Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Why haven’t you started your OnlyFans account yet? Right now it feels like everyone’s got one. It’s no secret people are making bank on the app, but for those who are seriously looking into becoming a creator there are many valid worries.
There’s a whole host of reasons that stop many people from taking the leap into the mysterious world of OnlyFans. We spoke to a local creator who opted to remain anonymous, 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 26-year-old Cherry* says that this isn’t necessarily the case: “It is possible to hide having an OnlyFans from friends and family, and many do so for safety and personal reasons.
“However, when entering sex work it is essential to keep in mind that it will be difficult to hide and that there is a possibility that people may find out – you have to be okay with that. My family members 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?
Cherry tells us that you can make any content 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 the 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.”
Will my future employers find out?
Whether it’s the systemic practice of shaming those who are associated with sex work or the worry attached to revealing yourself to a broad group of people, it’s understandable that people may be worried about their employers finding out.
Cherry mentions that although they could find out, she has personally never found it problematic: “When my previous job found out about my second job as an OnlyFans model, they discussed it with me but that was about it. They handled it really professionally.”
However, that’s the best case scenario – it is likely that other employers might not be quite so relaxed about it.
Do OnlyFans creators receive abuse or unsolicited messages?
“Yeah, I acknowledge that it’s something that simply has to be accepted with the current view of sex work. It’s actually an extension of the way women as a whole are treated. We get unsolicited messages and attention anyway, but I think doing OnlyFans can be particularly bad. I have constant abuse from random strangers online around my job, slut-shaming me or indicating I have 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… you name it. A lot of people interpret your online presence as a wish for an actual relationship with them, rather than you doing a 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, especially in Malaysia where it’s already so niche because it’s frowned upon. But personally, it has opened doors to working with brands, becoming a Twitch streamer, co-hosting and creating a podcast about sex and being able to show and explore other parts of my personality.”
Can you be in a relationship while being a sex worker?
“I have been in a relationship for two years now. So yeah, 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. We 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 that!”
Let’s be real – how much should you charge, and how much do you personally earn?
Cherry is one of the top creators on the app, selling premade videos and custom content for differing fees: “My custom 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 nearly five figures in ringgit monthly, which is crazy! I am incredibly boring and am putting most of it into a house fund, into bills, or into resources for content creation (mic, headphones, costumes, lighting). Most creators don’t earn this kind of income, but many earn upwards of RM5-6k a month and so it is definitely liveable income.”
Are there trends and varieties of content that creators 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!”
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. 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 an educated decision on whether 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 move that will change your life forever.”
* Names have been changed for anonymity
For more stories like this, read: After My Boyfriend Said I Gained Weight, I Opened An Onlyfans Account To Gain My Confidence Back and I Regret Losing My Virginity to a Sex Worker. Here’s What Happened
More from Real Skills
How I Saved Almost RM50,000 On Buying My First Car
Here's how this Malaysian man with a RM3,500 salary saved RM50,000 on his first car.
Angry M’sian Boss Demands Unpaid Overtime Over Raya, Causes 9 Staff To Quit
An anonymous employee at a local SME shares how a bad-tempered boss eventually caused 9 staff to quit before Hari …
I Studied In Chinese School As A Malay Boy, Here’s What I Learnt
Every time I used Mandarin outside of school, family members would come up to me at gatherings and ask me …
