We asked one of OnlyFans’ top creators every question that beginners have about the app

Why haven’t you started your OnlyFans account yet?

Right now it feels like everyone’s got one, from that one person in your tutor group to Megan Barton Hanson herself, but have you ever thought about taking it beyond the old “I’ve got £11 left in my bank account so let’s joke about starting an OnlyFans” line? Well, it’s no secret people are making big bank on the app, but for those who are seriously looking into becoming a creator, there are many valid worries.

Which content should one start out with making? Is it possible to hide your OnlyFans account from family and friends? Which content works best for a beginner? Can you be in a relationship while creating content for OnlyFans? There’s a whole host of reasons that stop many people from taking the leap into the mysterious world of OnlyFans so we spoke to RoseWithThorns, a Russell Group uni student and one of the app’s top one per cent creators, to answer the burning questions that people who are thinking of starting out have.

Is it possible to hide my OnlyFans account from friends and family?

Probably the biggest concern when it comes to sex work of any kind is acknowledging that friends and family are going to end up seeing your work at some point, but 19-year-old Rose says that this isn’t necessarily the case: “It is possible to hide having an OnlyFans from friends and family, and many do for safety and personal reasons.

“However, when entering sex work, it is essential to keep in mind it will be difficult to hide and that there is a reality that people may find out, and you have to be okay with that. My family are some of the most supportive people in my life and I couldn’t do what I do without their ongoing support.

“Having said that, I have recently been struggling with other people in my life, who found out what I do and said some quite awful things about me behind my back, which has been hard for me to hear. Being tough in the face of adversity is something sex workers tend to be pretty good at considering how much hate we get.”

What is the best content to start out making?

Rose tells us that you can make any content on the app to start out with, as long as you’re comfortable with what you’re doing: “If you are uncomfortable with what you’re doing it will show in your content and it won’t sell, not to mention it will also take a massive toll on your mental health.

“The best-received material I’ve made personally is explicit boy x girl content – especially as I love to get creative with it. A fan favourite currently was my recent video of a certain curvy redhead J.Rabbit doing all kinds of indecent acts!”

Will my future employers find out?

Whether it’s the systemic environment of shaming those who are associated with sex work of any form, or the worry attached to revealing yourself to a wide group of people, it’s understandable that people may be worried that their employers find out.

Rose told The Tab that although they could find out, she has never found it problematic: “When my previous job found out about my second job as a sex worker and OnlyFans model, they had a discussion with me but that was about it. They handled it really professionally.”

Do OnlyFans creators receive abuse or unwarranted messages?

Yes. Rose acknowledges that it’s something that simply has to be accepted with the current view of sex workers in society, and says it’s actually an extension of the way women as a whole can be treated: “As a woman in modern society, you get unwarranted messages and attention anyway, but I think doing OnlyFans they can be particularly bad. I have constant abuse from random strangers online around my job, slut-shaming me or indicating I have any less worth as a person due to my career.

“I have been stalked, doxxed, abused, body shamed. I have constant marriage proposals, begging for free nudes, unsolicited dick pics, scammers, fake sugar daddies, death threats… anything under the sun. A lot of people interpret your online presence as a wish for an actual relationship with them, rather than doing your job. The normalisation of the abuse of sex workers in this society is horrifying.”

Does it open doors to other career paths?

It can be very profitable to people who want to make a career in sex work or a similar industry that utilises the same skills according to Rose: “It has opened doors into working with brands, becoming a Twitch streamer, co-hosting and creating the Sex Sells podcast and being able to show and explore other parts of my personality.”

Nerdy Nat, another creator who spoke to The Tab, echoed this statement: “Sales and marketing are the big ones. Some creators are incredibly talented at marketing themselves and making sales. These performers often end up selling their advice or intellectual property. I’ve also seen very talented creators become professional photographers.”

Can you be in a relationship whilst using OnlyFans?

For a platform that is as simultaneously relevant as it is misunderstood, the preconceptions of the masses often cloud what little information is out there from real, successful creators who are in fully-fledged relationships whilst using the app. Rose has been in a relationship for two years now, and says you can definitely be in a solid relationship whilst making content.

“My partner and I have been living together for over a year now and have been together for two, and plan to be married and have children in the next 10 years. We discuss boundaries as any couple would, and I think that’s important for any relationship but particularly one where a person does porn. If you are uncomfortable with sex work, don’t date a sex worker, simple as!”

Let’s be real – how much should you charge, and how much do you personally earn?

Rose is one of the top creators on the app, selling premade videos and custom content for differing fees: “My prices totally vary depending on how much I enjoy the service – video chat makes me feel anxious so I charge $23 per minute, whereas I enjoy dick rates so I only charge $13 for a short rating!

“I myself make on average five figures monthly, which for a 19-year-old is crazy! I am incredibly boring and am putting most of it into a house fund, into bills (for my dog and my flat), or into recourses for content creating (mic, headphones, costumes, lighting). Most creators don’t earn this kind of income, but many earn upwards of $2-3 grand a month and so it is definitely a liveable income.”

What advice would you have for someone thinking of starting?

It’s important to do your homework when it comes to sex work, as you need to be able to understand what works well and how it operates before you dive into it. Rose told The Tab that it is awkward for many people by virtue of the fact that this is completely untrodden ground: “You have to learn your angles, how to talk sexually with strangers, and how to stand up for yourself. I believe, however, that any good salesperson would be good at this job because if you can sell a product, you can sell your product.

“Do a bit of market research and follow other sex workers in the industry. Watch the ups and downs of sex work and make a vaguely educated decision on whether or not it is something you want to do. It’s difficult to know whether or not sex work is the right career for you until you leap first. However, when you jump, you make a life move that will change you forever.”

How do you promote your OnlyFans account?

OnlyFans does not suggest or promote content to potential buyers, with this responsibility being left to the creator. However, it’s not necessarily compulsory. Rose told us: “I have private social media for my family and friends where I don’t promote my OnlyFans, and so you can really promote it wherever you feel it works best for you! I find Twitter is the best promotional platform personally.”

Are there trends and varieties of content to follow?

“There are so many audiences out there, for BDSM, domination, financial domination, all kinds of kinks and fetishes, even taboo ones such as incest play which I personally do not take part in. But definitely, whatever you like, there is always a way to put that into content creation and sex work!”

Take a look at Rose’s OnlyFans profile here, and make sure to follow her on Twitter and Instagram

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