Thank you so much for your honest advice. I'd like to keep my clientele fairly small, so I suppose being a little more selective isn't necessarily going to kill me. I think I will ask potentials for a photo during the screening process.
And you're right, I did get extremely lucky with my first two guys. As nice as it would be, I don't think I should bank on such unbelievable luck again. 
I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by posting on here, but I need some help/advice from providers. Here's my situation:
I'm in my mid-20s and in grad school. Tuition is outrageous and even with financial aid, I am still coming up short. So, here I am. The past week or so, I've earned some extra cash (about $2k, if it's of any interest) by having two hotel rendezvous. Believe it or not, I love it so far!
I guess I'm here because I need to find a way to make more. I'm not really willing/able to set up a website solely for this, but I'm sure there are other advertising outlets. I just (as in ten minutes ago) posted an ad on Backpage and am hoping that that will help.
In any event, I'm rambling, but if anyone has any helpful tips for someone in my sort of situation, it would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I apologize if I'm totally out of place here. I hope y'all will bear with me!
You can set up ads on Eros, CityVibe, Free Post It, Backpage etc... These are all escort malls..
Alternatively, you might want to contact agency to hire you. Make sure you find an agency that is thorough with the screening process, and the one who are reckless always get in trouble with the LE.
If you are thinking that setting up a website is very expensive, its not the case. There are some cheaper alternatives. I see a lot of these template type websites, where you just open an account, upload pictures, add text and there you go... I am not sure what your hang up is with website, as you didn't clarify. I am sure some ladies can help you with this aspect.
-- Modified on 12/18/2012 12:38:32 PM
I've considered the agency route. Any particular pros/cons on that end?
First of all there are good agencies and bad agencies. Some agencies are nothing more than glorified pimps. so if you do go the agency route, make sure you research and find a reputable agency in your area.
Pros: A good agency will take care of the screening, advertising, and scheduling for you. and they will usually supply the incall location. At a good agency you can learn the ropes, while you get started, then eventually break off and become independent.
Cons: They keep a big chunk of the money. Usually about a third.
With a bad agency of course there are a lot more cons. They will probably overwork you, sending you on way more dates than you want to go on. They may not screen well, and all kinds of other bad things.
This is the newbie board. This is where you ask questions!
As Curly said there are escort malls such as "eros" that you can advertise on. Some are pricier than others. Some are more polular in certain areas of the country. So where best to advertise will change depending on your location. Backpage is looked down upon by a lot of TER people, and it can be a terrible place to advertise on in some areas, but it is the best place in other areas, so that can also be a regional thing. You can advertise right here on TER. TER has regional ad boards, where you can place free ads once a week. They have rules though. Your ad has to link back to another ad on the internet, or to your website. The ad posting guidelines, as well as a lot of other good information can be found in the Self Help Center, which is at the top of the page under the life preserver. I recommend you read the entire self help center as well as several pages back on this newbie board. You can learn a lot from that.
As for having a website, There are ladies who do well without having a website, but in most cases it is a good idea to have a personal website, and it will be helpful to you. There are many free template type websites, that are specific for escorts, and there are sites like wix, which also has free websites. (Wix is not escort specific, but many escorts use it because it is an easy, "build your own" site.) have some good pictures on your website and ads. You can blur your face for discretion, but don't use fake pics!
The MOST important thing you need to do is learn how to screen for your safety! This is something where other providers might help you out.
Welcome to TER and good luck.
-- Modified on 12/18/2012 7:07:49 AM
I guess the main reason that I don't want a website is for discretion's sake. Blurring my face would be a great option, except I'm pretty well-covered in very recognizable tattoos. :/
As for backpage, good lord my inbox is getting flooded. It's a little overwhelming!
For some reason, I am just not seeing the "self help" link (maybe its because I'm accessing the site from my phone). Would anyone care to direct-link me to it?
As for backpage, good lord my inbox is getting flooded. It's a little overwhelming!
For some reason, I am just not seeing the "self help" link (maybe its because I'm accessing the site from my phone). Would anyone care to direct-link me to it?
Here's the Self Help Center: http://www.theeroticreview.com/discussion_boards/viewmsg.asp?BoardID=33&Page=1&Messageid=75528
Thought the rest of you reading this might get a kick out of the fact that I AM, in fact, from Ohio. Hilarious coincidence.
Where are you.....maybe one of us can help with a review. Go to the Ohio board.
Cincinnati. I'll check out the Ohio board. I just wanna make sure I don't violate any rules or anything.
but be sure to mention that fact prominently right on the photo page. Some guys hate tats (I love 'em.)
One other thing to definitely do is to read the self help/newbie manual that you will find linked on this page.
It is practically a PhD course on how to hobby and be an escort, and is packed with good advice. It also explains how to use TER to your benefit.
Good luck and welcome.
I don't know why in the hell I didn't think of that. I'm pretty good with photoshop, too!
about tattoos also. Many gals aribrush or photoshop tattoos out of their pics too. But you should mention that you have them, so it is not a surprise to a potential client. Also you don't have to have nude pics, so depending on your tattoos, you could wear sexy outfits in the pictures that cover the tats. I assume you are putting pics on your bp ads. How are you doing that?
P411 is a great option as London mentioned, but you need reviews or referrals to get on that site. Glad London is helping you by backchannel also. Many screening things are best left off the public boards. Yes you might have been lucky in not screening your first two clients, but definitly do not rely on luck for screening! You could get arrested ... or worse. Safety first. Sounds like you did well though (2k in 2 visits!)
Kinot gave you the link to the self help center. I said it is at the top of the page, but you don't see it if you are actually reading a post. But if you click back to the main newbie page, it is there at the top right. In fact it is on all the discussion board main pages, so you can always find it again, if you lose Kinot's link.
It is very discreet being you can set your profile to only be visible to other members of that site and not the general public. From there, you can place ads on TER and link to your P411 profile. Once you get reviews, the business will come to you. Eros is another great site that I love, but it is very known and not private at all, so the entire world will see your pics. Please blur your face if you are interested in actually staying in school and having a career. It is too easy for one person you might know to download and copy your photos, then use them to try and ruin you.
Depending on your area, certain ad sites are more popular than others. I would not use backpage. I hope you know about screening? Please tell me you have not taken those calls without asking the guy for references or knowing his full name? That is one area you can't afford to be lax in or you will have an arrest record...maybe, even worse. Feel free to email me if you have any questions...been at this a while, and I also run an agency.
[email protected]
-- Modified on 12/18/2012 1:11:54 PM
This is going to make me sound like a total moron (probably rightfully so), but I definitely didn't screen those two guys nearly as much as I should have. It all turned out fine, but I suppose I got lucky. I'd much rather learn from someone else's mistakes rather than my own, so I'll have to start utilizing some screening tips from you lovely ladies.
And thank you SO much for offering your email. That's very kind of you. I'll definitely be hounding you for advice.
P411 is great and I agree with you, and I would have menioned it in my post, but it is hard for a brand new gal to get on there. she needs a referral form a client member, provider member, or reviews, first. Anyway glad you are helping her via backchannel.
they did not write a review for her. As long as they have a handle with reviews to prove THEY are legit, it should be ok. Date-Check only requires a provider vouch for the gal, which I would gladly do once I know she is legit.
Almost all my appointments have been discovered via backpage, then I confirm they're legit via TER reviews. So +1 for backpage from me.
I have a verified account with P411, but there arent very many in my area that advertise there so its basically unused. If you're in a larger city, though, I would recommend P411. Its free for the ladies.
If at all possible, provide CLEAR pics of both body and face. If you have a real camera, use it for pics. The lowest quality point-and-shoot is still better than cell phone pics.
-- Modified on 12/18/2012 10:23:40 AM
I'd like to get a guy's perspective on something: is it unreasonable for me to want to establish a little bit of a connection prior to meeting a client? Maybe this is because I'm a newbie, but I just can't picture myself being able to go through with intimacy with someone who writes like this: "i seen ur ad wut do u have in mined," just as an example.
I'm probably going to sound like a total college know-it-all hippie, but I'm educated and well-read. I'm not an actress, so I'm not going to be able to fake it (nor do I want to...part of the reason I'm getting into this is because I adore sex) and I just don't think that I could be dtf when someone can't type a cohesive sentence. The same goes for physical attraction. I'm not expecting Johnny Depp, but I'm not sure I could handle Michael Moore (love him, but just...no).
I'm rambling again, but I guess the short version of my question is this: is it okay to be selective? Obviously if I went the agency route that wouldn't be an option, but as an independent do I have that right?
I'm probably going to sound like a total college know-it-all hippie, but I'm educated and well-read. I'm not an actress, so I'm not going to be able to fake it (nor do I want to...part of the reason I'm getting into this is because I adore sex) and I just don't think that I could be dtf when someone can't type a cohesive sentence. The same goes for physical attraction. I'm not expecting Johnny Depp, but I'm not sure I could handle Michael Moore (love him, but just...no).
I'm rambling again, but I guess the short version of my question is this: is it okay to be selective? Obviously if I went the agency route that wouldn't be an option, but as an independent do I have that right?
So in my opinion, YES, be selective. Ask questions. Get to know the guy a bit. Thats a rare thing in this business and I for one respect you for feeling that way. Just my opinion. Others viewpoints will certainly differ.
And LOL, please tell me that quote you posted was real.
Well that makes me feel a LOT more reassured.
And hand to god, that quote was verbatim.
No it's not unreasonable to try to make a "connection." but watch out for making too much of a connection, and falling for a client, or having a client fall for you. We call that the IFFP syndrome. (Help! I've Fallen For a Provider and can't get up!)
As for being selective, you can certainly be as selective as you wish, but also realize that you will limit your client base. That might be OK. You may want to just have a small client base, but these are things you need to think about. Many ladies have age limitations and even race limitations, but for looks that is a lot tougher. How will you know? Are you going to ask for a picture during screening? Some gals do, but most guys will not send one for discretion purposes. If you don't get a picture, will you turn them away at the door when they show up if they are too ugly for you? And if you think Michael Moore is ugly, guess what? Many hobbyists look a lot worse than that!
I'd say you REALLY got lucky if your first two dates with no screening earned you 2k, didn't hurt you or turn out to be cops, and were hot studs to boot!
As for the guys that can't type a coherent sentence, those are easy to screen out. Just hit "delete" and don't reply. An easy way to avoid those is to be "email only" contact. Don't put your phone number on your ads (esp on BP), and that will already eliminate a lot of middle of the night horny drunks calling for a last minute date. You can have people email you with their screening info, and keep all communication by email until right before the date, then you can give them your number (provider phone number, from a seperate phone as Kendall mentioned. Not your personal number.) The email only contact will keep some folks from contacting you and allow you to weed out the "i seen yur ad" folks from the initial contact.
How you write your ad (and where you place it) will also have a lot to do with the type of client you attract. Especially on BP, there is a big difference between an ad something like this: "attractive coed, seeking new friends, email me at xxx" and one like this: " ^*#**~~80 sPeCI..als!! [email protected] .**^^ two.13 five5FIVE..wun TwO 34\\||~"
Again, Good Luck with this.
-- Modified on 12/18/2012 2:25:23 PM
Thank you so much for your honest advice. I'd like to keep my clientele fairly small, so I suppose being a little more selective isn't necessarily going to kill me. I think I will ask potentials for a photo during the screening process.
And you're right, I did get extremely lucky with my first two guys. As nice as it would be, I don't think I should bank on such unbelievable luck again.
Like many have said there are all kinds of escort malls to advertise from. And yes you definitely have to screen, screen, and screen. I know the feeling about being overwhelmed because I am fairly new (5 months) and its still overwhelming to me at times.
But sure you can blur out your face on a website and if you are posting on BP you are using your pics, right? I also have recognizable tattoos so again, I understand. I am very discreet, and in part if someone sees my website, then that means they were also involved in the Hobby! So that may be embarrassing for them and will render them quiet and never mentioning they saw me online.
There are ways to protect your identity from searches and from family and friends finding you. Ger a disposable/throw away phone using a totally different phone number, use a different name of course, and create a brand new email for your escort contact.
Feel free to email me if you would like more info ok? Good luck and I wish you the best.
[email protected]
That's a good point. I suppose if someone I knew were to find my ad/site, it'd be a pretty clear indication that they're also involved in the whole scene.
Guys do research on escorts by reading their reviews so they don't fall into an LE sting and escorts screen, so they don't run into LE as well. Never count on luck!!! Your first few months are when you're the most vunerable to LE stings and bad hobbyists. Take London and Kendall's offer of help.
Google is a roadmap to a wealth of information Start by googling "escort blogs" the results will be pages of different blogs and sites that you can read. However, every provider and every hobbyist has there own way of doing things. What works for one provider, be it screening, touring, whether to do incall or outcall will not necessarily work for you.
Read the legal corner board. Go back pages. Depending where you are, LE can be an issue. Your in gradutate school, I have no idea what your studying, but if you eventually need a license down the road in order for you to work, and you get arrested while providing, well you can imagine how difficult things might get when a potential employer does a background check. Many municipalities now arrest you for "escorting without a license" it's a lot easier for the lazy LE to fill out the paperwork than if they arrest you for prostitution.
Finally, most of us (both providers & hobbyists) develop a sixth sense as to when things are going bad, you know that little voice that talks to you. If you've got it or can develop it, better listen to it. I know when I was a newb I listened to it a couple of times and it sure as shit saved my ass. The lousy $300 or whatever you'll be charging an hour is NEVER worth being robbed, arrested, or worse.
OK, that's it for now. Happy Holidays
I'm in my mid-20s and in grad school. Tuition is outrageous and even with financial aid, I am still coming up short. So, here I am. The past week or so, I've earned some extra cash (about $2k, if it's of any interest) by having two hotel rendezvous. Believe it or not, I love it so far!
I guess I'm here because I need to find a way to make more. I'm not really willing/able to set up a website solely for this, but I'm sure there are other advertising outlets. I just (as in ten minutes ago) posted an ad on Backpage and am hoping that that will help.
In any event, I'm rambling, but if anyone has any helpful tips for someone in my sort of situation, it would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I apologize if I'm totally out of place here. I hope y'all will bear with me!
You're absolutely right. I like to think that I'm pretty street smart (living in the hood will do that to you), but I can't count on street smarts alone. Nothing is worth an arrest record (not to mention brutal murder).
Things like Google Images allow anyone to find where your pics are located on other parts of the web.
Let's say that you have a picture of yourself in a bikini on a Facebook page or an Instagram page, and you just blur out the face and use that in your ad. If you go to images.google.com, you can upload or drop/drag the photo in there, and it will basically find the original photo and where it is on the web.
I found a bodyrub girl's Model Mayhem site this way, and you could figure out who she was by doing this.
This works with blurred pics, cropped pics, etc.
Jesus on ice skates, technology is getting crazy! Thank you SO MUCH for this tip. I shudder to think of someone finding my Facebook or something.
Make sure you are NEVER using a phone that is attached to a real person...you, your parents or whoever has their name attached to that phone is at risk.
NEVER use an email associated with your real name. Free mail accounts should be set with your stage name.
GET OFF BACKPAGE!!! Been said a thousand times. That is the fastest way to insure meeting local LE. Cincinnati is a big enough city for Date Check, RS2k, or the current favorite P411. Someone from the Ohio board should be able to throw you an invite after he reviews you.
Try to find a friend...London is the shit. She can and will answer any question you have. There are other girls like her (well, not like her...but helpful anyway...lol) that you can find local to you.
Be extremely careful about how much of a "connection" you try to make before a session. In trying to make an mental connection with a perspective client, you could be feeding Johnny Law tons of useful evidence to be used against you later. Clear the cache, browsing history, and cookies on your computer, frequently. Don't save passwords, dump phone numbers after the session, and emails (delete your delete folder as well...and don't use text messaging. LE most likely won't go all CSI on you for a misdemeanor, but if the information is easy for them to get, it can and will be used against you...and everyone you have seen.
Many providers do a multi-hour first date requirement. Some will offer a discount for it. Say your normal rate is 400 for an hour, but your first date must be three hours at 700...something like that. LE isn't likely to waste 1.5 hours at Pizzeria Uno's with you just to make an arrest.
Find out what other ladies in your are are charging and set your prices according to your comfort level. For instance, in Boston a typical GFE with a good look, can get 300-500 per hour for an incall, and 200-500 for an outcall. The higher you go, the less volume you will do. Which many ladies want. Offer Greek, CIM, BDSM, and or other specialties and you can charge accordingly.
Did I mention that you should get yourself off backpage??? Just my .02
Good luck.
-- Modified on 12/18/2012 9:18:06 PM
You're awesome. Seriously. I can't thank you enough! And you've officially convinced me to take down my BP ad. Doing that now...
I especially love the multi-hour first date idea. I'll definitely be doing that.