As a writer of a variety of styles and genres, I have come to discover that I am pretty darn funny. Although that statement may appear to be a bit of a self-love-fest, I have been known to sit giggling over my own clever prose. And my Dad thinks that I write with great wit (so if you disagree with my idea of humor, you can take it up with him).  

Luckily, my sense of humor has been able to blossom on a number of writing assignments that I have taken on. Sure, it’s one thing to be a little funny when I’m writing this blog, but to relay my humor into the paid services of a client is a pretty big deal. They know nothing about me other than my email address and a few brief samples of my work, and humorous prose is a very personal thing. 

As an example, let me discuss my husband’s favorite online reading venue, written by a very sarcastic man who goes by the name of Maddox at http://maddox.xmission.com/.  (Note: don’t use that URL unless you enjoy offensive—incredibly offensive—humor.) From time to time, I will hear my husband succumbing to a hearty chuckle at something that stereotypes women, children, or Idahoans—you name it, Maddox insults it. Most of the time, I just shake my head and wonder who exactly it is that I married. 

So when clients ask me to write web copy about their product and to infuse it with a little bit of humor, they really have no concept of the burden they just placed on my shoulders. Play it too safe in the humor department, and the client may think they just hired a dud. Go too far, and you may step on toes that no longer want you on their side. Vary just a little bit in what you think is funny and what they think is funny, and you could have one very unsuccessful professional relationship. In order to walk that fine line between funny and distasteful, and to satisfy all involved parties, you may want to consider the following: 

1. Does it offend? Is what you are writing demeaning to a person or group of persons? Chances are, your client doesn’t want to turn potential customers away. And if they don’t mind (or even request) the offensive humor, you might want to rethink the ethics of working for such a client.

2. Is it too obscure? Although esoteric humor has its place (usually alongside people who use terms like esoteric), most clients want text that appeals to a mass audience. Usually, it is your job as a good writer to interest as many readers as possible.

3. Is it not obscure enough? I write quite a bit of humorous text for the website of one of my international clients. I once put a comical reference about Close Encounters of the Third Kind in an article; however, they are not all that familiar with American pop culture and didn’t quite get the point. Once I explained what it meant, though, they loved the idea. They want to appeal to a primarily American audience and felt that using the reference made them more likely to draw in their desired clientele.

4. Is it relevant? Are you writing about an important topic related to health? Are you discussing a recent natural disaster? Obviously, these are not the best times to bring in the wisecracks. On a more subtle level, though, you also want to make sure that your humor relates to the topic at hand. It’s just fine to put humor in the sales text of a website selling crocheted doilies, but it should be relevant to the topic, to the projected audience, and to the purpose of the writing.  

5. Is it age appropriate? If you are writing anything—anything—that will be read by children, please make sure you temper your language. I can almost guarantee that if you put inappropriate humor in the text of something intended to be read by families, your client will not be laughing alongside you.

6. Is your name going to be on it? This is one of those things that really might come back to haunt you later. Say you do use some humorous language that borders on the offensive. What happens when the political climate shifts and your comment on international relations suddenly seems pretty off color? The dynamic of the internet means that you may find yourself confronting that joke for years to come—and not in a good way.

7. Did you communicate effectively? After all, your clients are the ones paying for your words. Did they really want humor, or did you just decide to use some because you were feeling a bit sassy that morning? If they did ask for some humor, did you ask about whether it was supposed to be overt or subtle? Consistent throughout the text or just a smattering here and there? Light-hearted or slap-your-knees funny? Perhaps even more importantly, send your copy in with a disclaimer of sorts. Tell the client what you did with the humor and why. Let them know that you can make any changes should they not share the same sense of the ridiculous as you.  

Writing comedic text is one of my favorite things to do. Granted, some days it is harder to do than others, but to be able to bring a smile to someone’s face through your words (even if that face is only your own) is a gift. And if it is a gift that you do possess, it can become an incredibly marketable tool when used appropriately. Who wouldn’t want to hire someone as clever and witty as you?

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