Feature Articles

opinion

How Background Choices Influence Wardrobe, Makeup for Creator Content

In the adult industry, creating visually compelling content extends beyond the creator’s appearance. It requires meticulous attention to a range of visual elements, all of which need to fit the creator’s vibe and branding.

Mikayela Miller ·
opinion

Creating a Stellar Content Calendar

In the fast-paced world of content creation, staying organized is crucial for success. One of the most effective ways to do that — while also leveling up your content strategy — is by creating a content calendar.

Megan Stokes ·
profile

Electric Novelties Execs Reflect on Company Origins, Mission

When Zach Goode first crossed paths with Electric Novelties over 20 years ago, both he and the company were deeply entrenched in the apparel world. Goode was handling sales for a friend’s novelty T-shirt company, Sik World, while Electric specialized in sexy lingerie and clubwear.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

The Benefits of At-Home STI Testing for Talent

In the adult industry, regular STI testing and sexual health checkups are a mandated necessity. For many performers, however, testing resources are not as accessible as they should be. One solution is at-home testing kits. Traditional STI testing requires a visit to a doctor’s office or clinic, but all of that is changing with the convenience of home STI testing, which is transforming sexual health management.

Andreas M. Kogelnik ·
profile

Sensual Distributors Ltd. Blends Real-Life Love Story, Passion for Pleasure Biz

This local brick-and-mortar is a “mom and mom” operation led by co-owners Alana Thompson and Angini Singh, a lesbian couple who overcame their country’s strict, religious culture to create a sexual wellness boutique that serves their unique community.

Colleen Godin ·
profile

Q&A: Mathema Kitten Rises to the Top as Clip Creator

As the only child of older parents who strongly encouraged her to prioritize academics, Mathema Kitten grew up spending a substantial amount of time on her studies. Working to meet her folks’ high expectations, she spent little time around people her own age and felt shy and challenged in navigating relationships with peers.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

WIA Profile: Rae Threat

Threat is completely self-taught. Shooting nightlife was how she learned photography and honed her skills, experimenting with ways to shoot low-light action shots without a flash. She notes that these nightly adventures also helped her acquire social and networking skills. One thing led to another, and she soon found herself working in the adult biz.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

How History Drives Marketing Strategies Today

Thanks to the efforts of activists, sex educators and members of marginalized communities, products like sex toys, lubricants and adult films have become much less stigmatized, and much more visible and accepted in the public sphere today.

Hail Groo ·
opinion

BAFTA Nominations Highlights Importance of Gender-Neutrality

While the Brit Awards have paved the way for gender inclusivity by introducing gender-neutral award categories, it has recently been confirmed that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards will not follow suit.

Scarlett Ward ·
profile

VerifyMy Seeks to Provide Frictionless Online Safety, Compliance Solutions

Before founding VerifyMy, Ryan Shaw was simply looking for an age verification solution for his previous business. The ones he found, however, were too expensive, too difficult to integrate with, or failed to take into account the needs of either the businesses implementing them or the end users who would be required to interact with them.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

How Adult Website Operators Can Cash in on the 'Interchange' Class Action

The Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement resulted from a landmark antitrust lawsuit involving Visa, Mastercard and several major banks. The case centered around the interchange fees charged to merchants for processing credit and debit card transactions. These fees are set by card networks and are paid by merchants to the banks that issue the cards.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

The Ins and Outs of Creating Horror Porn

It’s spooky season, which means it’s the time of year when I get to go all out on my very favorite genre: horror porn. While horror porn may seem incredibly “niche,” horror happens to be one of the most popular genres of film in general, getting butts in seats all year round — sometimes no matter how bad the actual movie looks.

Espi Kvlt ·
opinion

It's Time to Rock the Vote and Make Your Voice Heard

When I worked to defeat California’s Proposition 60 in 2016, our opposition campaign was outspent nearly 10 to 1. Nevertheless, our community came together and garnered enough support and awareness to defeat that harmful, misguided piece of proposed legislation — by more than a million votes.

Siouxsie Q ·
opinion

How to Explain Wax Play to Shoppers

When it comes to candles in the bedroom, most folks think of them as a great way to create a sexy ambiance. For folks who enjoy wax play, however, candles are also a kinky way to heat things up. While it may sound daunting to the uninitiated — because, you know, fire and hot dripping wax — wax play can be a fun and accessible sensation-play option, as well as an excellent intro to BDSM.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

Staying Compliant to Avoid the Takedown Shakedown

Dealing with complaints is an everyday part of doing business — and a crucial one, since not dealing with them properly can haunt your business in multiple ways. Card brand regulations require every merchant doing business online to have in place a complaint process for reporting content that may be illegal or that violates the card brand rules.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Ben Rush, Marc MacNamara Talk 'Dirty Words' Feature

Falcon/NakedSword is giving Zachary Zane of “Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto” fame the cinematic treatment, with director Marc MacNamara and screenwriter Ben Rush crafting the upcoming feature “Dirty Words” around Zane’s notoriety as an author. To learn more about the project, its challenges and rewards, XBIZ sits down with all three gents.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Girlsway Celebrates a Decade of Acclaimed Sapphic Erotica

When Girlsway launched back in 2014, Bree Mills had a plan. As head of production for Gamma Entertainment, she set out to up the stakes of all-girl content with the new imprint — and to continually, proactively reinvent the brand and its offerings along the way.

Alejandro Freixes ·
trends

An Inside Look at the Decision-Making Process of Expert Merchandisers

Buyers in the sexual wellness industry bear a weighty responsibility. They must strike the perfect balance between meeting customers’ demonstrated needs with tried-and-true products, and staying on top of the latest trends — and that is only scratching the surface.

profile

Goddess Ishtar Talks Dominant Creativity, Career

Before Goddess Ishtar became a model, she majored in psychology and studied languages at college, with a focus on English, Latin and Hebrew. Originally, she planned to be an English teacher — but when a friend introduced Ishtar to the world of camming, it struck her as an appealing way to make money while doing something uniquely suited to her dominant personality.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Establish Expectations: Market the Fan Perks You Offer

Fostering a vibrant and engaging community of fans takes more than just great content; it requires outlining membership perks and setting clear expectations for subscribers. This ensures that members feel valued, understand what they are getting and know how to conduct themselves within the community. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this.

Sara Loverays ·
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