Yesterday was the one-week anniversary of my first cam show, and I was brutally reminded of how far I still have to go. There have been some nights where I have no problem getting naked and the tips just start rolling in, but more often I hit a spot halfway through the stream and choose the wrong path.
I typically stream for four hours a night: 9:00pm EST to 1am EST. For the first hour or two, I typically just try to make conversation with my regulars and make it at least mildly obvious why I'm really there. I try talking about my day, maybe tell a dumb story or two. Typically I just talk to whoever is currently in chat, which so far really only includes my regulars (most of whom are unable to tip). In the "topic" section of my video, I have my "menu" of what I'm willing to do and for how many tokens. Ten tokens to flash my boobs, 25 to show my ass. Small things like this help me get to my goal (which typically ranges from 300-500 tokens), which is where the "real" fun begins and the toys come out (currently, toy singular).
For most of my streams so far, I've noticed that about halfway through the stream, chat dies down a little bit and there's more silence than there is conversation. I try to fill the silence by singing, or welcoming new viewers and asking if they're looking for anything in particular. But this is the point, I've learned, where I need to stop being so stingy with what I'm willing to give away and set realistic expectations that a newbie like myself can actually reach. To me, the first two hours feel like hanging out and talking with friends. It's surprisingly difficult to just switch gears into "work" mode and start undressing in front of these people who I just had nice conversations with. Add that to the cries for sleep from my body (which are only slightly and for a short time muffled by caffeine), and I choose the easier part: continuing to fumble with conversation instead of giving these men what they're really all here for.
Last night, despite the tired and awkward start, was actually one of the most productive nights that I've had so far. Many of my regulars want to see me succeed in this, or at least want to see me naked. Either way, they give me help and ideas about everything from what to wear and how long to wear it, to fun "games" I can add into my shows to keep it interesting and keep men involved in my particular show. I now have a handful of lists that cover things like good upbeat background music and fun stuff to add to my grocery list (like ice cubes and whipped cream).
By about 12:55am, I was mostly undressed and the majority of the way to my goal. I had chugged a cup of coffee just a few minutes prior and was feeling much better than I had been the entire stream. As I was starting to say my slow goodbyes to the audience, a few huge tips poured in and I found myself on camera for another half hour. That final half hour was when I made just about all my money that night, despite being so late after my usual end time and despite my reluctance to be sexy the rest of the time. I ended the stream once tips stopped coming in (which typically happens once I'm fully undressed and masturbating on camera--everyone's got their hand on their dicks, I'm reminded every stream once I'm floundering for tips).
I'm feeling a lot better prepared for tonight's stream, and a lot more comfortable with the idea that I NEED to be sexy to make any money. Today's camming-related errands will be in tomorrow's post, but I can at least say that I think I learned enough in my first week of camming to really make tonight a turning point in my embracing my sexuality for the sake of my career.