It took me years to learn this lesson, but there are levels to working in the adult entertainment industry. At the bottom rung of the ladder is sexting, OnlyFans management (this is where men pretend to be women for $25 to $30 an hour!), and selling nudes on Snapchat.
Taking things up a notch, you can make more money showing off your figure on cam sites like Chaturbate and CamSoda. If you have an OnlyFans page, you can also sell custom-made vids.
But not everyone can stomach the thankless task of camming for insatiable men. After a while, it lead to burnout.
That’s why I made the switch from camming to sexting a few years ago, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with my decision. I might be pulling in a bit less than I used to, but I’m able to earn roughly the same amount without sacrificing my physical and mental health.
If you’ve ever considered sexting as a career, I’m here to show you how you can get paid to sext. However, it’s not going to be easy, and you will encounter some obstacles when you’re first starting out. If you want my first piece of advice, you’ll need to create an entirely new identity for your clientele.
In this guide, I’ll be recounting my experiences with sexting for cash. I’ll also discuss all the best platforms for sexting rather than camming. In comparison to going live or having phone sex, it’s a hands-off way to make pornstar money without doing pornstar things for the Internet to watch.
- What Made Me Switch From Camming to Sexting?
- What Is The Appeal of Sexting For Clients?
- Which Fetishes Involve Sexting and Verbal Role-Play?
- How Should I Price My Conversations?
- Protecting Your Brand: Why Getting Your DBA Is So Important
- What Are the Best Platforms for Sexting With New People?
- The Importance of Self-Promotion & Marketing
- My Top Tips For Making Money From Sexting
- Would You Try Sexting for Cash?
What Made Me Switch From Camming to Sexting?
Contrary to how society views adult entertainment stars, I didn’t grow up and decide I wanted to become a nude streamer on Chaturbate. However, I did need to find a way to pay for my school tuition. From a distance, pleasuring myself on stream was a better alternative to drowning in debt.
Even though it took me a few months to promote myself and find repeat viewers, camming soon became quick and easy money. I was able to make at least $100/hour depending on tips. I even used a webcam splitter to broadcast on multiple cam sites (CamSoda, Chaturbate, etc.) at once.
Needless to say, I was raking in some decent dough. At the same time, I wasn’t in the best mental shape of my life. Even though I was making bread hand-over-fist from daily streams and private shows at least four times a week, the constant comments about my body ended up getting in my head.
After a particularly jarring night, I decided I was overdue for change. I didn’t necessarily want to give up camming altogether, and I still do private calls for a handful of trusted clients. However, I couldn’t do it for the public. Not knowing what to expect, I dropped down to sexting exclusively.
This meant I’d have to find new platforms, which I discuss in more detail below. It also meant I could explore new avenues of making money as I rebuilt my customer pool from scratch. When I was just starting out, I found it difficult to maintain viewers from week to week.
However, developing my own sense of style and leaning into the “femdom” niche worked for me. When I decided to start sexting, I didn’t want to abandon the online persona that had earned me tens of thousands of dollars. So, I kept playing the role of a findomme through text with pictures.
I’ve discussed a handful of popular kinks that put a great deal of emphasis on the written word.
What Is The Appeal of Sexting For Clients?
Sexting and adult chat, unlike the cam industry, doesn’t involve much in the way of set up. Nor do you have to send images at all. Sexting can, quite simply, be the exchange of XXX text messages.
And, believe it or not but, many people who get paid to sext don’t even get that explicit in conversation with their customers. In fact, there are quite a lot of people who use sexting services who aren’t just in it for the content but to make a connection with someone.
Think about it.
People turn to their phones when they are bored and lonely not when they are fulfilled and busy leading fun lives. And, if all they wanted was a quick wank then the internet is full of free porn. The bottom line with sexting is that most people who use it actually want to ‘talk’ as well as to get turned on.
Yet, one of the main reasons that people turn to sexting is because they want to feel the thrill of flirting with someone as if in an early relationship.
They may well be sexually frustrated but the chances are the fantasy is more about reliving those early sexting days you get when you first start dating.
So, if it’s all about making a connection, why do people want to sext instead of live cam?
There are a few reasons for this and many of them are practical ones.
- Sexting is a lot of easier to do discretely and because it all happens on a mobile phone, it’s more flexible than being tied to your laptop/PC.
- The cost of sexting is often a lot cheaper than using a live cam service.
- Some people just aren’t into the visuals and would prefer to be turned on by words.
- It might be easier for some people to share their filthiest fantasies over sext than over cam.
- Sexting offers more anonymity.
Of course, a lot of clients who sext are just curious and may choose to do this on the spur of the moment or for a bit of a laugh.
Which Fetishes Involve Sexting and Verbal Role-Play?
Femdom, findom, and sexual fetishes revolving around those power dynamics are best suited to verbal roleplay. You can ignore a sub for days on end, but they’ll still send you money if you can entice them. Telling erotic stories through text is another idea that some findom customers love.
Needless to say, the pen is mightier than the sword. If you’re including pictures to go along with your spicy texts, a carefully angled photograph is worth a thousand words. You don’t necessarily have to show your face, but creators who show skin will reap the financial benefits of doing so.
As for the “texting” side of things, you have to know what you’re doing behind a keyboard. It’s no bueno to make grammatical mistakes or mess up the vibe in any way. To that end, you’ll need to be a good writer in order to make sexting a profitable endeavor. As you continue to roleplay, you might notice yourself getting into character more easily! It’s your job to strike the perfect balance between authentic, sultry and naughty.
Trust me when I say that it’s much easier said than done.
Speaking of role-play, you might be asked to impersonate a special person one day. I’ve already been propositioned to play the part of someone’s bitchy ex-girlfriend, comforting virtual partner, online domme, a cheerleader, and a “naughty” schoolgirl. I highly suggest you brush up on roleplay ideas to keep things fresh.
You’ll need to have endless outfits on hand if you’re sending pictures! I have an arsenal of toys, lingerie sets, themed clothes, skirts, pom-poms, and latex catsuits. This allows me to keep my content fresh, since I never want to recycle old ideas. If someone’s paying, they deserve more.
Eventually, I settled into sexting with two consistent clients that message me every day. I have another person that messages me on Fridays, but altogether, I’m earning $600 per week from all three clients. I treat it much like a side hustle, and I devote maybe 10 hours a week to them.
How Should I Price My Conversations?
Don’t worry – I was planning on backing up to explain the way I charge for spicy conversations. You can either copy my formula or make your own, but never settle for less than you’re worth. If you work hard, you should always be making at least $1/minute in today’s economy.
However, if you can, shooting for $2/minute or $3/minute is even better. The price is never too high if someone’s willing to pay it! In order to protect your bottom line, you can also request that your clients purchase a 30 – 45 minute prepay before the action gets started.
Still, you should give discounts to clients who buy more minutes than the average customer. For example, you could charge $30 for 15 minutes and $55 for 30 minutes. As you go up the chain, the discounts need to get better. You could do an hour of sexting for $100 or 45 minutes for $75.
If you’re including pictures and videos, this should change your pricing structure completely. For example, I send a certain number of nudes to clients who send me more money. You can price your photos at $1 to $3 a piece, and I like to include them in minimum order sets of 10 pictures.
Custom videos are the most expensive addendum for a customer who’s sexting with someone online. I charge around $8 per minute for X-rated footage between me and my husband, but the industry standard hovers at $6 per minute. Typically, newer models request $4 or $5 per minute.
Of course, the superstars of OnlyFans make a lot more!
You should charge more if your client wants you to use their name in a video. If he doesn’t want you to resell the video, you should make him pay for it. Exclusivity is extra. 😉
The goal is to always offload the cost of everything to your customers! That includes your camera equipment, lingerie sets, sex toys, shoes & outfits. You have to treat it like a business.
I like to create “tip goals” where I only send a certain video once I’ve received enough money to buy a new desk lamp, tripod, or lingerie set. You might be surprised at how eager some men are to spend their hard-earned cash when they start thinking with their dicks.
Nothing’s better than a horny hooked customer, because you can upsell them on just about anything.
Protecting Your Brand: Why Getting Your DBA Is So Important
There are only two things certain in this lifetime: death and taxes. The IRS comes for everyone, including small-time models who rake in $2,000/month selling their nudes online. That’s why it’s so important to have a DBA (doing business as) if you’re going to be sexting as a side hustle.
A DBA certificate legitimizes you as a “company”. For example, you could be Jane Smith doing business as Krystal Haven. As a sole proprietor, you become eligible for tax breaks not afforded to the average Joe. For example, you can write off the cost of your camera and phone as a loss.
Not having a DBA leaves money on the table, especially if you’re an independent contractor. To keep things straightforward, you’re responsible for paying your own taxes. Unlike a regular job, working as a 1099 contractor means that the government doesn’t take taxes out of your check.
This means you have to calculate your projected income, divide it by four, and distribute funds to the state and the federal government every couple months. This is also on top of the 20% to 30% commission taken from your paycheck by most cam sites.
On the bright side, these extra costs are easily offset by the number of potential tax breaks you can score. I was able to deduct the price of my smartphone, half my Internet bill, and even my home office. Hiring an accountant is well-worth having an extra pair of eyes to help you spot any tax breaks you might have missed.
I also found it easy to get my DBA from LegalZoom.
Of course, if you are based internationally, you will need to follow the regulations and specific advice for your home country. I have friends in the business who are based overseas – and they all have their own tax/expenses setup, including some that are very different to mine. Location matters.
What Are the Best Platforms for Sexting With New People?
Even if you have previous experience with camming, making the switch to sexting is a difficult transition for most content creators. I hope I can make the process a bit easier with some platforms to get you started. These are the five sexting platforms I use with success on a regular basis:
Kik
Kik is one of the oldest chat sites around, and it’s not exclusively meant for sexting. However, it has become a haven for degeneracy over the years because there is zero – and I repeat, zero – moderation here. Depending on how you look at stuff, this can be a good thing or a bad thing.
This free-to-use chat platform has 15+ million monthly active users, but you can find your niche relatively quickly using the search function. Lots of people only use Kik when they’re horny, but you’ll never have a problem finding new people. However, some of them might be scammers.
Kik is like the Wild Wild West of the chat world, and there’s plenty of money to be made if you’re able to navigate through all the ups and downs of dealing with people who don’t want to pay up. This can wear you down after a while, and it’s why I eventually stopped using the platform at all.
However, I’d recommend Kik to any beginner who has a shrewd personality and prioritizes their anonymity. Once you’ve joined a handful of groups, you’ll start to build new connections. At the same time, the only things you need to join Kik are an email address, username, and password.
You can set your username to be whatever you want, and your profile pic doesn’t have to show your face. Kik doesn’t take a chunk of your earnings, so everything you make is yours to keep.
SextPanther
SextPanther allows viewers to explore their fantasies in real-time with one-on-one video calls, but you can keep things to voice & direct messages only if you’d be more comfortable with not showing your face. Either way, this adult sexting website generates thousands of daily visitors.
It’s more like Chaturbate in that SextPanther is meant exclusively for sex, but that means your customers know what they want already. If you’re feeling especially brave, you can advertise your profile for phone sex. It’s simple to set your price by the minute and demand a minimum.
They don’t necessarily accept just anybody looking to sext for quick cash. In order to qualify as a model on their site, you’ll need to have a following on social media sites like Instagram and X (Twitter). You can also use your OnlyFans, MyFreeCams, Chaturbate, or ManyVids following as proof that you’re the real deal. This extra layer of verification fights against would-be scammers.
They claim on their sign-up page that you can make up to $5,000 per week, but I wouldn’t treat that as Gospel.
Top-rated creators are lucky to earn $2,000 per week, but most average models earn between $600 – $800 a week sexting. It’s closer to $1,000, but SextPanther takes 20% off the top of your paycheck. If you’re looking for a Chaturbate-style site that focuses on the more sensual side of getting laid, SexPanther is my top recommendation. There’s room for everyone!
Phrendly
Phrendly claims to foster relationships online without the awkward meet-ups. I’d be lying if I said it was anything like Tinder, but there’s a more laid-back atmosphere at Phrendly. They also state that they have a 93% response rate so you can share a “drink” with anyone, anytime, anywhere.
If someone on the website reaches out to you with a “drink”, you earn cash rewards. However, if you were worried about laid-back prices, think again. You’re able to set your own price per sext message, and the men on Phrendly normally have a little more money than average customers.
Compared to more established platforms, Phrendly is still dealing with some growing pains. For example, they could do a better job of eliminating bots and scammers from their platform. As a content creator, it gets annoying when I have to start putting unknown contacts in my junk mail.
That minor complaint aside, Phrendly markets their brand as an upscale website for all things erotica and phone sex. Best of all, they include an option for custom video requests and private, one-on-one calls. No matter how you’d prefer to sext with men online, Phrendly has all the tools.
I couldn’t figure out how many viewers are sticking around, but I can tell you that Phrendly got just under a million website hits last month. I use this platform regularly because I can see the potential it has to grow into something much larger.
Niteflirt
Niteflirt comes on fairly strong with their unique slogan: “Looking for the Web’s Best Phone Sex? You’ve found it.” Of course, they never reveal the actual phone numbers of anyone who’s on the site. However, they will force you to make a new account before you’re able to see the interface.
I had the best luck here when I focused on promoting myself with creative content ideas. I never wore the same thing twice, instead making sure that my cosplays and photo angles were on fire. I kept viewers engaged by making sure I never re-used the same lines while I was sexting them.
There are millions of active users on Niteflirt, so you’ll never struggle to find at least a handful of viewers whenever you decide to advertise your prices. However, things get easier as you build your profile with more followers and a longer history. This drives your visibility through the roof!
Unfortunately, for all their perks, they take 50% of models’ earnings as commission. If you’re just sexting, they take 33% of your earnings. Other forms of content have a 30% surcharge attached (such as custom videos, voice clips, etc). That’s a high and painful price to pay for anonymity.
Even though all the men on Niteflirt have been pretty generous in my experience, I wouldn’t try to build my presence from scratch. Instead, Niteflirt may be more forgiving once you’ve built up a following on Phrendly or SextPanther. It’s like an “intermediate” website for plain-old sexting.
https://www.reddit.com/r/dirtypenpals/
Last but certainly not least, how could we forget Reddit? It serves as the centralized information hub for netizens like myself, but it’s also an excellent resource for finding new clients. The same goes for Twitter (X) and Discord if you can join the right servers and use the right category tags.
Some subreddits focus on relationship drama, artificial intelligence, energy drinks, video games, and more niche communities like Genshin Impact. However, a good deal of subreddits I find are dedicated to porn. For example, the entire r/DirtyPenPals subreddit is centered around role play!
Although not everyone will be happy to pay for sexting, you might be surprised if you ask. I have read plenty of guys totally wrong. One time, I thought this guy wasn’t feeling a connection. Even though I assumed he would say no, he was eager to buy my pictures (and he was shy about it).
The moral of the story is that it can’t hurt to ask. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and joining as many NSFW subreddits as you can is a great way to (potentially) drum up business. Your mileage may vary, but my motto is: the more the merrier! Plus, you’ll get more Reddit points.
Millions of people are subscribed to several NSFW subreddits, and posting there consistently is the best way to get noticed and create repeat customers. If you’re a complete beginner, it might help to build up a presence on other forms of social media before scouting for clients on Reddit.
To give you an idea of the sort of content that’s welcomed on Reddit, I’ve listed all the subreddits where sexting is commonplace.
- r/DirtySnapchat
- r/SnapchatSextXXX
- r/DirtySnapchatSext
- r/Sexsells
- r/KikSextingXXX
- r/SextingAdult
- r/naughtychicks
I also have my own subreddit, but in the spirit of keeping my identity a secret, I won’t link it here!
The Importance of Self-Promotion & Marketing
Even though sexting and camming may serve as streams of passive income after a while, the most successful adult creators understand the importance of self-promotion and marketing. If you have an Instagram or Facebook account, you should link your profile URL to the bio page.
You can also try running discounts or promotions when things get dry. Undercutting competing models is a great way to keep yourself afloat even though you’re working for less money than you’d normally make. Then again, 75% of your asking price is better than getting nothing at all.
This is also a given, but you should never put all your eggs in one basket. You should always have an account registered with multiple sexting sites. Things happen, websites have outages, and you need to cover all the bases for any potential inconveniences that might come your way.
You can also try creating your own subreddit for custom content, which I’ve seen plenty of those Reddit OnlyFans models try. It’s a pretty effective way to generate organic traffic, and subreddits tend to grow exponentially. Once you have followers, it’s suggested to more and more people.
Once you’ve created a Reddit profile, you can also create a Discord server (they are very popular for adult content) and link that in your bio. Realistically, being on as many socials as you can reasonably keep up with is the best way to promote yourself. Of course, I’m not superhuman, so I stick to three or four and leave it there.
I’m also in a situation where I don’t necessarily want my family to discover my side hustle, so I’m wary of promotion unless it’s tightly controlled. That’s something to consider if you need to keep things low-key. Also, you’ll more than most likely get enough organic traffic from the sites you’ve signed up with already.
Social media promotion just makes sure nobody falls through the cracks.
My Top Tips For Making Money From Sexting
Sexting is all about using your imagination and creativity to tell stories.
Some people are gifted at using words to describe erotic scenarios whilst others may struggle to find the right ones. The key thing to remember is that you will get better at this the more you do it so give yourself a break if the first attempt goes badly.
- Sexting requires an open mind and you need to remember that what goes on during a text conversation is all fantasy. This doesn’t mean you have to accept things that you wouldn’t in real life such as degrading verbal abuse or fake scenarios you aren’t comfortable with.
- In reference to the above, you should you NOT get involved in any conversations where the focus is on an illegal sexual act.
- If you aren’t using a third-party agency who will bill your sexting activities for you then always make sure you are getting paid up-front for your services.
- Try and pick up on any clues you are being given by your client about what they like. Some won’t offer much and you will need to do all the communication whilst others will explicitly set the scene for you. Most fall into the middle ground offering more subtle clues about what they want from you. It should be immediately obvious if they want to be dominated, prefer slow and sensual teasing or just want to ‘tie you up’ for rough play. A key tip is to listen (or read) and ask questions before you jump straight in with the good stuff.
- You need to learn how to keep clients engaged for as long as possible but also to give them what they want. This requires a subtle balance of teasing as well as explicit storytelling.
- Though you may be being paid by the text, don’t focus on quantity but on quality. The better you are at keeping a fantasy going the more your client will want you to continue and the more likely they are to use you again.
- Be sensually descriptive and use your words to let your client know what you are wearing, what you are feeling and what you can see. Don’t ignore the other senses though; it pays to describe the sounds you make, how things taste and even smell!
- Take advantage of any kind of training offered by your partner service company. Most will provide some good written material which should help you get started and some will even run webinars and offer coaching/mentoring. It’s in their interests that you become a better sexter as they stand to earn more if you do well.
- If you aren’t offered training (and even if you complete some), do your own research and bone up on erotic storytelling.
- Think about specialising in a certain area such as fetishes but only something that you are comfortable sexting about. The reason for this is that you have a greater chance of standing out from the crowd and for getting repeat customers. Customers who sext are often seeking a fantasy from their service provider so roleplaying is a must but it pays to do some research into common kinks such as domination, bondage or cuckolding.
- Trading nude pics isn’t a must but can earn you more money by keeping clients more engaged and have them returning for more money. Don’t feel pressured into sending them just because a client seems upset or angry about your refusal. It is your decision.
- Never move a conversation away from your premium site or platform. Customers may suggest hitting Skype or Facebook or asking for your direct mobile number. Not only is this dangerous in terms of revealing your personal identity but you wont get paid if you do this.
- Unless of course you want to expand the way in which you offer services. Phone sex, adult video calls and live cam streaming are all next level when it comes to earning money doing virtual sex work and pay lucratively so consider if you want to make that move.
Final Note: Even if you are making a strong connection with someone or even if they are offering a lot of money, NEVER give out any personal information or details during a sexting conversation. You should not be using your personal phone number and, if you do decide to send naughty pictures, ALWAYS ensure these cannot be used to identify you in ANY way.
Would You Try Sexting for Cash?
Personally, I enjoy sexting for cash. Is that weird to say?!
I’m currently single, living my best life, and making some decent money in the process. I don’t have any qualms about other people seeing me naked, especially if my figure can fund my lifestyle. However, I’m settled into a career as an adult content creator.
If you plan on becoming a lawyer, doctor or politician at some point in your life, you may not get very far if you start sexting now. The Internet is forever, and once you decide to send that initial message, there’s no going back. It’s a liberating feeling, but it also feels terrifyingly permanent.
Before you decide to dip your toes in the waters of sex work, make sure it’s really what you want to do. Also, never be afraid to set your boundaries and refuse to do things. Some guys will scam you out of your time, even if they don’t mean to!
