Every New Year’s Day, many Americans resolve to earn more money. With the economy freefalling and OnlyFans ballooning, you might enter porn to meet your 2021 goals. You could shoot porn for a traditional studio like Vivid, or you may film a DIY sex tape in your studio apartment then upload the flick to OnlyFans. Either way, you will probably expect to earn six-figures (and hey, you might!), but you will lack a road map for the landmines you will need to avoid. Like Nevada during the Gold Rush, pornland is an opportune but dangerous place. Riches (or peril) await.
My career easily could have faded into oblivion. Instead, I’m still here. I endured, and thrived, through the transitions from Americans buying big porn studios’ $50 DVDs to streaming free porn on tube sites to subscribing to their neighbor and every other random acquaintance’s $10 OnlyFans.
Although porn constantly evolves, many business fundamentals remain. I’ve seen it all, and I’ve learned it all. Mostly the hard way. I want newbies joining the industry to learn the rules of the game before they film their first clip. You can consider me your favorite (dirty) teacher. Class, here’s what you must know before you shoot porn to accomplish your 2021 goals.
1) Tell Your Loved Ones About Your Job
Every year, a girl joins porn, swearing her dad, mom, boyfriend, college best friend, and fifth-grade math teacher will never see their video. Inevitably, their older brother’s ex-roommate’s cousin sees the girl on Pornhub then blabs about it in a group chat or, even worse, tweets out the clip. Get ahead of the storm and tell everyone in your life before Facebook does. Everyone, and I mean everyone, will find out, so tell them yourself.
2) Own Your Name
Scammers love the internet, and one of their favorite web scams is to sit on the URLs, social media handles, and trademarks of a new porn star’s professional name. Once you settle on your porn name (you can always follow the classic “childhood pet” for first name and “first street address” for your last name), register your name as a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This prevents others from profiting off your name. Sites like LegalZoom can walk you through the process. As you wait for your trademark approval, buy URLs and reserve handles on socials for all combinations of your name. If your name is Buddy Madison, you want to own BuddyMadison.com, theBuddyMadison.com, BuddyMadison.org, @BuddyMadison, @TheBuddyMadison, and on and on. Forgetting to reserve every combination can result in a scammer sitting on handles and extorting you down the line.
3) Start a Business
You’ll thank yourself in a year when tax season comes for organizing your business before you strip on tape. Getting paid as a business instead of an individual will likely save you money and protect you from lawsuits. America tends to treat businesses better than people, especially people who work in the sex trade. Each state’s tax laws differ, though, so hire an accountant and find out if you should set yourself up as an LLC, sole-proprietorship, or another arrangement. Then follow your accountant’s rules to a T.
4) Keep Drama Offline
Before you shoot for porn studios or sign a deal for an endorsement, company owners will scour through your social media. If you seem dramatic or unhappy, you will receive minimal studio work, let alone the few ad deals reserved for adult stars. Arguing with people online is fun but will only bite you in the ass—and when you’re selling your ass, you need to protect it! So keep the drama offline and treat social media as advertising for your brand.
5) Learn to Style Yourself
Studios will expect you to bring your own clothes and style them for 90 percent of your films. Before you start shooting, think of your porn persona, then acquire a variety of matching bra-and-panty sets, casual clothing, fancy wear, shoes, and accessories. You can never show labels in films, so make sure to buy clothes that aren’t plastered in brand names. Remember: You will likely shoot porn in a variety of settings, so consider all the different types of ensembles your personae will own. One day, you’ll be fucking in the kitchen. The next, you might be doing doggy on a yacht. You never know, so prepare for the unexpected! This is porn, after all.
6) Porn Is a Profession, So Be Professional
Of all the lessons porn stars learn the hard way, they often learn this one the hardest. You’ll get further in your career if you show up on time than if you have the most beautiful face in America. Show up 10 minutes early, clean your hair, avoid drugs, stay positive, and you can be a superstar.
7) Avoid Pimps
If an agent yells at you or raises his voice, run. He’s a pimp. Good agents work for you, not the other way around. When seeking out an agent, research their background. They should be licensed and bonded. If they ask you for a contract, they should only ask for a year at most. Ask for a 90-day trial period.
8) Say No
It’s OK to say, “No.” Never do a sex act or scenario that makes you uncomfortable. If a director pushes you, tell him no. Saying no is the right thing to do and also good for your business. People want to watch videos where performers look comfortable. Being your authentic sexual self will get you far more fans than trying out the far-out-there sex position of the week.
9) Follow the Law
Read up on the laws governing adult content in your state and city. U.S. Code 2257 of the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act requires video producers to maintain age records of anyone appearing in adult content, including you. Read up on the law and follow all its rules. Also, make sure to obtain photo releases of anyone appearing in videos you make for OnlyFans. It’s worth it to hire an experienced attorney in your area to provide you with contracts. It’ll be expensive upfront but cheaper than facing any investigations down the line.
10) Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Sex Basket
You may be tempted to spend all your time on the newest, hottest platform, like OnlyFans, but in my decade of experience, the only constant in porn is change. Make sure to diversify into all streaming and camming platforms, so when one platform inevitably crashes, you’ll be secure either way. Also, jump on the newest sites as soon as possible. You never know what will be the next gravy train, and those who jump on the train first always make the most money. Be first. Sometimes you’ll lose money, but every now and then, you could make a killing. And after all, that’s the point of your new career! You’re here to make money. Treat porn like a business, so it pays.
11) Save, save, and most importantly, SAVE!
Like professional athletes, our careers are short. The average adult performer shoots for three to six months, but the stigma associated with sex work lasts a lifetime. Once you shoot porn, future employment offers dry up—and yes, OnlyFans counts. The only girls I know who left porn for another career started their own restaurant or real estate business. When shooting porn, live below your means. Buy a tiny house and a used car. Save and invest 50 to 75 percent of your income—at a minimum. You could make a ton of money in two to five years, but that money needs to last the rest of your life. Porn is either a career that leads to riches and endless happiness, or misery. Save and spend wisely, and you could be happier than anyone you’ve ever met.
12) Have Fun!
And on that note: if you’re not having fun when you’re fucking for a living, what’s the point? You’re putting your professional and personal life on the line to shoot online porn, so enjoy it!
