Feet pics might not make you a millionare
The idea of one producing/selling adult content has become a lot more mainstream since the pandemic due to one fan site becoming popular, and in many ways a cultural phenomena. This was great for the industry in it gave more control to creators, and also in a way more mainstream acceptance of the industry. However, you’ve probably seen many cultural references to this fan show in day to day life and on t.v. when someone will often say:
“I should just quit me job and make a XXX”
I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard someone make this ‘joke’. Nonetheless, this joke is often made without understanding the realities of the industry, and what it takes to actually make serious money on these sites. Indeed, due to these pop culture jokes about fan sites, too many people now have the assumption that it is as easy as uploading a photo of your feet, and boom you make thousands a month. It’s not like that….
One can make a lot of money on these sites, however, the reality is; that most people will not. This is for a number of reasons:
It’s important to note that some of these sites do not have global discovery, and so you need to know the individual URL code of the creator in order to find their content. Therefore, if you are not someone who is famous, or has a big following/interest elsewhere, then it’s fair to say that you will probably not have as many people stumbling across your page as you might think.
It is not easy money. It is not as easy as uploading a couple photos, putting them behind a paywall and waiting for the money to come in. If you want to make money on these sites you have to put a lot of time and effort in. Trying to consistently make engaging, new and exciting content is a challenge within itself.
It´s mentally demanding. Indeed, the introduction of fan sites has been great for creators, however when it used to be only studio work you could leave work at work but now with fan sites its essentially a 24/7 job, and a lot of fans expect you to be online all of the time. Managing one's DMs can be a lot, and it can certainly take a toll. One cannot underestimate the demand and mental exhaustion that comes along with this.
You have to control your content from being stolen. Something that people outside of the industry don't think about is how big of a problem stolen content is. Quite often people may buy your content, but then reupload it onto other porn sites, and forums. This then means that people are less likely to pay for your exclusive content if they can find it elsewhere for free. Therefore, as a creator you need to be very on top of tracking this content down. If not managed properly this can and will spiral out of control.
Paperwork. If you are going to be uploading nude content onto the internet with third parties then surprise surprise, you need to have the right paperwork to do so. If not, you can get in a lot of trouble.
You have to deal with stigma. Even though the rise of fan sites has been great in making the industry more mainstream accepted, there is sadly still a lot of stigma associated with sex work. Therefore, this is something that one has to learn how to cope with when working in the industry, and it certainly can cause a tool and stress.
Overall, there is a lot more to fan sites than people think. It is not as simple as making an account, uploading your feet and watching the millions come in.