Supportive thread: Brainstorming Challenge for struggling new models

[TemporarilyWhining]

I'm really disheartened to see some new posters having such a tough time in their new job as cam girls. I get it. I started posting here nearly a year ago with a similar issue (hence my screen name, lol!).

So ladies, this thread is for you!

Every month, let's try to increase those numbers and that pay rate!

Please feel free to share your shitty stories of a rough day at the office here. This is meant to be a supportive thread, a place to vent, but also a place to help with ideas so you can be successful if you're really sure this is what you want to do.

So similar to my other thread for successful models to share their stories, this is a place for the models who are having a temporary stroll through suckdom - even if you're not so new! - to share what is NOT working! And, to get inspiration for what might.

This is not a place to blame you or make you feel more down. It's hard to figure out the world of camming, and one thing to note is that the landscape has changed, and it is now far harder to be successful at it than in years past because the market is flooded, and in many cam genres oversaturated. My first ever post to this forum was about how the advice on internet articles about camming (and subsequent blame) really doesn't apply to most new cammers. This is not a job you can take personally. There is always room for improvement in life. And true, some people just are not a good fit for the job of camming. (And that is OK! It's not the end of the line for you, really - there will be more ways to survive that crop up.) But, a lot of the time new models are just not marketed fairly on cam sites, and there are just too many models out there to compete with in your body type or camming style. That's not anyone's fault. That's just the business. Additionally, certain months and times of day are slow - summer particularly is known to be a slow time for income. Start with low expectations, and work up from there.


Please post here with your starting issues, how long you've been camming, and what site you're using. The more details you give us, the more other models can write in with helpful and tailored suggestions. Not everyone will want to, because of course we are simply breeding our own competition, but I personally prefer a diverse market and am happy to assist. I am fairly new myself, but have had reasonable success when I am on. For me, the trouble is simply that I don't cam consistently, due to illness and some personal life factors that get in the way. So on days that I can't, I like to write in and support and brainstorm with others.

The goal is to start at the bottom, and through trying new things every session or every week, keep careful records yourself of what you did that worked and didn't, and report back here so we can cheer you on or help you brainstorm new ideas! And also, in the meantime, brainstorm a bit on how to fill in those money gaps, since most models get into the business for quick cash.

(**Note, this is not a place to go into complicated explanations of how to use features of your cam site - that is something that tons of other forum threads are dedicated to! This is for focusing specifically on the non-technical end, the emotional and performance aspects.)



Welcome!

 

[TemporarilyWhining]

To start with, I will share a little of my story, which I have written about elsewhere here on the forum. I am on Chaturbate. I started out in my first 2 weeks working about 55 hours. I charted every single session on an Excel spreadsheet, with what I wore, what I did, who my high tippers were, what worked and what didn't, how many people were in my room, comments they made, etc. I also kept track of how many followers I had. This info has proved invaluable, even all this time later as I look back for reference. I also kept a separate sheet of ideas for future shows, and models I spent time watching who had rooms I liked or thought had successful ideas I wanted to emulate. Research is definitely very helpful to success.

My original post here on the forum was to complain, hence my username, about how tough I was having it in the cam world. I ultimately made multiple personas on different cam accounts, just to test what works and what doesn't. I am still even now in the experimenting and research phase - in part, just because I like to do research! I am genuinely curious about what does well and what doesn't. Plus, I have a ton of different moods and don't want to feel like I have to be the same person all the time, but I personally don't want to share too much online and be personally identifiable, because I like my privacy. So how to express myself and my sexuality on cam all the time, but not show all of who I am or give more than I am willing to share? If I break it up into multiple cam personas, for me that was a good solution. And, I can cam multiple times of day or night, and dump one room if it isn't working and try another with a different costume/makeup/realistic-looking wig. Probably this would not be a good idea for a majority of people, and it may actually result in me making less money because I am on fewer hours as each character so lose the chance to build more of a fan base. But, I have learned a ton of stuff this way, and the variety works well for my temperament, so I don't care.

So essentially in 55 hours of camming as a new CB model in summer 2017, I made less than US$6/hr in my first two weeks. Which, I was very upset about and I felt sucked, because I was used to a much more lucrative career that I had to leave due to a life-threatening illness. Although I usually had a decent number of tokens per hour, there were a few days that I made 0 tokens!! God, that was demoralizing. I wasn't always enjoying what I was doing, and I felt really sick, so it sucked to put so many hours in and so much effort, and walk away with nothing, plus sometimes a bunch of sexist comments on top of it. But on the other hand, to be fair, I often would on be broadcasting for 45min-1.5hrs before logging off because I was too sick to work - so there is no doubt that my curtailed hours really lowered my earning potential. At the end of 2 weeks of my first on-air persona though, I did have about 600 followers, and a number of regulars. And I was getting a lot of positive feedback.

Another thing I will note, is that I did all this being non-nude in public chat. I am very sexual and suggestive, but my first cam persona was a very innocent type who did a lot of teasing, not nudity. I think it worked well, but this is a niche crowd and so takes time to build a following and regulars - although in the end I suspect it can pay a lot more than many public naked cum show personas. Also, for reference, I am at present an average body size, curvy, with proportional body, and pale skin. So my breasts and hips are pretty big at the moment, but I also have a bit of a stomach. I do not qualify as BBW, nor as skinny. I am in my 30s, but look to be in my 20s. I am not the most stunning woman from a mainstream perspective, nor am I the least. I have a Logitech c930 and 300mbps internet, and often use 3-point lighting, but sometimes I experiment.

I also was held back a great deal by the fact that for some reason, CB never posted a "NEW" title on ANY of my accounts, even though I cammed from the very first day of the accounts. I used a #New, but it's not really the same. And, I found that often just attracted trolls that try to scam new girls with fake tips and other offensive and manipulative nonsense, so it did not help much. As a result, the max viewers in my room during those first 2 weeks ranged from 14, to 54, per session.

For me, I have learned that I make the most money when I am confident, and allow myself to be unique. Not to try to be like other models, not to worry about looking perfect all the time. I run my room. I am very strict about banning all people who bring the mood down with their nonsense, and banning words I don't like that lead to questions I don't want or offensive comments made. It makes customers happier to be there, and me happier to work.

I have also learned that running a show that allows me to enjoy myself and be physically comfortable is the only way to sustainably cam long-term, and to endure the random bad days when tips are slow. I've also learned that having genuine fun, is often the best way to get customers to have fun watching you, and thus become regulars who want to tip you and keep you happy.

I will admit I have some conflicting feelings about the industry, given its huge potential to harm models, and women in society in general (as well as of course the men who are in niche cam markets). So starting a thread to try to help people get into it is weird, but I want to change porn to be more real-people- and more women-centric, so that it can be something that actually educates people and IMPROVES society. After all, we have these men wrapped around our pinky fingers, hanging on our every word. Why not take it as an opportunity for him to learn how to genuinely please a woman in a relationship, in bed, and to have respect for women as imperfect human beings and not just blow up dolls? So not only does being yourself and being unique help to diversify the market and typically leads to you being paid better in the long run (because you're irreplaceable) - but also, while you are fostering that human connection with customers, you're also influencing how they feel about and understand other women.

But anyway, that's how I got started, and some details that might help you compare at the moment to your situation.



Please introduce yourself, and vent your cam woes, and let's see what we can do to get you better pay or at least to feeling better ASAP!

 

[EmptyKins]

This looks like a great thread for the Models Only section. Have you tried being approved there? I personally wouldn't be comfortable answering all the questions for the whole forum to see. But that is just me! I'm sure there are lots of other people who will contribute to your threads and I look forward to reading them.

 

[TemporarilyWhining]

This looks like a great thread for the Models Only section. Have you tried being approved there? I personally wouldn't be comfortable answering all the questions for the whole forum to see. But that is just me! I'm sure there are lots of other people who will contribute to your threads and I look forward to reading them.

Good point! I actually thought I was verified, but I signed up like a year ago and don't remember. I just usually post in this forum, although I think I've posted in Ask-A-Model a few times. I dunno - short term memory is not my strong point, since I have an illness that affects it. But I just looked at the verification stuff and it looks like you have to send a photo from your cam page and all that, and that kind of goes against my whole intent to be anonymous here - because I say a lot of private stuff and a lot of stuff critical of the industry - and extremely critical of customers!, and it's not good business to connect that with my business directly, lol! I am super private about posting anything on the internet - hell I didn't even want to get verified by my actual camsite, lol! Who the fuck knows if they get hacked, like everybody else, you know? Camming is dangerous business in general so I am cautious about identity stuff. Plus, my speciality is GF experience, so if customers ever put together how I really feel, it would destroy my whole income source. I want to be able to say whateverTF I want, and have no image to maintain. I have to be so good everywhere else, you know? lol This industry needs someone to speak the truth about how it REALLY is, unencumbered, because there is a lot of bullshit involved.


Anyway, a lot of new models post in this section all the time about how tough they're having it, and sometimes people tell me in private messages that they have a tough time even after a long time camming, so I figured here was as good a place as any. And, I know parts of this subforum show up on internet searches, which is important to me because that's how I found the forum, and I want this info to reach prospective models who haven't taken the plunge yet. Hopefully this will help them be more successful right away, and to never enter the industry at all if it is not the right fit for them, so they don't make a huge mistake they regret later.


*If anyone has a problem posting here publicly, or in any of the other threads I start, I'm more than happy for you to DM me and I will post your comment anonymously - just tell me what thread it's for. I am used to random people messaging me, even some who are lurkers and never post elsewhere, so what I post anonymously could literally be from anyone.

If that still makes you uncomfortable, I'm glad that you like the topic, and I hope you keep coming back to read and learn stuff anyway - and who knows, maybe you can come back to comment just to cheer someone else on, or to maybe give a tip that you learned from your own experience. I think that when we function as a community, the field is much better for it. I strongly believe we should have a cam girl/sex workers union, because it is greatly needed and could do a lot of good to change society and improve safety, but in the meantime, at least we have a place where we can talk and share and help each other out. And I know this job is isolating, and also makes us extremely vulnerable, and so it can really help to post kindness to each other. All the more so because a lot of cam models seem to have anxiety, depression, or other mental illness that can prevent them from working full-time in another type of job, so a little bit of cheer and hope here every day can go a long way!

So with that said... anyone have a tough day/week/month /year (/lifetime, lol) at the job and want to vent? Anyone want to join in the challenge to improve their money flow this year?

 

[EmptyKins]

[QUOTE="TemporarilyWhining, post:]I think that when we function as a community, the field is much better for it. I strongly believe we should have a cam girl/sex workers union, because it is greatly needed and could do a lot of good to change society and improve safety, but in the meantime, at least we have a place where we can talk and share and help each other out. [/QUOTE]

This is exactly why the Models Only forum exists! I get that you don't want your assertive voice on view with your gfe members but if there were a "cam-girl union" you'd be required to show your cam identity before posting.

Not trying to deflate what you have blowing here, just offering some outlook.

Edit to add: most viewers/members do not frequent these forums, at least mine don't, yet even if they did I'd be proud to show them what I've written here regardless of the tiny blow to their ego.

 

[TemporarilyWhining]

This is exactly why the Models Only forum exists!

But then it wouldn't be accessible to people who haven't started camming yet, which is a big part of the reason I'm doing the thread.

Nearly a year before I started camming, I found the general forum here. It was a big chunk of how I made the decision to cam, and a guide to how I started my shows. I would not have made the decision to cam without the general AC forum, because before I found it, all I found were a bunch of implausible articles that seemed to me to be written by pimps and site advertisers, not real women who had really been through it. When I was on for a few weeks, I made my first ever post here as a reply to someone else talking about how hard her experience was trying to make money. It linked directly off an internet search engine, which is how I found that thread because it was archived from nearly a year earlier. If I hadn't found that thread, I never would have joined or started posting, I would have just kept lurking. But here, was a woman who got it. Who like me, had struggled, and thought she was the only one on a site that seemed to be full of success stories. And I posted in case she was still around, because I just wanted her to know she was not the only one, and that while a lot of people were saying she should try harder, or maybe she just wasn't a good cam girl, my research was suggesting it might not be her fault at all - that this field is just oversaturated right now and new models have such stiff competition that even when you do everything right, sometimes you have a rough month or two anyway. Or maybe it never takes off at all, if you never get good marketing.

I specifically want this thread to be accessible of course to models currently, but also to women like me who are in the early stages of considering this job, and looking for more info from real people who have tried it, before they ever take the plunge. Also, I personally think it doesn't hurt for customers to see how hard it is to make it, how much work goes in - that their perception that all cam girls are rolling in dough and 3 mansions is not accurate, and that maybe they should rethink how little they tip someone for their time and kindness to them. Or at the very least, CHAT is a CHATROOM, so models are not stuck there awkwardly talking to themselves for hours when they first start out. And to realize that a day in the life of a model is hard, and a lot of people are very rude to us before they ever even come in the room. It's hard to be smiley all the time, and always turned on, while strangers throw pennies at you and then randomly maybe criticize your body or say something weird that will probably give you nightmares later.

Models who verify, are already successful enough, or committed to the job enough, that they have already started camming, have accrued a decent number of followers, plus made multiple posts here. That is far down the line from where many questioning, or new struggling models are likely to be. When you (general "you," I don't mean anyone specifically) are a verified model, you already made the decision to be a cam girl. You're not afraid to post your photo publicly on the internet on a cam site - whereas a LOT of people purely lurk here, and are terrified to even post anonymously in the general forum. And, to some extent, it means you're fairly successful, because you stuck it out long enough to have followers, and something made you feel that you are confident enough in this as a job move for you to start spend a lot of free time posting in a forum of other cam models about the job. I've been doing this nearly a year, and even I feel weird and intimidated sometimes by the idea of posting only with models, who are mostly people who have been doing it longer than me, and many of whom are pretty famous in the industry. And lord knows, I'm a loudmouth, lol! I'm not exactly a shy shrinking violet... But if I feel shy here, I can only imagine how shy SHY people feel.

So, I want a place that is easy to spot online for newcomers, where everybody feels they can vent the realities that this job is not the easy money they make it out to be in every article and documentary all over the goddamn place. It should not be in a secret privileged forum, the real discussion we finally have that this job is hard and even people who are really good at it don't necessarily make enough to buy a burrito for a while!

Also, all these bullshit article writers and doc directors who keep making this shit, I hope they read this stuff, and they won't see it in a verified subforum. They've never even done the job, and keep recruiting people to it like it's the easiest thing in the world, like you rolled off a log and just FELL into a pile of money. And yet it takes hundreds of hours, and often hundreds of dollars of initial investment, to start making anything decent. And even then, it can be tough, and full of high times and low times which can shake even a secure person's confidence. Everything I've ever seen done on the industry talks about how cam girls all make 6 figures just working part-time from home, and "being your own boss." But you're not actually your own boss, and not everybody is at the top of the leaderboard. On CB alone, on any given night there are 45 PAGES of people who are trailing the bottom. The brave models who post on AC are only a small fraction of the people we represent out there in the international world of shit-pay.


Anyway, I hope you know I'm not ranting at you at all - but instead at these random strangers I hope read this some day. Being a sex worker - even an online one - is hard work. It pisses me off, because it's the same thing as when I was a teacher and everybody talks down to teachers, because it's a female-dominated job and all they say is like, "Oh, you go home early, and get a million vacations a year." And I'm like really, if its such easy money, how come you don't do it? You don't like getting shot at, getting cursed at all day by kids and adults alike, working all through every holiday and from 5AM-12PM every single day, all for low pay and the least money per hour that anybody makes with your level of degree (save Social Work, also a female-dominated field)? I see people talking about camming the same way, the way they never do in male-dominated fields. Everything that women kill themselves for is easy money, that commands no respect to do, and yet male-dominated fields are "hard," and full of people who must be "very smart," and "earn every penny of their salary." What bullshit. When I went into a male-dominated field in a university, all of a sudden people treated me totally differently, were like, "You must be so smart! Wow, they can't pay you enough." I'm like, WTF are you talking about, being a school teacher was a million times harder than being a professor, took way more hours, and I am the same amount of smart now as I was then, as I was as an unpaid intern before that job too, and as a makeup counter girl before that. Now if I told people I cam, they'd be like, "Oh, that's the life!" But at the same time they would look down on me, think I'm not that moraled or that smart, and they would never deign to do the job themselves.

At least successful cam girls make money. But for the ones who are not successful yet - which is a majority of newcomers - it is pretty lonely indeed. You can't even talk with other cam models, because you feel embarrassed that you're not doing well and they might think you're not good. The only measure of a cam model's talent is her money. There's not like a ranking for number of years in the business, experience gathered, lessons learned, promotions made, the way there is in other fields. So even if you're really talented, before you make the money, it looks like you suck. I don't know how money is for guys, because in a way there is more competition, but also the number who cam successfully is small, but growing... but I'm sure it's similar pressure. I know I had the impression when I was a lurker on AmberCutie, that if you made money, you should speak. And if you didn't make money, then you shouldn't speak here, because what do you know? But, that only perpetuates the myth that all - or even a majority - of cam models are raking in the cash. But if you consider how many models sign up and give it a try (like strippers, and other forms of sex work) the number who stick it out and are actually successful long enough to feel they can post to a forum, are in the tiny minority. The majority, especially in recent years where the competition is very stiff, will struggle, and will then quit, or take a while to take off and have to keep it as a side gig. Even for niche models like I sort of am, you could be really good at what you do, but it takes a long time to get a good following and build regulars who pay large tips, so you might think you're not good and have no future in it unless you stick it out longer.

OK, anyway, WTF am I still up? I should be in bed! haha
I dont know whyTF I come here to wind down. I should know by now that talking about work only ramps me up, it's not at all soothing and chill for me, lol. Even though I always want it to be.

Oh well. Point being, I hope something in all this is helpful for those lurkers who are reading. And that we can dispel the myth that camming is easy money.


And I hope people will feel brave enough to vent here, as they do on other threads in General all the time.

 

[EmptyKins]

But then it wouldn't be accessible to people who haven't started camming yet, which is a big part of the reason I'm doing the thread.

Nearly a year before I started camming, I found the general forum here. It was a big chunk of how I made the decision to cam, and a guide to how I started my shows. I would not have made the decision to cam without the general AC forum, because before I found it, all I found were a bunch of implausible articles that seemed to me to be written by pimps and site advertisers, not real women who had really been through it. When I was on for a few weeks, I made my first ever post here as a reply to someone else talking about how hard her experience was trying to make money. It linked directly off an internet search engine, which is how I found that thread because it was archived from nearly a year earlier. If I hadn't found that thread, I never would have joined or started posting, I would have just kept lurking. But here, was a woman who got it. Who like me, had struggled, and thought she was the only one on a site that seemed to be full of success stories. And I posted in case she was still around, because I just wanted her to know she was not the only one, and that while a lot of people were saying she should try harder, or maybe she just wasn't a good cam girl, my research was suggesting it might not be her fault at all - that this field is just oversaturated right now and new models have such stiff competition that even when you do everything right, sometimes you have a rough month or two anyway. Or maybe it never takes off at all, if you never get good marketing.

I specifically want this thread to be accessible of course to models currently, but also to women like me who are in the early stages of considering this job, and looking for more info from real people who have tried it, before they ever take the plunge. Also, I personally think it doesn't hurt for customers to see how hard it is to make it, how much work goes in - that their perception that all cam girls are rolling in dough and 3 mansions is not accurate, and that maybe they should rethink how little they tip someone for their time and kindness to them. Or at the very least, CHAT is a CHATROOM, so models are not stuck there awkwardly talking to themselves for hours when they first start out. And to realize that a day in the life of a model is hard, and a lot of people are very rude to us before they ever even come in the room. It's hard to be smiley all the time, and always turned on, while strangers throw pennies at you and then randomly maybe criticize your body or say something weird that will probably give you nightmares later.

Models who verify, are already successful enough, or committed to the job enough, that they have already started camming, have accrued a decent number of followers, plus made multiple posts here. That is far down the line from where many questioning, or new struggling models are likely to be. When you (general "you," I don't mean anyone specifically) are a verified model, you already made the decision to be a cam girl. You're not afraid to post your photo publicly on the internet on a cam site - whereas a LOT of people purely lurk here, and are terrified to even post anonymously in the general forum. And, to some extent, it means you're fairly successful, because you stuck it out long enough to have followers, and something made you feel that you are confident enough in this as a job move for you to start spend a lot of free time posting in a forum of other cam models about the job. I've been doing this nearly a year, and even I feel weird and intimidated sometimes by the idea of posting only with models, who are mostly people who have been doing it longer than me, and many of whom are pretty famous in the industry. And lord knows, I'm a loudmouth, lol! I'm not exactly a shy shrinking violet... But if I feel shy here, I can only imagine how shy SHY people feel.

So, I want a place that is easy to spot online for newcomers, where everybody feels they can vent the realities that this job is not the easy money they make it out to be in every article and documentary all over the goddamn place. It should not be in a secret privileged forum, the real discussion we finally have that this job is hard and even people who are really good at it don't necessarily make enough to buy a burrito for a while!

Also, all these bullshit article writers and doc directors who keep making this shit, I hope they read this stuff, and they won't see it in a verified subforum. They've never even done the job, and keep recruiting people to it like it's the easiest thing in the world, like you rolled off a log and just FELL into a pile of money. And yet it takes hundreds of hours, and often hundreds of dollars of initial investment, to start making anything decent. And even then, it can be tough, and full of high times and low times which can shake even a secure person's confidence. Everything I've ever seen done on the industry talks about how cam girls all make 6 figures just working part-time from home, and "being your own boss." But you're not actually your own boss, and not everybody is at the top of the leaderboard. On CB alone, on any given night there are 45 PAGES of people who are trailing the bottom. The brave models who post on AC are only a small fraction of the people we represent out there in the international world of shit-pay.


Anyway, I hope you know I'm not ranting at you at all - but instead at these random strangers I hope read this some day. Being a sex worker - even an online one - is hard work. It pisses me off, because it's the same thing as when I was a teacher and everybody talks down to teachers, because it's a female-dominated job and all they say is like, "Oh, you go home early, and get a million vacations a year." And I'm like really, if its such easy money, how come you don't do it? You don't like getting shot at, getting cursed at all day by kids and adults alike, working all through every holiday and from 5AM-12PM every single day, all for low pay and the least money per hour that anybody makes with your level of degree (save Social Work, also a female-dominated field)? I see people talking about camming the same way, the way they never do in male-dominated fields. Everything that women kill themselves for is easy money, that commands no respect to do, and yet male-dominated fields are "hard," and full of people who must be "very smart," and "earn every penny of their salary." What bullshit. When I went into a male-dominated field in a university, all of a sudden people treated me totally differently, were like, "You must be so smart! Wow, they can't pay you enough." I'm like, WTF are you talking about, being a school teacher was a million times harder than being a professor, took way more hours, and I am the same amount of smart now as I was then, as I was as an unpaid intern before that job too, and as a makeup counter girl before that. Now if I told people I cam, they'd be like, "Oh, that's the life!" But at the same time they would look down on me, think I'm not that moraled or that smart, and they would never deign to do the job themselves.

At least successful cam girls make money. But for the ones who are not successful yet - which is a majority of newcomers - it is pretty lonely indeed. You can't even talk with other cam models, because you feel embarrassed that you're not doing well and they might think you're not good. The only measure of a cam model's talent is her money. There's not like a ranking for number of years in the business, experience gathered, lessons learned, promotions made, the way there is in other fields. So even if you're really talented, before you make the money, it looks like you suck. I don't know how money is for guys, because in a way there is more competition, but also the number who cam successfully is small, but growing... but I'm sure it's similar pressure. I know I had the impression when I was a lurker on AmberCutie, that if you made money, you should speak. And if you didn't make money, then you shouldn't speak here, because what do you know? But, that only perpetuates the myth that all - or even a majority - of cam models are raking in the cash. But if you consider how many models sign up and give it a try (like strippers, and other forms of sex work) the number who stick it out and are actually successful long enough to feel they can post to a forum, are in the tiny minority. The majority, especially in recent years where the competition is very stiff, will struggle, and will then quit, or take a while to take off and have to keep it as a side gig. Even for niche models like I sort of am, you could be really good at what you do, but it takes a long time to get a good following and build regulars who pay large tips, so you might think you're not good and have no future in it unless you stick it out longer.

OK, anyway, WTF am I still up? I should be in bed! haha
I dont know whyTF I come here to wind down. I should know by now that talking about work only ramps me up, it's not at all soothing and chill for me, lol. Even though I always want it to be.

Oh well. Point being, I hope something in all this is helpful for those lurkers who are reading. And that we can dispel the myth that camming is easy money.


And I hope people will feel brave enough to vent here, as they do on other threads in General all the time.

Here is the thing. It is very easy to get verified as a model on this forum and get access to the Model's Only section. The "advice" you are giving is typically misleading, especially in the post I'm quoting. You do NOT have to be a successful cam model to gain access to the MO section, the MO section exists to HELP you find success! By telling girls they can simply stay on the fringes with you and PM you for advice, you are actually hindering their success.

You seem to be projecting a lot of your own myths/ideas/impressions/etc. when really all it takes to get verified is introducing yourself, replying here and there to a few threads, and posting a picture with your cam name and cam site! You don't have to tell us your origin story, but most of us will listen and support you if you choose to! You don't have to prove you are a "good" cam model with receipts and spreadsheets. You don't even have to create your own threads if you aren't ready!

You've posted a ton of interesting stuff on here for everyone to see. I can understand how you would now be hesitant to expose yourself in the verification process. But please don't try to dissuade other girls/guys from getting verified.

 

[Emberblaze]

I don't think any new model should be willing to trust another "model" that completely hides behind a name that doesn't link to them in anyway.

I used to use an old cam name on here and actually changed it to my current one eventually despite already being verified because I wanted to be more transparent to other models that may not have seen me post my name a few times in threads on MO.

New models have so many fake models offering them help that will fuck them over that you really shouldn't encourage them taking advice from someone when they have no way of knowing if they really are a model.

 

[Gen]

I don't think any new model should be willing to trust another "model" that completely hides behind a name that doesn't link to them in anyway.

Yep. If they aren’t willing to put their name behind it, take it with a big, huge grain of salt.

Also would like to disagree with the idea that GFE models can’t speak their minds and be successful. Any GFE-type models who are reading this and think that, it’s an opinion, not a fact. As a GFE-inclined girl myself, I gained some awesome tippers from here who could also handle the fact that I’m mouthy sometimes most of them appreciate seeing a little personality.

 

[CharlotteLace]

Okay, so here's what gets me.

We have a goddamned Camgirl Wiki. If models don't want into models-only, they still have a crazy amount of info at their disposal. Information that has multiple contributors with a balanced perspective, instead of one person's anecdotal evidence.

I mean I'd rather get information from a broad source than just the girl next door, you know?

 

[EmptyKins]

Okay, so here's what gets me.

We have a goddamned Camgirl Wiki. If models don't want into models-only, they still have a crazy amount of info at their disposal. Information that has multiple contributors with a balanced perspective, instead of one person's anecdotal evidence.

I mean I'd rather get information from a broad source than just the girl next door, you know?

Swear I had to read your post five times before just covering your gif and reading it a sixth so I could pay attention.

 

[Helen Crimson]

Don't know where you got the idea that only "successful" and "committed" models with a "large following" can be verified here. I applied to be verified after doing my first two cam shows and was approved. It's incredibly simple. Also, EVERYTHING you need to start out on the right foot is already here in the general forum. Sure, it might take some digging to find all the information, but it's all here. I dug through this forum with a fine tooth comb for two months before making the decision to go live, and I felt completely prepared. The secret to success is not hidden behind the models only wall. The models only section is just to give us a space to talk frankly with our peers away from the public, uplift each other, and provide a support network for a job that can be isolating. The best thing a new model can do for themselves is to read as much as you can in the general forum, get started on cam, then get verified.

 

[AudriTwo]

Models who verify, are already successful enough, or committed to the job enough, that they have already started camming, have accrued a decent number of followers, plus made multiple posts here.

don't know where you got this misconception. i've seen plenty of baby cammodels with barely a month under their belt before they were verified.

 

[heybarkeep]

This industry needs someone to speak the truth about how it REALLY is, unencumbered

 

[paige_orion]

While I always enjoy seeing more threads offering support and advice to new models, I do hesitate at the idea of encouraging new cam models to be compleeeeetely open and honest about rough days or bad feelings outside of Models Only.

So many new models are still learning how to navigate proper privacy protocols, separating real world from cam world, learning to protect their identity, their location, discovering many of their shows are automatically recorded, etc. It is easy to get overwhelmed - and easy to forget that any member can wander in and see something they wrote in a time of annoyance or frustration, and it can cause friction. It doesn't happen often, but it has definitely happened before. On these boards, there is no delete button, so whatever said is said for good. It isn't always a good thing to be completely open and honest in a totally public space, especially when you're feeling low and down. And trusting new cammodels are especially vulnerable to unsavory members looking to take advantage - posting tooooo publicly about struggles and low feelings (without the wisdom to spot the unsavory sort gained from cam experience) can potentially invite even more too-good-to-be-true people looking to take advantage.

Model's Only isn't exclusive only to established or successful models - far from it! It is a totally awesome private space that welcomes all cam models, regardless of success. We have super veterans and brand new cam bbs; there are people who make bank and people who struggle, and everyone in between. There are literally models of all types and styles, which is a huge gift in this industry. Because you are right, it is easy to feel lonely and isolated in this line of work. But in Model's Only, everyone has a voice and everyone's experiences matter, and that is what makes it such a kickass place. Because you have SOOOO many experiences to draw upon, and that is where it is a little safer to be open and honest. And where the new models will find a TON of advice, especially the sort that you are seeking to share.

I do think it is important to remind all cam models, whether you are weeks into your career or you are still debating on pushing that broad-cast button, that everyone struggles. I promise, even the most successful models have had their bad days, and you will too. Those days when you doubt your abilities and your strengths, and you think that you are a total failure. You are not. Not everyone makes the same money, but it usually gets better with experience. Learning to improve your shows and your hustle is an admirable goal - something that you should never grow out of, no matter how long you've been in the game. This is not an easy career and it is definitely not easy money. There's a reason why so many people quit - and you're not a failure if you discover that this career isn't quite for you. It can be tough, and that isn't a reflection on you or your worth. It's one of the hardest careers I've ever had - but it's also the one I've enjoyed the most. There are good days that are filled with absolute joy and gratitude and there are bad days where you just want to break down and cry, and sometimes, it's all just a giant roller-coaster ride. This happens to every model, regardless of how much money they make, regardless of how many days or years they've been camming. Even if you don't see it, just remember that some people are just very good at keeping a positive, public face!

If you're super new, do your research on these boards. Keep asking questions. Keep posting. Be active and respectful. By all means, totally use this thread for its intended purpose! I just encourage you to be careful about what you share in public, or at least, don't post anything you wouldn't want your members to read, just in case. And as soon as you can, get verified! It's super duper easy and you'll have a safer place to open up and connect with models of all types and experiences and degrees of success, ready to encourage and offer sympathy or advice or whatever you need.

 

[Gen]

I think the fact that most models use their real cam names on here is one of ACF’s strong points. It makes things feel more personable and trustworthy. If @AmberCutie posts about MFC, I know I can trust her expertise because she’s been around a while and knows the site extremely well. Ditto @Mila_ on Chaturbate, @NoelleBright or @AlexLady on SM, etc. Even if someone’s not a top model, you know who’s been around the block or knows the ins and outs of the industry.

And it feels more intimate, like we’re getting to know actual people vs dehumanized avatars. I like putting the face to the name.

 

[AlexLady]

I've already posted all this info. If you'd find it inspirational, look up my first 500 posts or so from when I said I'd be in the top 20 til I did it. You'd love that. Pardon me but I'm too busy to repeat myself as much as I used to.

 

[Mila_]

If you fear people connecting your ACF account to your cam persona just use a different name, neutral avatar and no links. Nobody will know who you are unless you want them to. You will get access to M.O. I did it for years until I decided to just put my face to my account. If you don't get verified many people here will not take your word that you are a camgirl (me included)

There are so many threads already on the public section intended to help new models out where they aren't required by the OP to share their failure stories. This feels intrusive and redundant to me.

 

[heybarkeep]

This will hopefully be the end of whatever was going on here. Nice work @EmptyKins and all involved.

 

[SaffronBurke]

Models who verify, are already successful enough, or committed to the job enough, that they have already started camming, have accrued a decent number of followers, plus made multiple posts here.

The multiple posts part isn't hard, hell there's a whole subform of games and tons of other places you can get your post count up. As for the success and following - I was verified for MO access with a camscore of THREE HUNDRED. That's hours and hours of camming with nothing to show, with no followers, but it was enough to prove that I'm an active model who's committed to the job and wouldn't just be a forum leach.

You do NOT have to be a successful cam model to gain access to the MO section, the MO section exists to HELP you find success!

This this this this. Again, my camscore was in the 300's when I was verified as a model and was making pennies camming while also doing the office job thing. Since then, I've had ups and downs, but I'm currently supporting myself 100% on camming and clips.

 

[EmptyKins]

The multiple posts part isn't hard, hell there's a whole subform of games and tons of other places you can get your post count up. As for the success and following - I was verified for MO access with a camscore of THREE HUNDRED. That's hours and hours of camming with nothing to show, with no followers, but it was enough to prove that I'm an active model who's committed to the job and wouldn't just be a forum leach.



This this this this. Again, my camscore was in the 300's when I was verified as a model and was making pennies camming while also doing the office job thing. Since then, I've had ups and downs, but I'm currently supporting myself 100% on camming and clips.

I'm still making pennies camming and I haven't been kicked out (I used the MO section to study up on clip stores and phone sex and now that's 95% of my income). @Whining if you login and see all this I hope you don't take it as a pile on or anything. I think you were coming from a good place initially, it's just very easy to mislead people on here with threads like this full of personal rhetoric instead of guiding them to the resources created specifically for them!

 

[Emberblaze]

I would also assume although Amber can correct me if I'm wrong that if you think you've overshared more than you want linked to your cam persona you could just create a new account and shoot Amber a message to let her know who you used to be or let us know in MO who you are once you have your access.

 

[Dan Epstein]

A veteran model in the industry gave me a simple tip for a life time in a trade show once. She told me that instead of focusing on my failures, to focus on what happened in my successful sales and interactions. She told me to look how to improve them, rather than just repeat them. That was the opposite of the strategical thinking I was taught as a kid. I'm trying to implement this in other realms in life, especially now
Now if you will excuse me, I believe i just hijacked a thread again with my drama queen qualities

 

[TemporarilyWhining]

@Whining if you login and see all this I hope you don't take it as a pile on or anything.

Thanks for this. But it's hard to see it as anything but. I haven't posted to this thread in like 2 months! All of a sudden there are like 20 posts to it, all yelling at me for something I never intended to say.

Jeez people, calm down. This seems like a very unwelcoming place. All I did was post a thread to try to help people, totally for free, in a public space- NOT PM. I did it because at the time of post, there were at least 8 new models all posting to pre-existing threads rather than start their own, all on CB, all complaining about newcomer issues and feeling really bad about themselves. I just wanted to offer them a space, if they chose not to verify like I did, to vent and get some love and support! I never intended to be the only one giving advice! - I don't have endless hours to do something like that. I just thought it would be nice if it was a recurring thread, and so new people searching online would easily be able to find it (like I once found AC - those Model Only threads don't show up on browser searches!). Anyone here on the forum with advice or a differing view was welcome to post to it. I had nothing personally to gain from it whatsoever.

This was an emotional support thread, so a Wiki - even if there were a good one for Chaturbate and really there is not to cover the kinds of emotional issues that brand new models in the current over-saturated market face - would not at all replace the kind of personalized support this was meant to provide. It was just supposed to be a motivating tool, personalized to the individuals who wanted to post here and report their progress each week or month or whenever they wanted to check in. I figured long-time models might draw some inspiration and motivation from it too, because we all can improve, can't we?

I never intended to say OTHER people shouldn't verify!! But when I posted, instead of anyone who was (still) complaining in other threads coming here to vent, I just got attacks about why I don't move this to the MO section. So I tried to explain that. Then I got replies here and in PM trying to push me personally to verify, so I took time out to explain in detail why *I* personally do not choose to verify, and am not going to. I have no reason whatsoever to discourage other models from doing so! That thought never even entered my head!! Of course, this is a great resource for models, and if I did not feel like being so real about my unloading about customers and stuff, I would do so too. But for me personally, there is nothing to be gained. For most people, a lot could be gained by verifying. Why does everyone care so much if I personally choose not to?

When no one who actually wanted help ever posted to this thread, I moved on and abandoned it. It is so weird that it suddenly now is being resurrected just to bitch me out for having started it! What a negative way to react to someone trying to give from the bottom of their heart to other struggling models.

I really don't feel like posting to AC anymore. Everything I say, gets 10 or 20 replies of angry and misunderstanding, with people freaking out and attacking me. All I am trying to do here is be friendly and reach out to people - especially new models or people who have not taken the plunge yet - to create community. I do not feel welcome or appreciated at all. Being here has made me feel worse about camming, and about what other models are like. I don't have anyone to talk to about it in my real life, because I had a very sort of elitist professional job before and being open with what I do now would burn a lot of bridges for me. So I just wanted to commiserate with other models about the hard stuff - with people who get it! But the constant over-the-top reactions that seem to come to every well-intentioned post - even ones posted 2 whole months ago - are just not worth adding more negativity to my day. I am sadder about humanity when I log in here and have to read all the unnecessary yelling at me, rather than feeling more connected to others as I had hoped. I just wanted to help, and make people feel good. Some people here - particularly some of the members who are not even models - clearly don't have the same goal in mind.

Thanks to the many kind people here who have said nice things, and understood my intent has always been to be supportive of models, and never to harm them or take anything away from them in any way.



As far as I am concerned, this thread is long closed. I won't be coming back to it. Please don't post to me personally expecting me to be able to help you with your camming. Other people will be elsewhere on the forum, in other threads, to to that.

Best of luck to all the newbies!

 

[heybarkeep]

Good luck on your journey, Phil.

 

[EmptyKins]

Thanks for this. But it's hard to see it as anything but. I haven't posted to this thread in like 2 months! All of a sudden there are like 20 posts to it, all yelling at me for something I never intended to say.

Jeez people, calm down. This seems like a very unwelcoming place. All I did was post a thread to try to help people, totally for free, in a public space- NOT PM. I did it because at the time of post, there were at least 8 new models all posting to pre-existing threads rather than start their own, all on CB, all complaining about newcomer issues and feeling really bad about themselves. I just wanted to offer them a space, if they chose not to verify like I did, to vent and get some love and support! I never intended to be the only one giving advice! - I don't have endless hours to do something like that. I just thought it would be nice if it was a recurring thread, and so new people searching online would easily be able to find it (like I once found AC - those Model Only threads don't show up on browser searches!). Anyone here on the forum with advice or a differing view was welcome to post to it. I had nothing personally to gain from it whatsoever.

This was an emotional support thread, so a Wiki - even if there were a good one for Chaturbate and really there is not to cover the kinds of emotional issues that brand new models in the current over-saturated market face - would not at all replace the kind of personalized support this was meant to provide. It was just supposed to be a motivating tool, personalized to the individuals who wanted to post here and report their progress each week or month or whenever they wanted to check in. I figured long-time models might draw some inspiration and motivation from it too, because we all can improve, can't we?

I never intended to say OTHER people shouldn't verify!! But when I posted, instead of anyone who was (still) complaining in other threads coming here to vent, I just got attacks about why I don't move this to the MO section. So I tried to explain that. Then I got replies here and in PM trying to push me personally to verify, so I took time out to explain in detail why *I* personally do not choose to verify, and am not going to. I have no reason whatsoever to discourage other models from doing so! That thought never even entered my head!! Of course, this is a great resource for models, and if I did not feel like being so real about my unloading about customers and stuff, I would do so too. But for me personally, there is nothing to be gained. For most people, a lot could be gained by verifying. Why does everyone care so much if I personally choose not to?

When no one who actually wanted help ever posted to this thread, I moved on and abandoned it. It is so weird that it suddenly now is being resurrected just to bitch me out for having started it! What a negative way to react to someone trying to give from the bottom of their heart to other struggling models.

I really don't feel like posting to AC anymore. Everything I say, gets 10 or 20 replies of angry and misunderstanding, with people freaking out and attacking me. All I am trying to do here is be friendly and reach out to people - especially new models or people who have not taken the plunge yet - to create community. I do not feel welcome or appreciated at all. Being here has made me feel worse about camming, and about what other models are like. I don't have anyone to talk to about it in my real life, because I had a very sort of elitist professional job before and being open with what I do now would burn a lot of bridges for me. So I just wanted to commiserate with other models about the hard stuff - with people who get it! But the constant over-the-top reactions that seem to come to every well-intentioned post - even ones posted 2 whole months ago - are just not worth adding more negativity to my day. I am sadder about humanity when I log in here and have to read all the unnecessary yelling at me, rather than feeling more connected to others as I had hoped. I just wanted to help, and make people feel good. Some people here - particularly some of the members who are not even models - clearly don't have the same goal in mind.

Thanks to the many kind people here who have said nice things, and understood my intent has always been to be supportive of models, and never to harm them or take anything away from them in any way.



As far as I am concerned, this thread is long closed. I won't be coming back to it. Please don't post to me personally expecting me to be able to help you with your camming. Other people will be elsewhere on the forum, in other threads, to to that.

Best of luck to all the newbies!

I'm confused. No one was yelling at you. We just want you to be safe and to experience the amazing support of the models only section so you don't have to feel lonely out here.

 

[Dan Epstein]

This is a friendly forum. If I've made it so far, you can rest assure it's a safe space. Safer than your Facebook any given day.

 

[CurvyJ]

I'm really sad. I thought this was a great idea for a topic and there is no chatter about that. However there has been a lot of useful information about trust and whatnot. Can't wait to get verified!

 

[Mila_]

Nobody was mean to you @TemporarilyWhining, we were simply pointing out that this thread feels off. If what you want is meaningful connections and commiserating about your cam life with other models you are going in the wrong direction. The space to do that is behind the M.O wall. You are asking cam girls to trust you and give you warm messages in a forum where we are all posting with our names and our faces or at least with @AmberCutie verification that we are actual cam models while you yourself hide behind a moniker and an avatar of a landscape. You could be a model or you could be Bob writing from your mom’s basement. We don’t know.

 

[Dan Epstein]

I think models have ups and downs at work, like every type of freelancer. I would appreciate if Bob unveiled himself now