The other week a pantyseller contacted me asking how much to charge for a video. She most likely wanted to bounce a couple of prices around with me, but instead I asked her a ton of questions. How long is the video? What does the customer want you to do? Are you supposed to cum? Are you doing anal? She told me that this was her first video and she really didn't know how she felt getting on camera and was clearly nervous about the whole thing.

I encouraged her to shop around and see what other sellers were charging that had about as much experience as she did. Taking a look at the current market prices is a great place to start. As you gain more experience, don't forget to still peek around to see what everyone else is doing. As the CEO of your own small porn company, you will often forget to give yourself raises, and this happens when you stop watching the market. 

Putting aside the fact that I now use editing software and create several scenes and takes rather than shooting everything in one take, my overhead hasn't changed. I still use my phone, I'm still the only actor, producer and director. What has changed is my own personal beliefs about what my "product" is worth--an extremely subjective, personal decision that boils down to a price in my mind that, when received, makes me happy to do it. 

But sadly, things don't stay as simple as that. A few days later, I had posted a picture of a big bottle of piss on social media, advertising the fact that I sell this. A well-meaning female follower commented, "Wow, I sold a bottle like that the other week for $100; it's amazing what people will buy!" I personally found the comment a little insensitive to the buyer, but I also felt terrible hearing that. Why?  Because I charge way less than that for bottled piss!!! Admittedly, I'm historically guilty of underselling myself. Insecurities abound regarding my own self worth, wanting to attract customers and a self imposed pressure to make buyers feel good about what they've purchased all weigh heavily when it's time for me to determine my own price. 

As our customer base and business grows, prices often increase because your time becomes more valuable. Your popularity grows and people are willing to pay a premium now. And yet, you'll always find a person who is charging more. Are they actually just as busy as you, though? Or are they still making less money because their prices are so high? I hate these questions, but they're important things to consider while you're pricing out your wares. It influences the most important question you must ask yourself: What price am I going to settle on that's going to make me feel good about myself?