Escorting, Fetish Model, Money Management, Pro Domme, Sex Work, Uncategorized, Webcam

So You Want to Quit Your Day Job

So you want to quit your day job…

Ok, first thing? Don’t.
Not right away, anyway. You’ve got some serious planning to do first, sugarbritches! It took me nearly a year to get everything ready to go from working in this industry part-time to making it my full-time job and my sole means of income. If this is a choice that you have the luxury of making in advance, make the most of the time you have to make the move as painless as possible.

Are you making at least the same amount of money whoring part-time that you are while working full-time at the day job? If the answer is no, stop reading this article and start honing your skills in your chosen field and come back after the answer is yes. When you’re getting your footing while moving into being your own boss all the time, you’re going to need to take time figuring out a new rhythm, a new schedule, a new well… everything. This could very well eat into your planned “work week” at the beginning and allowing yourself enough time to adjust will save you some serious gray hairs. Especially since there really aren’t any guaranteed paychecks in this biz, bogging yourself down with “holy shit I have to whore for 60 hours to make this week’s bills.” will kill you. KILL YOU. So yes, make sure you are comfortably making your current pay with part-time effort right out of the gate. it will make your transition that much easier. There will be booming times and lean times, be prepared.

Are you prepared to no longer have a mainstream job as an answer when someone asks you what you do for a living? Do you plan on being “out”? To whom? These are questions that you may not have had to think about when this was just a part-time gig but once you are all-in, be prepared to be asked about this “great new job you’ve started” and you should have an answer ready, (whatever it may be) for people that matter to you. Obviously, not everyone needs to know your business but be prepared to be asked, and be asked often. This is also a good time to remind you that at some point in time you could possibly be recognized or god forbid, outted.

Have a hefty amount in savings put away before you give your notice. I hope you’ve been saving your whore money while you’ve been slaving away at your day job because you really never know what adjustments you’re going to need to make once you make your ho job your only job. I saved 6 months worth of expenses because my husband had been laid off the year before and that showed me how important a safety net was, especially with a mortgage.

Let’s talk health insurance. Because let’s be real, this is a giant issue for us all and if you’re leaving a job without health insurance, you better have a plan to replace it. Many of us go without, on a hope and a prayer and lord knows that shit ain’t smart. (I was lucky enough to only have to wait a few months until open enrollment for my husband’s plan through his employer. I know how lucky I was to have had that option.) Paying out of pocket for every last bit of health insurance you’ll need can get CRAZY expensive, and hopefully the Affordable Healthcare Act will help lessen some of the burden in the future. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to do your research and plan for what decisions you’ll need to make.

So yes, if Sex Work is the job you love (or love to hate) and the career path you’re choosing, please don’t jump in hastily. Plan ahead, save your money and come to terms with whatever social hangups others will have about your profession before making the leap.
It’ll serve you well in the long run.

 

Savannah Darling: Fetish Specialist, Webcam Mistress, Phone Sex Operator, Professional Domina

Clips, Fetish Model, Marketing, Sex Work

Consistency is Key

So, you recently opened your very own clips store and you’re wondering “why isn’t the money pouring in?” Maybe you had heard from other girls or producers that they make enough money off their one or two clip stores to make a living. Sounds easy, right? WRONG! There are few key components that you need to consider in your path to success. Sure, putting up a few videos here and there doesn’t sound hard, but let me break this down for you, consumer style: You’re out of your favorite cereal, so you go down the cereal isle at the market and find that the brand you usually buy has changed their product’s ingredients, you’re bummed but you pick it up hoping that it’s still the same. Well, you get home and it’s not. It doesn’t taste the same at all! So what do you do? You switch brands. Or, you’re out of your favorite cereal, so you go down the cereal isle and they are out of that kind. What do you do? Try something new.

This is the way the mind of buyers work, and not just when buying cereal. Your overall brand consistency is the key to your success when it comes to clips. You may be asking yourself “well how do I develop that?” It isn’t the easiest thing on the planet, but success doesn’t come without work!

Time Consistency

The major clip sites out there give you an option to schedule clips for future posting. Utilize the hell out of this!! If your customers know that you have a new clip posted every day at 11am, with a different format following at 3-4 hour intervals the rest of the day, they’re going to check your clip store every day. If they know that you only post a new clip once or twice a week, they’re going to check just those days. How do you let them know? Easily! Tell them! Most clip stores allow you to have a description, so simply spell out “New clips posted daily at 11am!” and then stick to that. You don’t want to rush each day uploading a new clip to meet the deadline, so schedule clips a week, month or several months in advance to avoid stressing yourself out. In addition to your current fans knowing when to find you, having your store on the “recently updated” list on the front page consistently will bring new fans to you!

Quality Consistency

You don’t like the new ingredients used in your favorite cereal, so why would you expect your buyers to like it if you are constantly switching between poor quality and HD quality videos? Now, I should be a bit more specific here. When you post clips, you can post the same clip in various formats/qualities, but specify that in the description! And do not post one clip in one poor quality and the next clip in excellent HD quality. Be consistent! If your videos are always well lit with very little grain, keep that up. Make sure you’re always using the best lighting possible and the same camera. The only time you want to break consistency is when you’re improving your quality by adding better lighting or upgrading to a better camera.

Content Consistency

Ok, so you’re still a newbie and you don’t know what to post. Cool! That’s fine. You’re learning, but if something sells really well for you DO IT AGAIN! Don’t skip over it and never do it again. Sure, selling clips is a trial and error process, but if something works  for you, continue it. You don’t want to wear the exact same outfit or speak the exact same lines, but the general idea/theme of the clip can remain constant without there being an issue. The best part about this is that when you have several clips of a specific category up in your store, often times new fans will go through and buy all of them, rather than just one!

What does this all mean when you put it together? It means you’re going to need to film a lot, in advance. You’re going to need to maintain the quality of your camera work, lighting, and editing, and only ever move up in quality. And you’re going to need to shoot the same things over and over and over again. Best way to do this? Pick a day and shoot as much in that day as you can. If you manage your time well, you can knock out anywhere from 6-10 clips in an hour. That’s about a week’s worth of content! Plan ahead and know what you’re going to shoot, and you can get shooting clips down to an art that works for you. Your fans will see the hard work you put in and it will pay off.

Sydney Screams: Fetish Model, Clip Producer, Adult Actress, Radio Talk Show Host

Escorting, Legal, Pro Domme, Sex Work

Intercourse is intercourse

People ask all the time from seasoned pros to young hopefuls looking to get into the sex business. Even clients who are looking for a way to beat the system ask.  They ask over and over and over. It’s one of my most searched terms on my websites “is using a strap on on a client prostitution?” The hope is always that no, fucking someone with a strap-on in exchange for cash isn’t considered prostitution. Hope does spring eternal. The simple fact is intercourse is intercourse and fucking someone with your hand, your sexual organs, your mouth or an object in exchange for cash is prostitution. There’s no getting around it. You can call yourself a Pro Domme and maybe you are or maybe you hope to be but if you offer strap-on play as one of your services then you are engaging in an act of prostitution. In some states (most check your local laws) just agreeing to such an act will get you popped and off you will go on a ride to the county clink. I know people want to believe it’s somehow legal to fuck someone with a strap on for cash because its seems like a gray area but its not, Its not a gray area its an act of prostitution. Don’t try to game the system by lying to yourself about what it is your doing. Just accept the fact that what you are offering isn’t legal and take the necessary precaution if you decide to offer this activity be you Pro Domme or provider and screen your potential clients to make sure you’re not putting yourself in a bad position or harms way in terms of your freedom.

You don’t have to call your self a prostitute and  leave those disclaimers up in your website that say you’re a Pro Domme not a hooker if it makes you feel better but it wont protect you if you offer illegal activities and you happen to be unlucky enough to be the one who booked the session with a man in a undercover uniform. Hookers all have disclaimers on their sites too, you know the ones “all fees are for time and companionship only… blah blah” they also wont help if you get arrested. Only screening can help you. Only weeding out possible bad situations can help you. There is never no risk when you are engaging in activities frowned upon by penal code XYZ, but the idea is to minimize your risk. Your best tool in that is to screen your clients and screen well.

Jenny DeMilo: Dominatrix, GFE Escort, Fetish Clip Producer, Phone Sex Operator and Hypno-Domme

equipment, Sex Work

Best Equipment For The Job: Lighting

By Sydney Screams

If you’re doing more than webcamming, you are going to need good lighting. Most cameras require better lighting than what the average person happens to have at their home; floor lamps and table lamps tend to only have one, low wattage bulb that doesn’t give off enough light needed to produce a quality image. You’re going to need better (and more) equipment than a few standard home lamps, and you’re going to have to pay for it. As a producer or self-producing model, lighting is key. Luckily, there are several options depending on your budget and your needs. Ask yourself a few questions before you choose what to buy: Do you travel a lot? What is your budget? How many lights do you need? How many lights do you have space for? How many people are you generally shooting?

Saving by buying one light is a great way to start, although you’ll find that buying individual lights will quickly add up since kits tend to be cheaper options. My personal two favorite budget brands for lighting are Cowboy Studios and Smith Victor. Both offer budget lighting (although you may not initially think so based on the $100-700+ light kits). Both Cowboy Studios and Smith Victor offer a range in lighting kits that may or may not include a carrying case (a must if you travel a lot), and include anywhere from one light up to four lights. Although you may think that you only need one light, you’ll then have the problem of shadows. You can easily start off with one light (around $90 for a 5 bulb light with soft box and light stand) and then add a second once you are able to afford to do so. However, if you can afford to go ahead and get a 2-3 light kit right off the bat, I recommend doing so! Smith Victor offers a 1250-Watt 3 light kit (2 regular lights, plus a hair light, 3 stands, umbrellas and carrying case) for around $275 http:// www.amazon.com/3-Light-1250-Watt-Thrifty-Mini-Boom-Carrying/dp/B0000AJB80/ref=sr_1_10?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1347385444&sr=1-10&keywords=victor+smith+light. Alternatively, Cowboy Studio offers a 3300-Watt 3 light kit (2 regular lights, plus hair light, 3 stands, 3 soft boxes and carrying case) for $250 http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/vl-9026s-b85w.htm . With video lighting, avoid getting a lighting kit with less than 1000 watts. While you may not need 1250 or 3300 watts that come with either of these two options, having too much light is better than having not enough. You can always turn off a bulb or two, whereas you can’t always add a bulb or two.

Having good lighting makes the difference between “eh” and “wow!” quality when you are selling clips. Your customers will notice a difference and trust me when I say that nobody complains about better quality content. Just a tip: You don’t need to shine the light directly on yourself unless there’s a soft box or umbrella, but bouncing light off the ceiling will provide you with clean, soft lighting. Having good, soft light will make the HD look better, but also soften out your skin, which in turn makes you look better! Win!

Sydney Screams: Fetish Model, Clip Producer, Adult Actress, Radio Talk Show Host

Clips, Fetish Model, Internet, Sex Work, Webcam

Camera-Ready: Makeup Tips

I thought having a series of posts on how to get yourself ready to film clips or for camming would be fun since these are things I’m always thinking about. What to wear, how to do my makeup, props, etc. I think I may have tried it all so hopefully the shortcuts I’ve learned can make your day a little easier!

So let’s talk Whore Paint, shall we?

Makeup for the camera can be quite different than your everyday routine. I know for me, when I do my regular makeup where I’ll be seeing people face-to-face, I aim for subtle and try to go for the fresh-faced look. But when I’m filming or going on cam? Completely different. The main reason is, no matter how good of a camera you have or how fantastic your HD recording is, it takes SO much more for your makeup look to “pop” and translate to video. BUT just because it takes a little more effort to look “made up” on camera, doesn’t necessarily mean you need to actually *apply* more. Through trial and error (LOTS of error) I’ve figured out how to look done up without completely covering myself head to toe in face paint by utilizing a few tricks.

Don’t pile it on. Use the least amount of product with the most amount of impact. This means using better quality, higher pigmented products so you can use less of it and be less susceptible to having it run or smear while you work. Plus, less makeup = less clogged pores and easier to remove at the end of the night. Higher quality doesn’t need to mean expensive though (stay tuned for a post on some awesome products for less!) and you can find most of the good stuff right at your drug store. Seriously!

Moisturize and prime! A good moisturizer will change your life, followed by a good face primer. Together, they’ll give you an awesome canvas to work with as well as help keep what you put on, where you put it. Just please remember to give both of these products time to set up in between applications. Wait at least 5 minutes after applying moisturizer (longer if you can stand it) before applying primer and then wait again at least 5 minutes after applying primer before starting your make up. I usually do these steps while I’m doing my hair so it doesn’t feel like forever while I’m waiting. That and because I have no patience whatsoever.

Foundation or no? I personally do NOT wear foundation when I work because I have really sensitive skin (read: break-out prone) and I want to minimize the layers of products on my face. I prefer to use a really good concealer to highlight areas that need it and a matter bronzer powder to shade or contour other areas. A good concealer that matches your skin tone can help hide any imperfections without covering your entire face with it like you normally would with foundation.

Waterproof and Long-wearing? YES! I know it’s a no-brainer but raccoon-eyes are not the business so invest in a good, waterproof set of products. Waterproof mascara, eyeliner and lipstick will make your life so much easier. I mean, who wants to re-do their whole face halfway through their cam shift? Not this girl. Plus, there’s nothing worse than getting red lipstick all over yourself after a particularly hot scene. I once filmed a breast worship video in a bright yellow bathing suit and in playback I realized that I must have touched my lips at some point and got red smudges all over my tits and bikini top. Definitely changed the marketing description for that video, that’s for sure.

Lashes. Like everything else, this is a personal choice. I really love to wear them if I have the time to apply them. I feel like if I wear lashes, I don’t have to wear a ton of mascara to get the look I want especially since many times, too much mascara = flaking, which sucks. Plus, on cam, with the right pair, it just looks like you have really lovely eyes. It’s not super obvious that you’re wearing false eyelashes like it tends to be when in-person. So like I said, personal choice on whether to wear them or not but I think they look lovely when done right and if you have the time for them.

I hope some of these tips help you with a place to start or maybe build on the routines you already have in place. I know that makeup and skincare go hand in hand so next time I’ll be talking about how to keep your skin looking fantastic after all these days of wearing makeup! (Lord knows I’ve done it wrong enough times to write a book! ha!)

What kinds of makeup tricks have made your life easier when you’re in from of the camera? We’d love to hear all about them in the comments!

Savannah Darling: Fetish Specialist, Webcam Mistress, Phone Sex Operator, Professional Domina

Sage advice from bonifide whores