Category Archives: Miscellaneous Musings

Paid Social Media aka Fan Sites

Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay

 

Social media is a necessary evil these days if a Domme wants to have a competitive market presence.  Sites like Twitter and Instagram allow Dommes to show a side of themselves that the public doesn’t always see.  It makes us more approachable, gives us a simple means to stay in touch between sessions and gives us a bigger audience to market a wider variety of services.

My chosen social media venue is Twitter, which I feel is the best of the lot.  In general it’s more adult worker friendly than Facebook or Instagram and it’s less intrusive privacy wise.  However, it was never set up specifically for the adult world so occasionally they decide to enforce their mainstream rules and they suspend adult workers’ accounts as violators of those rules.  The problem is the policing isn’t uniform and when a person’s account gets shut down it’s almost impossible to regain the following when starting over again. This leaves a Domme at a serious disadvantage, since other Dommes are allowed to continue to have a presence there.

Quite frankly, If I woke up tomorrow and Twitter didn’t exist, I wouldn’t care.  If I woke up tomorrow and My Twitter account was suspended while the rest of Twitterdom was continuing to hum, I would be very upset.  Unfortunately, attempts like Switter (a Twitterlike platform specifically set up for the adult industry) have never caught on.  People just won’t move there in mass primarily out of complacency.  Enter a new beast . . . paid social media.

Adult workers are loving it because they are actually able to monetize their feeds, making it worth it to spend time and put up more content.  However, there are issues.  Aren’t there always?

  1. Right now paid social media is split primarily between two venues: OnlyFans and AVN Stars.  This dilutes content which forces fans and Dommes to either decide on one platform over the other or be on both.
  2. The majority of Dommes have joined OnlyFans. This is NOT a platform built for the adult industry and like Twitter, I am afraid artists will find themselves on the bad end of censorship and inconsistent rule enforcement.  Long story short, OF was started for regular peeps like personal trainers, makeup artists, etc. so they could monetize their information.  It didn’t catch on until the adult industry moved in.  However, now that the real celebrities have found the gravy train, adult workers are getting the shaft.  This platform is not for Me because of this. I can’t attest to the usability of the platform or the content because I don’t have a presence there.
  3. The second most popular is AVN Stars. This platform was set up exclusively for the adult worker, specifically porn stars.  That in itself presents a problem for Dommes because our content is not like the typical content on AVN.  In addition, AVN is riddled with FinDoms and cam Dommes and they are aggressive.  I set up an account as a male sub just to see what happened.  I found that if you follow someone or wander into their live feed, you will immediately get hounded for money.  This site has taken monetization to an extreme.  However, this is the site I chose because it is adult friendly and it has lots of options to interact with fans.
  4. Poor quality/duplicated content and exclusively paid content is weakening the appeal to fans. Unfortunately many Dommes that have chosen the paid social media route are doing a poor job of it.  This is disappointing fans and causing them not to return to the platform.  So, fans have to choose their subscriptions wisely and be willing to bounce if content doesn’t live up to expectations.

I try not to do anything half way and I believe a subscription to My fan page is worth it.  To Me, the key is providing a lot of free content to give someone new a feel for what being a paid fan will be like.  So when you visit My fan page on AVN you won’t see a lot of locked boxes that require subscribing to unlock.  The reason someone would subscribe is so they can get all My clips free and be able to interact with Me there, you know, like a fan.  Priority is always given to those that subscribe and support the efforts I put in there.

AVN Stars - Mistress Ayn

AVN Stars Fan Page

When I originally set up AynRules.com I had visions of being able to interact with fans there.  Unfortunately the canned blog was inadequate and the CMS is not very customizable.  Other than that, it’s served all of us well for the past 6 years, but now we have options . . .

I recently set up a fan page on AVN Stars. If you haven’t been there yet, check it out.  It’s kind of like kinky Twitter combined with a clips store – so I can interact with all My fans and you can get the same access to all My content at one affordable price.

Benefits:

  • Interaction with fans
  • Posts there are somewhat like blog posts – longer than Twitter posts
  • Unlike Twitter and other social media there is no censorship of adult content
  • More up to date content – it’s easier to put things up there
  • I can post short cell phone videos, selfies, etc in addition to clips
  • In short, it’s more like the actual fan site I originally envisioned.

I would like your help and feedback.  Register for free and take a look around.  Message Me, comment on posts and get the feel for the site – then email Me – or contact Me directly on AVN Stars and tell Me what you think.

AynRules.com isn’t going anywhere right away – and it may never go away, but I like that we now have options.  Tell Me what you think.

Mistress Ayn on AVN Stars

 

Venus in Furs – a book review

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I sheepishly admit that I have only recently read the iconic book Venus in Furs.  Written in 1870 by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the novella is a FemDom staple and in fact the term masochist originates from the author’s name.  I am not sure why I hadn’t read it before.  Maybe I balked because it was written so long ago.  Maybe I thought I already knew the story, but after learning a bit about Sacher-Masoch’s real life (he desperately wanted to be cuckolded by his wife), I decided to read it.  Of course I wanted the Sardax version with all the beautiful illustrations but it took a while to arrive, so I started one of the more readily available interpretations from the original German.

The book was a quick and relatively easy read.  The story, for those that are unfamiliar, is about a young man that is obsessed with thoughts of a dominant and cruel woman.  Like many fetishes, Severin’s was born in adolescence when an aunt, dressed in fur, harshly punished him and from that point forward his sexuality was intertwined with that experience.  He dreams of a woman he can call his own that would treat him in this manner.  Hopefully the incongruity in that statement is not lost on you, as it was Severin.

Enter Wanda.  After admiring Wanda from afar and transferring his fantasies onto her, the two eventually develop a relationship and Severin confides his desires.  This is the classic tale of be careful what you wish for and Wanda takes Severin on a physically and mentally cruel journey that he both hates and loves.  There is a quite a twist to the end of the story that I don’t want to give away – and it is worth reading to the end to observe the reckoning of fantasy versus reality.   The story is not salacious.  In fact the depictions of sex do not go beyond the occasional kiss or embrace.  Instead it’s a journey into mental and physical domination,  laced with obsession.

So I read the version by Fernanda Savage and right on the heels of finishing it the Sardax translation arrived.  I thumbed through the book, enjoying the gorgeous art.  Simply out of curiosity, just to see how Sardax’s interpretation compared to the other book, I read the first chapter and I was sucked right back in.  I can’t quite put My finger on why I liked the Sardax version so much more.  Maybe it was because the sentence structures were less archaic.  Maybe it was because Sardax really understands Femdom.  Regardless, it pulled Me back into the story and I enjoyed it even more the second time around.

If you haven’t read Venus in Furs, treat yourself and order the Sardax translation with illustrations.

 

 

 

How to become a professional Dominatrix.

 

So you think you wanna be a ProDomme?

During every financial downturn my inbox fills with requests to be trained as a Dominatrix.  For some reason when times are tough many ladies think that the adult industry is the place to turn, and it might be, but deciding to become a Dominatrix because whatever you are currently involved in isn’t working out may not be your best move.

First, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you enjoy kink in your personal life? Do you engage in BDSM personally?  Do you go to public Dungeons or attend kink events?  If the answer is “no” then you are probably looking at this profession purely as a means to make money and if that is the case, I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t last.  Dealing with other people’s kinky fantasies day in and day out is not for the non-kinkster.

Do you love men? I don’t mean just like or tolerate men, but truly love men?  If not, take a pass.  This profession is primarily about the male fantasy.  The idea that you get to abuse men for a living may be your fantasy but it is not reality.  If you can’t communicate with men, empathize with them, be confident around them and respect them, this is not the profession for you.

Are you a disciplined self starter? As a Dominatrix you are self employed.  There won’t be anyone there to tell you to answer your emails, place your ads, keep your social media up to date, participate in photo shoots, network with your peers, maintain communication with your clients, be on time and in general act like a professional.  It’s all on you.  If you could do all of the above, you could probably be successful in anything you chose.  Are you sure you want to put that kind of effort into this?

Are you working through issues? Trying to get a handle on personal problems like relationship drama, substance abuse, depression or anxiety does not mix well with the adult industry.  Unfortunately it seems to be the first place many people turn but confidence and inner strength are needed to survive and succeed here.  Otherwise it will exacerbate your issues and potentially chew you up.

The four questions above are just a start.  The hard truth is that it takes more than an attractive look and a leather corset to flourish and make a name for yourself in the industry.  Skill, empathy and professionalism are pre-requisites.

 

Do something you love.

That being said, if the above questions are not an issue for you, then being a Dominatrix may be the ideal profession.  Imagine doing something you truly love everyday and getting paid for it.  That’s how I feel.  I have done many things in my life and have been successful at most of them, but I have never done anything that I enjoy more than this.

My story:

I was introduced to FemDom by my significant other more than 20 years ago.   I went to clubs, read voraciously, hung around with lifestyle BDSMers and in general learned and tried everything I could, just for the experience – because I loved the kink.  In 2009 I decided to make a change in my career path and took my knowledge of BDSM (there were still gaps even after 10 years) and combined it with my corporate experience and marketing expertise.  I became a Dominatrix – but I still needed help.

Nothing in life is free and I didn’t expect other industry professionals to help me for free.  I still needed to know how the professional side of the industry worked.  How do you screen clients?  Where is the best place to do sessions?  Where do you advertise?  Etc, etc. So I sought out a mentor but I offered something in return.  After all, you are asking a seemingly successful person to train you and set you up so you can basically go into competition with them.  Why should they do that?

What do you have to offer?

So sit back and think about that for a minute.  How much do you need and what are you asking for?  Do you need to learn the FemDom scene from the ground up?  Do you just need some logistical information to get the business side of things started?  What is this knowledge worth and how do you intend to pay for it?  Will you offer an upfront consulting fee or one paid out over time?  Will you agree to rent space from the mentor if they offer such a service?  These are legitimate questions.  You need to have answers before you start knocking on doors.

If none of this has discouraged you, then follow you dream.  Me?  I no longer mentor.  I found it to be a thankless job that was unappreciated by most that sought my help.  But there are people out there that will help you if you are sincere and offer something in return.  If you want to take the time to email me, I can point you in the right direction.  I still recommend connecting with local scene people.  They can teach you much and even send you in the direction of those that may be able to help you further.  The more you know before you enter the arena of professional domination, the more equipped you will be for success.

Tryst Interview

 

I was recently interviewed by the staff at Tryst. If you were ever curious about some of the more random things in My life and career this is a good place to start.  I dish to the following questions and more:

 

 

What are some of your favourite fetishes to cater to and why?

What is a common misconception you see within the BDSM space?

What’s your one go to piece of advice for Dominatrix’s just starting out?

 

For answers, to these and other questions, visit the Tryst site.

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