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THREAD: I thought I was done talking about some of the glossed-over realities of being a dominatrix, but oops, I’m not.
Today’s rant: Spending a shitload of money to open a dungeon doesn’t guarantee income.
It’s a gamble, not an investment.
Why a gamble? Well, buckle up!
Today’s rant: Spending a shitload of money to open a dungeon doesn’t guarantee income.
It’s a gamble, not an investment.
Why a gamble? Well, buckle up!
So, you’ve dropped tens of thousands of dollars to open a dungeon. Maybe you saved for years to make it work, or maybe you put yourself into a shitload of debt (like me!).
Now, in order to actually make money, you need a few things: clients, advertising, and ideal conditions.
Now, in order to actually make money, you need a few things: clients, advertising, and ideal conditions.
Clients disappear— even regulars and slaves. Yes, slaves.
Maybe their wives find out. Maybe they move. Maybe they lose their jobs, fall ill, or find a different Domme they like better.
So that “guaranteed” $2k or whatever you relied on for months? Gone. Often, without warning.
Maybe their wives find out. Maybe they move. Maybe they lose their jobs, fall ill, or find a different Domme they like better.
So that “guaranteed” $2k or whatever you relied on for months? Gone. Often, without warning.
I can only speak for myself here, but I don’t have a revolving door of wealthy new clients coming to take the place of my dependable regulars. Losing a regular hurts.
I’ve also never had a wealthy client that just financed everything for me.
I have friends who do, but me? No.
I’ve also never had a wealthy client that just financed everything for me.
I have friends who do, but me? No.
So, even if you have dependable regulars at the moment, you still have to hustle to get new clients.
How do you do that? Advertising.
But.
Our ad platforms are getting shut down left & right. Sure, new ones pop up, but it takes time (& lots of it!) for clients to find them.
How do you do that? Advertising.
But.
Our ad platforms are getting shut down left & right. Sure, new ones pop up, but it takes time (& lots of it!) for clients to find them.
“Well, diversify your ads & you won’t have that problem.”
Oh, really?
Pre-Covid, I paid for advertising on 4 different platforms. I’m talking hundreds of dollars a month.
Out of those 4, 99% of my business came from ONE of them.
I’d be so, so fucked if that one got shut down.
Oh, really?
Pre-Covid, I paid for advertising on 4 different platforms. I’m talking hundreds of dollars a month.
Out of those 4, 99% of my business came from ONE of them.
I’d be so, so fucked if that one got shut down.
So, our ad platforms get shut down— where do we go? Social media.
Except... our accounts get shut down there, too.
And! On most of them, we can’t even allude to our work OR post links to our sites. We can’t even promote our online SW, like clips or cam shows.
Except... our accounts get shut down there, too.
And! On most of them, we can’t even allude to our work OR post links to our sites. We can’t even promote our online SW, like clips or cam shows.
Twitter has been the safest social media platform for us, but there have been a ton of SWer account suspensions within the past week or so... just for existing.
These accounts are getting suspended without warning.
How are you supposed to make money if you can’t even advertise?
These accounts are getting suspended without warning.
How are you supposed to make money if you can’t even advertise?
Now let’s talk about Covid!
Many of you think that if a Domme is back at the dungeon, it’s business as usual for her.
Maybe for some, sure. But for most? No.
Society as a whole is going through extreme changes right now, & those changes impact our clients, & therefore us.
Many of you think that if a Domme is back at the dungeon, it’s business as usual for her.
Maybe for some, sure. But for most? No.
Society as a whole is going through extreme changes right now, & those changes impact our clients, & therefore us.
Pre-Covid, most of my clients were seeing me in secret.
They saw me on their lunch breaks, told their wives they were staying late at the office, saw me when they flew in for business trips...
Now many are working from home indefinitely & can’t use those excuses anymore.
They saw me on their lunch breaks, told their wives they were staying late at the office, saw me when they flew in for business trips...
Now many are working from home indefinitely & can’t use those excuses anymore.
“Well, supplement your lost income by working online for awhile!”
There are so many reasons why this isn’t an easy option.
First, remember that thing I said about how many of my clients work from home now? They may not have the privacy they need for a phone or cam session.
There are so many reasons why this isn’t an easy option.
First, remember that thing I said about how many of my clients work from home now? They may not have the privacy they need for a phone or cam session.
Not to mention, some SWers with dungeons may not be able to transition online.
Maybe they have kids going to school remotely & as a result, can’t hang out at the dungeon all day to film, cam, or take calls.
But even if they can, they still have to establish online clientele.
Maybe they have kids going to school remotely & as a result, can’t hang out at the dungeon all day to film, cam, or take calls.
But even if they can, they still have to establish online clientele.
Online sex work is a LOT. I often describe it as “four times more work for four times less pay.”
(Note that I’ve never been “mainstream” popular in online SW, so that could be a factor.)
Regardless, it takes *months* of dedicated consistency to establish yourself online.
(Note that I’ve never been “mainstream” popular in online SW, so that could be a factor.)
Regardless, it takes *months* of dedicated consistency to establish yourself online.
Even with consistency, it’s hard to establish a presence as an online SWer because of competition: online SW poses fewer barriers for entry, so that’s where many new SWers go first.
There are *a lot* of new SWers right now, considering the whole year-long pandemic thing.
There are *a lot* of new SWers right now, considering the whole year-long pandemic thing.
Clients in DFW know if they want to get verbally humiliated by a heavily tattooed Domme, for example, they can come to me.
Online though? SO MANY OPTIONS!
And maybe they’re more attractive than I am. And maybe they charge less than I do.
Online though? SO MANY OPTIONS!
And maybe they’re more attractive than I am. And maybe they charge less than I do.
Maybe you can make online SW work for you. That’s great!
...now all you have to do is get paid.
Online platforms take a huge chunk of our earnings— at least 40%, on average.
Many platforms also struggle with paying us reliably. Have a bill to pay but your payout is late?
...now all you have to do is get paid.
Online platforms take a huge chunk of our earnings— at least 40%, on average.
Many platforms also struggle with paying us reliably. Have a bill to pay but your payout is late?
And to get paid, the company actually has to be able to pay you.
Remember the whole “PornHub losing Visa and MasterCard” thing?
If those companies stopped processing payments for one of the largest adult platforms in the world, what’s next? Cam sites? Phone sites? Clip stores?
Remember the whole “PornHub losing Visa and MasterCard” thing?
If those companies stopped processing payments for one of the largest adult platforms in the world, what’s next? Cam sites? Phone sites? Clip stores?
So what happens when you drop tens of thousands of dollars on a dungeon, then your regulars leave, your ad platforms shutter, a pandemic happens, you hustle your ass off online, & then you can’t even get paid anymore?
Sex work is a gamble, not an investment.
/end rant (for now)
Sex work is a gamble, not an investment.
/end rant (for now)
(This doesn’t even take into account what happens if the Domme gets hurt & can’t work for months, if she’s told she has to stop SW or lose custody of her kids, or if the dungeon itself needs a major repair and has to be shut down for weeks at a time.)
GAMBLE. NOT INVESTMENT.
GAMBLE. NOT INVESTMENT.
