I made $98,000 in one month on Onlyfans – but don’t recommend it to everyone
Laura Lux switched to online sex work while MySpace was popular.
Lux makes about $30,000 (just under 28,000 euros) a month on Onlyfans, but she doesn’t recommend it to everyone.
“It’s hard work,” she says, “the market is oversaturated, and I’m only successful because I already had a following. “This article is based on a conversation with Laura Lux, an Onlyfans founder. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I was one of those kids who developed early – really early. I think I was 11 or 12 when I first got breasts. And growing up where I did, in rural outback Australia, that was a really difficult experience.
I was bullied at school and sexualized at a young age – before I had even kissed a boy. I was labeled a slut and a tramp before I had a chance to create my own identity.
When I walked into my first strip club at 18, it was incredible
I saw these stunning girls dancing so beautifully, in amazing costumes that were almost burlesque. I remember thinking, “This is the best place I’ve ever been”.
I started working as a stripper, and it felt like a “how you do it, you do it wrong” situation. If you’re a woman who looks a certain way, you’re definitely sexualized. I figured I might as well turn that into something that would give me a fun, financially secure life.
My transition into online sex work occurred with the popularity of MySpace
I kind of exploded on MySpace by posting photo shoots with local photographers. From there, I moved on to the newest social media platforms.
Eventually, I used a combination of Patreon, a website where supporters can donate a certain amount of money per month to a creator, and Snapchat to earn about $20,000 (18,500 euros) per month. Then in 2018, a friend who does similar work told me about a new website called Onlyfans that would do much of the time-consuming administrative work. I was immediately interested.
Fortunately, I joined Onlyfans before the number of creators grew during the pandemic
I treat Onlyfans like any other job. I have a desk where I sit and work, and I make about $30,000 a month (just under 28,000 euros) doing it.
I also tend to keep a 9-to-5 schedule. Even though my job is to send photos to strangers on the internet.
Although it always varies, my best month at Onlyfans was the one in which I earned $98,000
And that’s how I came up with the equivalent of about 91,000 euros: For five dollars a month, subscribers have access to my timeline, where I post a topless photo or an “implied topless photo” every day. If they want more explicit content, they have to pay more.
I don’t do hardcore content. My content is not pure sex content, and it’s also rather tame compared to other providers. I have to make up for that by giving subscribers a personal experience. And that’s why I really make an effort to take time to respond to messages.
I usually post a message to my subscribers in the morning – something like “What are you up to for the week?” or “Hope you’re having a great Monday!” – and then spend some time chatting with those who reply to me. Then I take some photos or edit some content and keep an eye on my inbox.
There’s this stigma that there are only creepy guys on there
But really, we talk about all kinds of things. My subscribers know I’m really into Formula One racing, so they ask me about the latest races.
I even write about trying to quit caffeine, and they ask me how I’m doing. Most of the time our conversations aren’t even sexual.
I’ve had a lot of success on Onlyfans, but it’s not for everyone
Here’s the thing: If you’re thinking about opening an Onlyfans account, I’d really think about what the consequences might be for your future. Online sex work is glamorized as easy money, when in reality it is not. It is hard work to make money on Onlyfans.
The market is oversaturated, and the reason I’m so successful is that I already had a following on MySpace, then Instagram and Patreon. I have over 2.1 million followers on Instagram and 856,000 on Twitter – I didn’t start from scratch.
You really have to come to terms with the fact that this kind of work will exist forever
You can delete something, but you can never really remove it from the internet. So if you’re not sure you want explicit photos and videos of yourself to be published, don’t do it.
It is unlikely that you will make much money – even if some creators tell you so. To be successful on Onlyfans, you need to be active on social media first and foremost. And that means dealing with people who call you names for doing sex work.
I’m used to that because I’ve been in this industry for 17 years. But for someone who is just starting out and has no guarantee of income, it may not be worth it.