I am seeing more and more often lately that ladies who do not have verified model status are coming to ACF looking for help. While there are guides and resources in the model's section totalling hundreds of thousands of words, this isn't very useful for someone who has to wait a few days to see them. In an industry where many newcomers are hoping to make cash in just a day or two, this is hardly helpful. So I thought I would put together a new guide in the public section with some handy info!
There are a lot of links in this post to model's only posts for further reference, but hopefully it will still be helpful to people without MO status.
If any of you ladies ever get verified model status, there is a lot of new info to comb through. If you want to expand your cam knowledge, I believe these are the best threads to start with, in order of importance:
New Model Mistakes (a thread where models share their past mistakes)
Camgirl Success Troubleshooting (help with everything from getting members to come to your room to pre-cam anxiety, earning tokens, doing better privates, and more; a great place to start)
MFC Camscore Info (if you want to cam on MFC, you need to read this)
Coming up with show ideas (a crash-course guide in thinking up show ideas, mostly for ladies on MFC but useful on any site)
As this is a public forum, I am going to predict that in the comments, there will be a lot of people who disagree with a lot of what I share. From the rules that are enforced to how hard a model has to work to make good money, people are going to disagree and cite proof to the contrary (whether or not they have cammed a day in their lives
). However, it would be silly to try and write a guide to the exceptions of commonality. I believe that this guide is accurate for the majority of new models.
For new MFC models:
If you are planning on camming on MFC, you NEED to understand how the camscore system works. I do not believe MFC is a good site for beginner models, which I argue in
this post. If you are interested in camming as a career and want to take a more serious approach, I would highly recommend you get experience on a website like Chaturbate before you make the switch to MFC.
MyFreeCams FAQ:
What is the camscore and why is it important?
Camscore is the default ranking system for all models on MFC. In the webcam sex industry, default ranking is extremely important. It does not guarantee minimum earnings, but it is a great predictor of how much traffic a model will get - which she can then translate in to earnings (read the model's only stickied post on "
being realistic about what a high camscore will get you"). Basically, camscore is how many you tokens you earn per hour, over a sixty day average. The more tokens you earn per hour, the higher your camscore will be. What other models on the website make influences how many tokens per hour you need to maintain a camscore of 1000.
Nothing else contributes to your camscore. Ratings/admires do not count. Friends list adds do not count. Small tips do not lower your camscore. Offline tips do not help your camscore "more" except by improving your token/hour ratio.
How long does New Model status last and why is it important?
New Model status (NMS) is a short period of time where new models on MFC are listed with a bright yellow tag on their avatars. Typically, new models receive a great deal more traffic than they normally would. It is commonly considered that NMS is critical to make or break your camming career, and if you waste that time, you will have a more difficult experience on MFC. Many models are surprised and upset when their NMS wears off and suddenly, instead of 100 people in their room they are seeing 5.
New Model status on MFC used to last for ten broadcasting hours. Now, members choose how long they see models as being new (3, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 90 days). At the time of this post, members being able to rank new models as they choose is a new feature and it is yet unseen if this will make new model status less important or not.
Which rules are okay to break?
MFC very infamously does not enforce the majority of its rules. This can lead to confusion about which rules are "okay" to break and which are not. I started a thread in the MO section to get input from other models, and this is the culmination of those thoughts [link to that thread:
here].
In general, these rules are fairly strictly enforced and breaking them will most likely result in getting a warning or your account being banned:
♥ Men on camera for any reason.
♥ Sexual relations with men, even off-camera (in the same room while camming).
♥ Minors, children, babies; may not be on camera or in the same room.
♥ Bestiality, or animals/pets on camera in a sexual or provocative context.
♥ Illegal drugs, or drugs that may be perceived as illegal in other locations. (Pot does not seem to be a bannable offense)
♥ Rape (most host websites like MFC, C4S, and others, will not allow simulation of rape to be displayed)
♥ Incest (sexual relations involving family members). [This includes incest role-play and fetish grey areas such as Daddy dynamics]
♥ Violence, blood, torture, pain, erotic asphyxiation, or any actions associated with bringing harm to yourself in any way (many models engage in, and totally get away with, mild to moderate sadomasochism, without blood play)
The following rules are sometimes enforced and sometimes not enforced, but you should probably play it on the safe side:
♥ Menstrual bleeding.
♥ Breastfeeding or lactation.
♥ Unauthorized persons (persons for whom we do not have proper name and ID on file.) - I have had female friends on cam with me for hours with no issue; other models have had their accounts suspended almost immediately for someone briefly coming on screen.
♥ Sleeping, "passing out". (I can't remember the last time I heard of someone getting in trouble for this)
Hypnosis (lol wut?)
♥ Discussing or arranging prostitution or escort services. (you can probably get away with it)
♥ Urination, defecation, "going to the bathroom", enema play, vomiting. (on the riskier side)
♥ Penetration of the vagina or anus with items not meant for sexual stimulation (e.g. bottles, baseball bats).
♥ Fisting.
The following rules are almost never enforced or are literally never enforced:
♥ Excessive consumption of alcohol or other legal or prescribed medicines or narcotics.
♥ Illegal or unsafe activity of any kind.
♥ Actions that may be deemed obscene in your community.
♥ Masturbation, penetration, using sexual toys or devices, cunnilingus, or other hardcore sexually explicit activity (in public chat).
A grey area:
♥ Public shows (shows where you are in a public location such as a library). Even though they involve illegal activity and often have strangers, including men, on cam, they do not seem to be in the red zone.
All girls should be ready to own the consequences to any rule they break on MFC. The contract is written to make sure that performers are the ones responsible for their feed. And, as in life, pointing out that someone else got away with breaking a rule won't get you out of trouble. This isn't to say you shouldn't break the rules if it's something you're comfortable with. Just know your risks and own your actions. -JickyJuly
MFC requires a lot of personal legal info to sign up. Can I trust them?
In short, yes, you can. Hundreds of thousands of models have signed up with MFC and I have never even heard a rumor of MFC leaking or spreading the info of models. It may make you uncomfortable, but remember that if MFC was not a legit site, they would not require so much information to verify you
How much are tokens worth?
Every token is worth $0.05 USD. If you earn 20 tokens, you earn $1 USD. If you earn 2000 tokens, you earn $100 USD.
Members pay at least $0.0675 per token, and usually as much as $0.08 cents.
How much money can I expect to earn on MFC?
This entirely depends on you. Some models make very good money from the get-go ($100+ a day), while many others never seem to do well. It has been estimated that the highest earners on MFC make at least five digits (USD, not tokens) a month. There is more discussion about actual number amounts on
this thread.
I have estimated, and never heard an argument to the contrary, that the majority of webcam models earn around $10 or less per hour. On MFC, the vast majority of models make less than $20 per hour. For many women, this is not enough to offset the inherent dangers of the job.
WHERE IS MY MONEY?!
♥ If you get paid by check: It can take up for 3 weeks for your check to arrive in the mail. This is, IMO, the worst payment option to select.
♥ If you get paid by direct deposit: It takes 2-4 days (usually 3) for most models to receive direct deposit payment. Remember that if the 1st or the 16th of the month lands on a weekend or holiday, your bank will take extra time to process the payment. Therefore, sometimes it can take up to 5-6 days for your entire payment to process.
Making money: why should anyone give you money?
This may sound a little mean, but don't take it personally.
Why should anyone give you money?
Women are not deserving of money just because they have tits and a vagina.
You are not going to be the hottest woman on whatever site you join. You are not going to be the most interesting or have the best body. You are not going to fill a niche market that nobody has thought of before. There are going to be twenty models online at any given time who are better looking than you and who will give it away more cheaply than you.
If you think you are going to join a camsite and succeed just because you were the prettiest girl in high school, I'll see you when you quit three months from now.
Models who are the most successful and make the most money are the ones that work the hardest. They work hard to make it look like what they are doing on cam is effortless. On MFC, they are the ones who have 14 hour work days and never take days off or have vacations. (Although I know of more than one model who works so many hours a day, it is interesting that many members do not believe this is true)
If your plan is to join a camsite and earn $50 or so a day; yes. You can do that with not a whole lot of effort, and probably not a lot of hours! But if you are hoping to make hundreds a day, then get ready for long months of tears and sweat. The simple fact is that the only thing which will differentiate you from the crowd is how hard you are willing to work. I have only heard of one model, ever, who made very good money without putting hard work in - and this was a second hand story
Here is another way to look at it: I have been part of ACF for about 18 months at the time of this post. I have spent many hours of my life reading the stories and daily thoughts of other models. I have never ever in that time ever heard any model ever say, "it is so great that I make so much money with so little effort!". Ever. Yes, models who work hard do often enjoy periods of ease where their online shifts seem to flow easily and they don't have to "hustle" as hard, but that is always broken up by periods of hard work and difficulty. It may not be the hardest job in the world (I certainly do not believe it is), but you still have to work hard at it.
If you don't want to work hard, you can still make money. But you won't be making amazing money or even especially good money.
Advice to new career cam models:
I started another thread in the model's only section and got a lot of responses for the top advice veteran models would give to newbies. Before I put in their responses, here is my best advice:
Think about how you want to cam when you are successful. What do you want to be doing?
Do that starting on your first day on cam.
If you envision yourself as being the perfect non-nude model, then don't start off doing public cumshows because you don't know how else to increase your room counts. Likewise, if you envision yourself being a posh and exclusive model, don't sell your shows and content for ultracheap. If you want to be an easy-going low-key model, don't build up a posh and exclusive room and then expect everyone to be okay with it when you suddenly change your style.
Start camming with your eyes on your endgame. It's the best way to avoid big mistakes and to not get in the way of yourself.
Now, other the advice of other ladies!
BlueViolet said:
Have tough skin and don't be afraid to use the banhammer. If it can be insulted, it will be insulted, and if it can't be insulted--they'll still try. If someone annoys you, don't be afraid to ban them immediately without warning. Don't feel bad about it.
GemmaMoore146 said:
Even though members pay you, that does not mean they own you in any way, shape, or form. If someone asks for something you're uncomfortable with, politely tell them no and move on. If they tip for it anyway, thank them, but repeat that you don't perform that specific thing. If they persist, ban them. There is no amount of money in this world worth sacrificing your boundaries or mental/physical well-being for, anyone who says otherwise is most likely trying to get a freebie. :twocents-02cents:
DeltaofVenus said:
This is so, so redundant, but be smart about your personal info. Don't give out anything to members (or give them an opportunity to find it), and be careful when sharing with other models.
Accidents happen, and that's expected, as is being capped and posted at one point or another, but the blackmail/ coercive/friememy situations are the worst and will take a toll on you mentally and financially.
Diana Blake said:
Figure out how much you're comfortable doing for what price and don't deviate. If you compromise your self worth you will never enjoy camming in the way you really should.
SerenaMoon said:
Good cam, Good lights, and Good connection. It's like the triforce of camming Once you have it, your camming is only limited by the heart you put into it.
Annvious said:
When you are new members are not your friends, maybe down the road you will really know your regulars and what they are about- but until then treat them like customers. My biggest issue when I started a month ago was being manipulated by guys that were very flattering. Ended up losing money and time on these assholes and they're not even my regulars anymore.
poca_ said:
Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. It may be lucrative but I don't think having feelings of regret is worth it. Also, be yourself and don't be afraid to stand up to assholes/manipulators and don't feel like you have to apologize or explain yourself to anyone. DO YOU.
Know that no matter how safe you think you may be, you can and will pop up on the internet somewhere other than MFC. Whether is is streaming sites or forums, chances are you will pop up somewhere.
LuckySmiles said:
Be yourself! Even if you want to put a bit on of an "act" spin on things as long as its you and yours, and your genuine, people will respond. It's important to watch other people and be aware but do what YOU want to do.
It's one of the exceptional ways you can earn a living doing what you want, when you want to. Take advantage of that and find a make to make it work best for you.
The hardest part seems to be balances patience with a drive to succeed. Learning how to remained focused without over stressing yourself out, no matter what your "thing" is, helps more than anything.
In the entire time I've supported myself through camming, I've never had a "thing" so I've tried a little bit of everything on all the sites within my own realm of comfort. But no matter what I do, I've always gotten the most out of it, enjoyment/moneyyyy when I've been able to have all parts of my life be as balanced as possible. It's easier to push more on days when you have it in you,and when everything else is in line. And it's best to take the time off when you know you get the most out of the time off(even if it's not doing a damn thing)
But amongst the hardest parts are knowing yourself and when/what's best for you.
If you can try to have at least one real life person outside of it you can talk to about things, and knows when you need help to get out and do stuff.
Ummm....Post in ACF frequently
AlexLady said:
Honest?
Learn to use the search feature of the forum.
Read the stickies.
Basically read the whole intro message Amber gives you; it has more than enough information on it to help girls with these two things.
Everything they need is already on the forum.
LacieLaPlante said:
Don't reveal as much information as you might be inclined to, because it's annoying to deal with later. Fake real name so you can get people off your back about your name without getting mad, fake birthday so you can celebrate your own birthday without feeling like you missed out by taking the day off.
When you talk about driving times, lie by an hour. Don't talk about going to public places like Disney until the day after. Be careful of what you take photos of. Get rid of geotagging on your phone.
AmeliaArcana said:
There are going to be bad days, days when you make far less than you anticipated. Don't beat yourself up for it; bad days happen just as good days do, and you are not the only factor in what makes this happen. Having a rough money-day doesn't mean you are "ugly," "stupid," "fat," or bad at what you do. Persistence and positivity ultimately pay off, and when you're feeling down about yourself & your abilities, your fellow models at ACF are supportive, inspiring and here to help you.
KaterinaPryde said:
Open a savings account and put a percentage of your wages in there for taxes. Then have another savings that you put another percentage in there as a rainy day fund for the slow times.
Ladybee_ said:
Try to limit communication through PMs with members while on cam. Other members in the room will feel neglected/bored if you spend most of your time chatting in PMs and you will could lose out on new tippers. Members who care about your success will understand this and will talk to you in the room instead of lurking around in PM.
AryaRose said:
Upgrade your cam as soon as possible. HD webcams are like 70-80$ so there's no reason to be using a fuzzy cam.
DanicaVelvet said:
The top three things that increased my income, in random order:
1. SMILE. If you don't want to be on cam right now, ACT like you want to be on cam right now. Members are generally more likely to give money to models who are enjoying themselves.
2. Lighting. Upgrade from household light bulbs as soon as you can. I got a $50 umbrella lighting kit from Amazon. SO WORTH IT. Also, do NOT rely on auto white balance. Fiddle with that slider until you look normal.
3. Go into your sound settings and UN-check "suppress background noise." Or your music will sound warped. (Seriously, it makes a huge difference. People stay in your room longer when the music doesn't sound like you're playing it underwater.)
Three common MFC scams
♥ "I'm an MFC admin and I need to speak to you on Skype." He's lying; report him.
♥ "I'm very experienced at watching other models be successful, and if you Skype with me I'll share their secrets with you." The best he will do is share common info with you that anybody could figure out. There are no "secrets" to being successful at camming.
♥ Fake tips: On MFC, when someone actually tips tokens, a ringing sound plays and the color behind the member's name changes to be yellow. It is common to scam new models by typing "has tipped 100 tokens!" or by posting an image which appears to be a legitimate tip.
How can I be successful on MFC?
♥ Price yourself according to what you are worth. This may sound mean, but be realistic about it - few models are worth 2000 tokens for a shot of vodka, and few models are worth $100 to take their shirt off (with a bra underneath, of course!). Don't worry with your prices being cheap if you are making an overall amount of money that satisfies you.
♥ Get on cam at the same time every day for 3 hours. Do not take days off. Do not get on late. If you get on early, stay till the end of your shift. Granted, very few models actually do this... and very few models are at the level of success they really want.
♥ Don't freak out. Any camscore above 1000 is great. When I started on MFC, I was happy as long as my camscore stayed above 1k, and I was able to put in more hours and make more money overall because of it. Don't stress out over a bad shift or two.
♥ Make and sell videos. Get online with a goal; get online to work. Keep in mind what members want to see - just because something is fun for you does not mean it is fun for the men who pay your bills. When you get online, you should be ready to work and geared up with things to sell for members who are interested. Getting online just to hang out because it's fun (and it totally is fun!) is not going to help your career any. Hang out in a member's room, work in your model's room.
♥ Smile and be happy. It is amazing how long you sometimes have to look on MFC to find a chick who looks like she wants to be there. Be the woman that looks like she wants to have a good time.
Alternatively,
read this thread to learn success skills for MFC!
(Readers et all: I unfortunately did not have as much time to work on this guide as I would have liked. I hope future readers will add their two cents and extra help in the comments!)
