HOOK: E-zine By, For, and About Men in the Sex Industry

So...Mr. Hot Stud Escort...now that your clients have told you you 're the hottest thing since sliced bread and you ought to be in porn! Are you really ready to take the plunge and go public? Have you got what it takes to get it up anywhere, anytime, indoors, outdoors, hot, cold, and with a dozen disinterested people watching you? Can you perform amazing, athletic feats of scorching sex in uncomfortable and almost impossible positions with a total stranger to whom you may not be remotely attracted? And shoot a hot, creamy load on cue? If so...you could be a porn star!:
Here is a handy step-by-step guide to making it in (or at least to) the porn biz!

Self-examination

Always the hardest. I have personally known people who truly see Antonio Banderas staring back at them from the bathroom mirror when the reality is more like Woody Allen. Grantedt...there are all types working in the porn biz. Let's face facts. Your looks, body, and endowment will determine your position in the food chain. There have always been three key attributes that directors look for. You must have at least 2 of them to be considered. I 'm going to address the top of the heap requirements - the kind that get you the top agents and the top $$$.

You 've seen soap operas, fashion ads & (I should think) porn movies. Think Rex Chandler, Ryan Idol, Ken Ryker. Think Ryan Phillippe, Brad Pitt. If heads turn when you walk into a room (you should probably try mainstream modeling!!!), you 've got the look. And yes, sad as it may seem, looking "straight" is a bonus. Whether top or bottom, college hunk or leather daddy, "butch" is in. Throw those legs in the air in a manly way!

Get real...people are paying to watch you on video. No flabbiness please! You do not have to be a steroid monster to succeed, but you better know your way around a gym! Many directors tend to favor guys who have "juiced," but personally, I think cut and definition photograph better than just size alone. (Check the International Male and Calvin Klein ads, look at Bay Watch, think 6-packs or even 8-¼ packs!!!) If you're a bottom, that tush had better be firm enough to bounce a quarter off of! Does the sight of you in the gym shower trigger hard-ons in the other members? There may be hope for you!

Dick, tool, rod, whatever...this is one of the key ingredients. Porn has got to be the only arena where the average man is 8" minimum! I don 't care what Masters & Johnson had to say, size can be very important. It isn 't everything though! If the face and body are enough to make you cringe, the biggest dick in the world is only good for glory hole scenes! It has to get hard and stay hard when needed! It needs to penetrate areas that often refuse to relax and accommodate! And it needs to shoot! You can get away with being a dribbler, but do you want the audience to snicker at you? (Anyone who comes up with a diet or vitamin regime to increase that precious load would make a fortune!)

Now that you've taken inventory, you are ready to proceed to the next step.

First, ask yourself why you want to get intoporn. Money, sex, fun, travel? The actual reasons don't matter as much as being aware of your reasons. The porn biz can be as wonderful or as terrible as you make it. Are you prepared for the results of porn stardom? Are you ready to walk into bars or restaurants and have the clientele know what you look like naked? Can you handle complete strangers saying "Hello" to your stage name? Can you deal with knowing that people you will never meet know just how you use your dick or ass? Have you considered what this may do to your lover/boyfriend/friends/boss/co-workers? One important thing to remember: if you achieve any kind of stature in the industry, your work on video will NEVER GO AWAY! It will ALWAYS be out there for view. If you were planning a career in politics or mainstream show business, turn back now! The world is not yet ready to hand out product endorsements to erotic entertainers.

If you're sure that you really want to do this, here are a few helpful hints.

These are your calling cards. You'll need good, professional photos (you escorts must know some photographers!). You'll want full front and rear shots, good head shot, and a hard-on shot. Throw in a nice shot of you dressed as well. It helps to see that you look nice in clothes too! Don 't get too arty. If they want art, they can hire you for it! Just make sure you look like you! Photos that are so cleverly lit or posed that you look like somebody else are not ok! The guy in that photo had better be the guy who walks in the door. None of that 'this is me without a beard'...or '10 lbs lighter/heavier'!

Be realistic about your sexual repertoire. Don't think you will be promoted as a fierce top if you have a 6 inch penis. Do be prepared to pound away in a variety of odd and uncomfortable positions. Good sex is supposed to look like an athletic event. If you are going to be a professional bottom, you no longer know the words "Ouch," "It 's too big," or "You want me to put WHAT up there?"

Now I know most of you boys are connected to the Internet!!! Use it as a tool. Most reputable video companies have websites and e-mail addresses. Check various adult movie guides and magazines for listings. Determine what type you are. Leather Daddy, All-American Boy, "Chicken," and look for videos with that type of model. Make contact, e-mail, or mail some photos with contact information. (Make copies...you probably won 't get them back!) You can do this yourself. You don 't necessarily need an agent, however...

An agent can be a good thing. He can often get you more $$$ than you might swing on your own. He may have more contacts than you'll find by yourself. Be careful! Any good agent will talk to you about some overall game plan for your career, movies, dance tours etc., will see to any necessary grooming. Find out who the agent handles. If you don 't recognize any of the names at all, you might want to keep looking. If he hasn't made them into recognizable stars, how can he help you?

WARNING...WARNING!!! Read any and all contracts thoroughly. There are no unions in this business, no residuals. Once your image is out there, it will be used and used and used and you don't any more money for it. Any agent or director has a right to see you naked and see if you can get it up in front of other people. No reputable agent or director will try to help you get it up. If this happens, be polite, be professional, but say no! Be careful of agents who want you to meet people. You 're already an escort...you know the drill. You shouldn't have to trade any favors. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Be aware that this business isn't the pot of gold that some people think it is. Very few models achieve exclusive contracts and top dollar. Be realistic. I don't want to name figures (and I want to keep my scalp) but an average 'C' list model may get for a scene what you might get for a simple massage session. A 'B' list model may get the equivalent of dinner & and evening's entertainment. An 'A' list model may get for a scene what might be an escort's weekend package. The money itself may not be what you dreamed, but the fame may allow you to up your price as an escort, and there is a lucrative dance circuit.

Yes there will be what seems like a lot of people around. They are there to help make sure you look fabulous. They want you to succeed. They know you are nervous. Sex for the cameras never looks or feels like sex at home. The poses and positions will seem very odd. It's not supposed to look good to you, it's supposed to look good for the camera. Relax and try to have fun. If you are an exhibitionist (like I am) you 'll be in your element.

Like any kind of show business porn can be very tough. My first words of advice; DON'T DO PORN!!! But as you are going to ignore that advice here are some tips from me, who is not a major star in any sense but has seen many people come and go and is still alive and well!

Keep Your Day Job

Have other career goals. A porn career is very short! Have friends and a life and interests outside the sex industry. Don't do every single film offer that comes along. You'll find you've done a hundred films in the blink of an eye and you will be considered all used up. Try to be selective if you can. Try to work with directors or scene partners that you've admired. Don't be a difficult snob, but don't be available for anything and everything. Let the audience get a little hungry for you.

Invest some of that money in planning for the future! Don't blow it all on fancy clothes and cars. There may come a day when you don't have rent! I've seen it happen!

A Couple Don’ts and One Do

Don’t do drugs. If you already do, or start to, it was nice knowing you. The fast lane is very tempting, and a certain amount of partying comes with the territory. The garbage heap is littered with those who got too caught up in it. I’ve been to memorials for them.

Don't believe your own publicity or reviews. Nobody likes a diva! You fuck for a living...you may be wonderful, but you are never all that. There is always someone younger, prettier, better built, better hung.

Be professional and prepared. Be on time. Know your lines. Keep yourself healthy and fit. Your body is the key to your $$$. Keep your immune system strong. Don't do things that will weaken it!

Remember, you are putting your health at more risk than the average person, both as an escort and a porn star. Use all sensible precautions. Condoms are used on every reputable gay porn set and now even on the straight ones!

I WON 'T DISCUSS BAREBACKING ANY MORE THAN I WOULD DISCUSS PUTTING A LOADED GUN TO YOUR HEAD AND PULLING THE TRIGGER!

Be gracious to all the directors and models and writers and reviewers you meet and work with on your way up. You will meet them on the way back down. Wouldn't you rather have them on your side when you need help or a job?

Have other goals and plans for your life for when the ride is over. It doesn't last forever. Keep a level head and you will have had a fun, exciting and (hopefully) profitable time.

Be gracious to your fans. Most of them will never meet anyone as beautiful as the men in this industry. Most of them will never know the kind of hot sex you get to have. They will never travel to the places or attend the parties that you will. You are the stuff of their dreams. You show them what it is to be a proud, gay, sexual man. And that is a great gift to be able to give.