In this article I’ll show you how to turn your “occasional employers” into junkies that can’t get enough of your work, and worship you like a Mayan princess. For those of you that actually want to earn money as a contract worker for adult companies, keep reading.In this article I’ll show you how to turn your “occasional employers” into junkies that can’t get enough of your work, and worship you like a Mayan princess. For those of you that actually want to earn money as a contract worker for adult companies, keep reading.

The State of Affairs

By and large, there is an astonishing lack of professionalism in the adult industry. All the way from the top down, you can point out flaws and inconsistencies. From the multi-million dollar billing company that can’t seem to get around to sending out a $200 check to the $6.50 an hour telecommuting employee that never answers the phone when they say they will; there is a lot of room for improvement.

Part of the problem is the “pimp and player” attitude that runs rampant in adult. The phenomenon is pretty common: a new-comer to the business gets online, makes a few dollars, gets a few free drinks at a tradeshow “party,” and then struts around pretending to be a free-wheeling, ego-centric high roller. What a shame. Another kid plays “porn king,” when he could be getting down to business. Well, we shouldn’t be bitching, should we? After all, if that’s the best the competition can do, then you’re going to eat them up and spit them out. If you’re a contractor, here’s the manual on how to annihilate them, post-haste.

How to Get Jobs

First, I assume you have a skill. Maybe you’re handy with Photoshop. Perhaps your talent lies in writing C or PHP. If you’re real good at making hyperlink or you’re going to be the leading expert in [BLANK] soon, then maybe you’d better reconsider. Develop your skills, then solicit work. Many times, the hardest part of the job is getting the job. (Unfortunately, it’s sometimes more difficult to get paid.) Even if you’re excellent at what you do, convincing people to spend their money on you can be hard. You can consistently land jobs by doing the following:

Rule 1: Develop a strong portfolio with references

If you’re a designer, the first thing anyone cares about is your work. When I look for prospective designers, I want to hear two things: “Yes, I’ve worked before” and “Yes, I have a portfolio online, the URL is…” But this can go for anyone in the field. If you’re planning on working for adult online, at least have a readily accessible online portfolio. Programmers and writers can do this too – even if your site is little more than a handy resume, at least be able to offer your prospective employer some evidence of online competency. Also, take the time to ask your former employers to write a brief email message or note in ICQ regarding your past performance with them. Take the best three or four and post them on your site. Ask them if they wouldn’t mind being “references on request,” and keep current contact information on file should prospective employers want to drop them an email message and inquire as to your skills and performance.

Rule 2: Work for free

Yes, you read that right. If you really want work, then just take the initiative and show your potential employers that you want the job. For instance, if you’re good at designing tours and banners, make a banner advertisement for someone at no charge (instead of playing your third consecutive round of unemployed mini-golf for the day). Use content they’re presently using on their site and retool it into a fresh ad. If you’re a programmer, provide them with a free script, or incentive to check out something you think can make/save them money. When you finish the work, contact them via email and explain that you’re hungry for steady work from a quality company like theirs, and that you wanted to prove yourself.

Show them the free work you developed. Tell them they’re free to use it at no charge. Casually mention that you can do work of this quality, or better, for the nominal charge of [BLANK] dollars. Let them know you’re available and eager to start helping them improve their product and make more money.

The gamble will pay off, especially if you do outstanding work. Most companies are looking for quality people, but are simply wary of taking a chance. Anticipate this need, take away their stress, and they’ll call you again and again.

Rule 3: Lose your ego and market yourself as the right choice

Remember: You are the one looking for work. You need the money. Your potential employers are the ones who have the money you need. You are not doing them a favor by providing them with your services. They will find a suitable replacement for you if you are difficult to work with. Believe it or not, companies will settle for inferior work if the contractor is easy to work with. Given the choice between “acceptable stuff” and “top quality work,” companies will choose “acceptable stuff” if they don’t have to soothe delicate egos or manage eccentric personalities. Translation: You are not a precious snowflake that requires special attention; don’t be a pain in the ass! Make yourself easy to communicate and work with. Keep in mind that they’re probably hiring you because their own employees have grown into untamable, lazy assholes. Each time you take personal offense to a request or a comment, take a breath, step back, and ask yourself if it’s really worth fighting over. Each time you object to an employer’s request on matters of personal opinion, you decrease the chances that they will work with you in the future.

Only bring up concerns if you think it might negatively impact their goals in the long run. For instance, if they ask for gay photos in a hetero tour, politely suggest that the choice might negatively impact their financial goals, but that you’d be glad to do anything they’d like. Every company will respect you if you help them make more money and suggest alternative solutions to prospective pitfalls. Every company will hate you if you insist on enforcing your aesthetic whims and pushing your personal agendas.

Rule 4: Price yourself fairly and undercut the competition

Pricing yourself is absolutely crucial to your success. Companies respond well to two fundamental principals: Negotiation and thrift. In this case, thrift means pricing yourself attractively, thereby decreasing the company expenses. If you consistently undercut your competitors’ prices, it says two things to prospective employers. First, that you’re honestly evaluating your work, and that the fact of the matter is, most people in your field are price gouging. You appear honest, and it soothes the employer’s central desire to save a penny or two. Second, thrift indicates that you must be extraordinarily efficient. How else can you afford to ruthlessly out bid your competition? Negotiation means you’re willing to be flexible with a company. Suppose you offer banners at $35 a piece. Joe Blows, Inc. wants to hire you to do 15 banners, but would like to negotiate on the price. By all means, learn to work with them on the price. It satisfies a few major goals: The primary goal is the most obvious – it guarantees you a job. The second goal keeps an eye on your future – they’re likely to be repeat customers. The third goal is primarily ego stroking. The president of Joe Blows, Inc. gets the satisfying feeling of “getting a deal.” It reinforces their self-appointed sense of being a shrewd businessman and savvy negotiator. It’s easier to pry the check from his hand if he feels good about himself.

The flip side to negotiation and thrift is making sure that you’re actually profitable. Determining your profitability is a basic necessity, but can be tricky to newcomers to industry. Essentially it translates into making sure you’re not spending more money than you’re getting in return, but the specifics are probably best left to another article.

When pricing, keep this simple theory in mind: Would you rather work for $100 an hour and work 1 hour a week, or work for $20 an hour and work 40 hours a week? Would you rather chase one $15,000 contract for a year, or have 5 contracts at $4,000 each in various stages of completion? Get the job, get it done, get the money in the door and move on. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this 3 Part Series!

Busa is the Director of Design at TrueCash.

In this article I’ll show you how to turn your “occasional employers” into junkies that can’t get enough of your work, and worship you like a Mayan princess. For those of you that actually want to earn money as a contract worker for adult companies, keep reading.In this article I’ll show you how to turn your “occasional employers” into junkies that can’t get enough of your work, and worship you like a Mayan princess. For those of you that actually want to earn money as a contract worker for adult companies, keep reading.

The State of Affairs

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