By Peter Berton

TORONTO, Canada – Jasmine Jade is an established cam girl. She’s also an author. After 14 years of performing on webcams, she distilled her knowledge into a self-published e-book: Camgirl Manual (Freaky Text, December 2013).

Available for Kindle on Amazon and its own website, Camgirl Manual covers topics such as types of camming, how to decide whether to work for a studio or as an independent, what to charge, how to get paid, equipment and setup, pre-show prep, hygeine and makeup.

Why write a manual for cam girls? YNOT asked, and Jade answered.

YNOT.com: You’ve been webcamming for a long time. Is that all you do, or do you have other jobs?

Jasmine Jade: I have been in the adult industry for more than 13 years, since I was 18. I started off doing cam but have since been on DVDs, TV, magazines and have made many appearances over the years at shows and events. I do a Cam4 “super show” twice a week. I am also the headmistress of [[URL]http://www.kinkden.com/]Kink[/URL] Den[/url], [one of] the busiest dungeon[s] in Toronto, managing a staff of over a dozen girls.

Why did you write Camgirl Manual?

[B]Give us a peek between the covers.

This book will give anyone a head start in becoming a webcam performer. If you search the web you can find information about being a cam girl, but nowhere has it all in one place.

I put together all of the info I have shared with other girls in the past. Then we formatted it into a book so there would be an easy reference for anyone who is looking to get into camming but doesn’t know how or where to begin.

The book covers everything, including preparing for your show, promoting yourself, show ideas, tips and tricks — everything I could think of that would be helpful for new cam girls.

What are the most important things for a cam girl to get right?

Be creative and stick with it. Many new girls think camming is a way to make quick and easy money, but those days are long gone. You have to work harder now to get fans, but if you treat it like a job and are serious, you can make money.

What mistakes hurt a cam girl’s earning potential?

Assuming just because you go on cam, people should pay you is the mistake I see the most. You are providing a form of entertainment for paying customers. If you are not entertaining, then why should they pay?

There are lots of girls who don’t understand this, and then they wonder why they aren’t getting any shows or tips.

What sort of response have you had to the manual to date?

The overall response has been incredibly positive. I have had people tell me it’s a great idea and have had experienced cam girls tell me they learned things they hadn’t thought of before.

If the response continues to be this positive, there will be follow-up books.