The Secret Life of Small Time Porn Part 4 :: The Cost of Making A Living

Online Webcam Modeling

Online webcam modeling is more socially acceptable than escorting by both customers and models. There is a real distance between the model and his audience, unlike an escort who is likely to be far more intimate with his customer.

Both buyers and sellers consider escorting a seedier business. Online is obviously safer with no physical contact, since models don't meet their customer in person.

Zakk Matthews is a live online webcam model on Flirt4Free.com. Though he hails from a supportive family, one of the few porn actors I have met who does, Zakk takes advantage of limiting features of the cam site and blocks his state of origin as well as several other states where family friends live. He would rather Mom and Dad not take in a show.

Online webcam customers view a model doing everyday activities such as studying, sleeping, house cleaning and chatting. Or, even more intimate activities when the model is successful at getting his viewers to ante up the fees for a private show.

Website rules preclude nudity in public chats. A model must at minimum wear underwear. Only in private shows may a model show it all.

In public view everyone sees the same video and chat though a customer can speak to them privately by "whispering" to the model for free. The model can then respond privately back. Generally a whisper is used to set up a private show.

A private show can be purchased by an individual customer or by a group of customers who get together to cover the cost. These rates are set by the model and a successful model rakes in tips in addition to the fee. In a private show the model doesn't see the customer and each one makes his requests for specific activity, special performance, or fetish behavior via text chat. Customers can hear the model's voice though they cannot speak to the model.

Public viewing, as the website name promises is free. Private shows and texting the model is charged by credits per minute and customers can send tips to see more. Credits are purchased from the website. Similar to any time based business the webcam model attempts to keep his customer interested as long as possible.

The longer the private session, the more credits transfer from the customer to the model. The trade off is that the customer may give up and leave while the model drags out his performance. Keeping the customer interested while keeping tension to a happy ending is the objective.

The goal becomes keeping the customer engaged, energizing the performance by building anticipation and requesting tips for additional actions. Speaking the customers name, engaging them personally and knowing when their interest is waning are all tools models use to keep their best customers from leaving the show. In addition to the private show charges and tips a generous customer can visit the model's wish list; the website hosts the store, makes the sale and delivers the item to the model.

Each customer has his own expectations of what he would like to see. Zakk has been asked to play with his feet for a foot play fetish customer, pretend to bottom using positions and toys, cut his head hair (which thankfully he didn't, its beautiful hair), shower, masturbate, and oddly enough often to simply smile and be there.

Ejaculation is the premier event, and anticipation of that keeps private customers on longest. Multiple customers can be in the private chat and though they may have split the cost to be there, they serve as an additional source for tips. Within the private session a customer who has not paid the full price of entry may voyeur the show, seeing the private show but not interacting.

As in any successful production a stage is important. Professional webcam models set up a stage that is stylishly appointed, even elegant, well lighted, and uncluttered to stand out from ordinary profiles. Well-staged sets draw customers in. Many models simply webcam from their bedroom or dorm room on a rumpled bed surrounded by personal items, even bicycles.

Online web cam modeling is about creating a relationship with the customer versus getting off, the object of online porn. Creating an emotional connection with the customer helps the model keep his customer on longer and coming back more often. When a favorite model is not online a customer can call by phone to set up a later video chat, or just phone chat to hear the model's voice, all the while paying for this time.

Many online web cam models are also gay porn actors. Choosing to model online has benefits over acting such as better pay, control of working hours, no boss, no physical risk, performing in the comfort of their own home, no travel, few work clothes, and no Brooks Brothers suits.

Escorting

Escorting is the business of providing personal services to a customer. Services might include companionship, massage, a boy friend experience, sexual fantasy or any number of other activities as defined by the customer.

Sex with customers is detached and mechanical - simply fulfilling the customer's fantasy.

The customer takes care of all expenses, including an escort fee. The escort takes care of the emotional part.

Online profiles provide the means of exchange. The escort sells his services with pictures and text, both of which set the tone and style of the escort allowing a customer to choose an escort most aligned with his desires.

Most customers look for a normal, sophisticated, down-to-earth profile in hopes of connecting with the correct escort. Creating a working profile is important work, and should a profile fail to deliver customers, or slow or stop doing so, a creative escort updates and changes until he again finds a workable model that draws in prospective customers.

Regardless, there is a broad cross section of escorts for customers to choose from, and a broad cross section of customers for escorts to draw from. Multiple sites are difficult to manage and because of subscription costs most escorts opt for just one online presence.

Escorting doesn't come with a performance manual, leaving the entire effort open for learning and interpretation. Starting out, new escorts have to learn on their backs, so to speak. Each will likely get to a job, do the job and find out there is no pay. They learn to see the cash, even get half before beginning. Customers often give a wrong address, or simply don't show up at the time and place.

Successful escorts learn to have the entire deal defined up front before meeting the customer in person. Since customers pay expenses those costs are paid at the time of service such as restaurants, shows, clubs or cabs. Fees, or larger costs such as airfare, are often split over the course of the visit. A multi day customer pays daily.

Arriving to meet a customer in most cases begins with the payment of cash. Escorts usually hold cash until the service is complete, though often a friend or fellow escort will drop by to whisk away the cash to a safe place, particularly when a large sum is involved. Safety is a big concern, and fellow escorts watch their friends' location via an iPhone app and keep in touch periodically.

Gifts can make up a large part of an escort's pay, and pushing a customer for cash versus gifts is a consistent interplay. Average income is typically a few hundred dollars per week plus gifts. Most want stability of at least one thousand dollars per week from one client. Ultimately, an escort wants one or two long term customers, though the norm is many small jobs.

This business is more about luck than skills, at least in the beginning. Luck brings the one or two generous customers rather than having to exist on short-term sex work.

Bringing a customer home is out of the question, and a successful escort may spend two or three nights per week with a customer at their own place or in a hotel.

The gold standard is a boyfriend experience that includes moving into the customer's home and acting as a boyfriend, performing such duties as a paid escort would. These relationships can work, and do so most successfully when the escort has his own room, defined responsibilities and payment schedule.

Escorting can be challenging work, often mixed with a tinge of regret at doing it.

Most would give it all up for love.

All said they would move from a professional to personal relationship in the event of finding the right guy. But that's not likely while still being in the escort business.

Of all the experiences, the oddest event was a customer who paid $400 to drive around for twenty minutes simply to get acquainted. He was never heard from again.

Quitting the Business

Sex work can be a nasty trap. The glow of its possibilities, the promise of a new life in a new place and the reality of that one generous escort customer can blind newcomers to the reality of a difficult life in a tough business.

In the end, guys get out because they never should have begun in the first place, they can't make a go of it financially, or they do make a go of it financially and become able to move on to other things.

Everything comes to an end, and always for different reasons for different people. Sometimes you just have to quit, and quit Brian did.

Brian is a lively, fair-haired young man in his early twenties, originally from central Iowa. Like others before him, he met Tom online and messaged back and forth for over a year before making his decision to leave all he knew for the allure of Tom's promises.

Brian quickly found he could not fit into the model house environment. Working with Tom for a few months made it readily apparent that he was going nowhere fast. In those few months he had earned about six hundred dollars shooting gay porn.

Tom set schedules that slid around by hours and even days. There was no real way to plan escorting time within Tom's time demands, and those demands often returned no income. There was no longer a need to do it.

Brian reached a point where gay porn acting and escorting simply became no longer appealing. He found himself bored while filming, frustrated with the wasted time, having to reshoot because of other porn actors who could not get into the scene.

After several months of escorting he found mostly short-term customers who wanted to pay little for usually seedy activity that took more from Brian than he received in pay. Webcam modeling was too tedious, bringing real world scheduling and working hours at a time when he didn't want either.

Not deterred by where he found himself in his new life, Brian was determined to make a go of it. Luck held, and he met the one very generous customer. Though Tom portrays escorting as going to be a big disappointment, escorting gave Brian the resources to move on. The real money is in escorting, if one happens upon the right customer. His generous customer pays him well, allowing him to make the next step on his list of goals.

Coming to a life change with goals in mind certainly helps in achieving them. Even when things don't work out as originally planned Brian found it easier to adjust his goals than if he had not had them at all.

Regret at his choices in life and occupation carry some weight for Brian, one being that he has become numb to sex as a result of forcing attraction with customers.

The act has become purely mechanical. Without a current boyfriend or significant other Brian doesn't know if, as he fears, he may find difficulty in getting close to someone as a result of his escorting.

His next partner will be more difficult than his previous because of his new numb, emotionless response to another's interest. Clearly, it has created a distance between him and other people, a reserve in him that is quickly communicated. On meeting someone new a wall goes up to keep a focus on his goals at the expense of doing the work to create a new and growing relationship.

With a slow look away, Brian admitted that if that new person chased him he would look back, slow down and allow him to catch up. He wants to learn to loosen up and allow himself to be enjoyable while at the same time being productive.

Losing the ability to love is a heavy price to pay for earning a living.