interesting people involved, and being proud of what's sitting up on a shelf. And opportunities tend to arise when you publish a book, rather than just pitching it around town for years: audio productions, potential TV pitches, etc.

4. Do you have a ritual, OCD-type quirk or routine that you typically or have to do before you sit down to write?

No. I just write. I don't have a set time, or a set amount of words, or anything. I can do it anywhere, although I prefer my apartment, at my little stand-up desk. I see a ton of people writing in their journals at coffee shops, or online talking about writing, but, in the end, one just has to write. However ... if I don't write on a particular day, I will then feel an OCD urge to accomplish something the next day. That's the OCD: feeling the urge to have to produce something every day, 365 days a year. If you're finding excuses not to write, this might not be for you. But I say: Just do it. Produce. And then move on down the path. Don't stagnate, don't circle the drain.

5. Did you at one time dream of doing stand up or do you have a secret unfulfilled desire to be a comedian? Please explain your answer.

No, I never had any interest. I'm a bit of a homebody and I like the control I have with writing. I have done some readings on my own, and I open for David Sedaris a few times a year around the country. That's super fun. But I'm very content to work all day writing, and then catch an Orioles game on television at night. Or just read. I've never had any desire for performing live. I do like to perform but on my podcast, Doin' It With Mike Sacks, typically playing asshole characters. I don't know why I'm drawn to playing assholes. It just comes so easily to me, I guess. But I'll happily leave the performing to the real talents out there, and I'm lucky enough to have worked with some really amazing performers on my audio projects, such as Rhea Seehorn, John Hamm, Paul Reubens (RIP), Paul F. Tompkins, Laraine Newman, Amy Sedaris, my best bro Ted Travelstead, and so many others. I'm very lucky.

Daily Musings:

• Mike’s interview with John Swartzwelder | The New Yorker

• Welcome To Woodmont College, Mike’s latest book | MikeSacks.com

• Biden’s State of the Union address in full | YouTube

• Your comedy-related ad to 9k subscribers; $10/day, $40/wk | jess delfino at gmail dot com

• Purchase this comedy PR class for $70, get access to every Museletter for a year

Make it a good day, k?