I've advocated a number of resources in previous posts, but to recap:
*Books*
The Mistress Manual by Mistress Lorelai Powers
SM101 by Jay Wiseman
Screw The Roses, Send Me The Thorns by Phillip Miller and Molly Devon
The New Topping Book by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy - I'd start with this one
*Education Video Series*
Kink Academy website - over 1,000 "how to" instruction videos on various BDSM topics
Also, consider joining your local BDSM lifestyle club(s), as they will offer classes on just about any subject of interest to you, and will give you an opportunity to practice before you see paying/reviewing clients and feel comfortable about what you are doing.
I respectfully disagree with the recommendation to read 50 Shades of Grey, as it is not considered to be an accurate depiction of BDSM play by most of U/us in the BDSM Community. It's just erotic literature that started out as Twilight fan fiction, not a "how to".
To answer your questions:
#1 - The best way to assure a play partner is to negotiate limits (physical/emotional/mental/spiritual) and a safe word (yellow = slow down and check in; red = stop). I also like the 1 to 10 system, where you periodically ask them to give you a number, with 0 representing "didn't feel it" and 10 being "like I was thrown into a volcano". Usually, you start at a 0, 1, 2 level and end the scene at around a 7 or 8. I will tell you this important fact: MOST OF YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL NOT WANT MARKS. Therefore, ask about the possibility of marks/bruises first (which many might have to explain to the wife or s.o.). Since most will NOT want marks, that will narrow what types of play you can do.
This might be controversial, but among newbies, lay out your toys and announce everything you are going to do in advance. Give them a chance to object to a particular toy or type of play. Also, it's sexy as hell to have someone say, "You are going to drop your pants, then bend over my knee, and I am going to spank your ass until it is bright red." That gives them a chance to process where the scene is about to go before you get into it. Continue the talk as you are playing. Half the fun is telling them how they are doing. Also, read body language. You don't really need the 0 to 10 system after a while, because most bottoms/subs will writhe away with the pain is too much, and they'll "present" (stick their butts out) when they are enjoying themselves.
2. Entire books could be written about this. D&S is Dominance & submission. It doesn't necessarily have to involve pain. "Lick My boot, slaveboy!" That's Dominance.
3. I always recommend a riding crop as your first toy, because it's cheapest, and very versatile. A good flogger is next. A lot of guys into kink might enjoy strap-on play. Plus, good kink wardrobe goes a long way. Just remember that you can do entire scenes with no toys at all (spanking, pinching, slapping, light punching, foot and leg worship, smothering, etc.).
4. You could always require that the client submit a short story about what they'd like their session to entail, with the caveat that you won't necessarily agree to everything they write. Plus, if they are going to write a review of you later, they'll be half done if they do that in advance. Just be careful in that kinksters can be awfully obsessive about details, so if there's, say, red latex in the story, don't wear black leather if you can help it.
The other option -- what I usually do -- is to lay my toys out on the table and say, "Here are some of the items I like to play with," and let my bottom/sub ask about any toy they haven't seen before and/or remove a certain toy if they think it's not for them (e.g., canes).
To call a spade and spade, you will be acting as a "service Top", and mostly doing what the client wants you to do, but as you start to find that you like (or dislike) certain types of play, you can almost always strike a bit of a compromise where the client will do some of the things you enjoy in order to have you do to them the things that they *really* enjoy (possibly ending with permission to cum).
-- Modified on 8/27/2013 5:21:10 PM