Raise The Rate 2018 Proposal Letter

[nsguy45]

When an escort decides to hang up his thong and seek employment in the corporate world, how does he explain the years he was escorting on his resume, especially if he was escorting exclusively?

[Kevin Slater]

When an escort decides to hang up his thong and seek employment in the corporate world, how does he explain the years he was escorting on his resume, especially if he was escorting exclusively?

 

http://laterslater.com/resume.png

 

Kevin Slater

[FTM Zachary Prince]

I do agree with one sentiment expressed by clients on this thread, which is that raising rates across the board is not a universal solution for every escort, and it shouldn’t be pushed on everyone as something that we ALL need to do. It’s actually not necessary to stigmatise the practice of charging less in order to create room within the industry for charging more.

 

Let’s go back to economics and hobbying and Maslov’s hierarchy of needs and income disparities. Some clients hire for entertainment... some hire for healing, needed sexual release, or even to relieve loneliness. These are definitely all NEEDS, not merely hobbies or entertainment. So while I think its absolutely right that escorts should have the same opportunity to earn a good living like all other professionals, there’s not a one-size-fits-all prescription for that. Don’t clients who only earn $20K a year also deserve to meet their sexual needs, and aren’t some escorts happy to live on $20K a year because their living expenses may be lower? Sure. Don’t some escorts enjoy seeing 40 clients a month because their life circumstances are conducive to it? Sure. And a $200 or even $160 an hour rate may serve certain scorts in certain situations and their client base very well. And there’s no shame in any of that and no reason to stigmatise escorts who choose that type of business model over people who don’t. As noted previously, in the age of SESTA/FOSTA, existing client retention and private referrals will be key, so I could see why plenty of people wouldn’t want to change their rate at this time.

 

At the same time, clients will be pressured to continue to see the escorts they already know and have good relationships with in an era where escorts can’t advertise. So someone talented with a strong client base of regulars could easily raise their rates during this time. We certainly hear plenty of arguments made by clients about how no one would EVER hire an escort who charges above $X, so I think it only makes sense that some escorts who have learned firsthand the possible success of having higher rates would want to encourage other colleagues to feel like they also have the option of charging more for their time. We are tired of seing our craft de-valued. Our work is criminalised so we don’t have a union. Spreading messages like this isn’t a “money grab”, it’s organising to expand the possibilities within our industry in the only way available to us.

 

At the end of the day, it’s a free market and people are going to continue to charge anywhere from $5 to $5000 for intimacy and sexual services, in various forms of hustles from sugar babying to massage to escorting. What I find problematic about the current state of the m4m escort side of the industry is not the prevalence of people charging relatively lower rates, but the idea that there is a “ceiling” above which gay male escorts cannot charge.

 

There’s room for all types of rates within the industry and I think Blake’s efforts are just trying to create room for a wider range of price options. For a lot of escorts it will be the difference between making just enough for things to feel worthwhile and making enough money to really thrive, which honestly means more career longevity and a higher standard of service for clients in the long run.

 

And really, nothing is ever gonna stop there from being escorts who charge lower rates either, and that’s good because that’s all some clients can afford to budget out for it. I think we get this kind of reactive blanket encouragement for escorts to charge MORE tho because there’s a lot of forces in society that devalue our labor and generally don’t care whether we earn a respectable living or not. We gotta advocate for ourselves and sometimes it comes out STRONG.

 

But yes I do ultimately agree that its not necessary for every escort to raise their rate. Tho it is a good idea that I strongly encourage escorts to evaluate, taking their client base, availability, and desired income level into consideration.

 

And I encourage clients to stand up against ideas being spread by other clients that its ridiculous for a gay male escort to charge more than $X amount. Vote with your dollars in the free market economy that is capitalism. Don’t spread propaganda that is ultimately based in the devaluation of our sexual labor or the disregard for our economic well being. And stand up against it if you see someone else doing the same...

Edited April 7, 2018 by FTM Zachary Prince

[+ purplekow]

[

 

 

"If you as a client can’t afford to book as often due to increased rates- here’s an idea: book less often. Here’s another idea: get a 2nd job. Make an investment into something income-generating so you can use the proceeds to supplement your escort budget. These are all things that people have to do when they participate in any expensive hobby on a limited budget."

 

 

 

 

I can think of three main possibilities for sort of person that boldly offers this sentiment. 1 A young person 2 A naive person 3 An arrogant ass There are actually more if you consider that one could be a young and an arrogant ass, for example.

 

You write in complete sentences but your analysis is distorted by your selfishness or your sense of privilege. I really could not say without knowing more about you. If you never have been a routine procurer of escort services, which is obvious from your unrealistic perspective, than you have no place to speak authoritatively on this subject.

 

In particular I liked the get a second job statement. Is this a new variation on trickle down economics?

Edited April 7, 2018 by purplekow

[FTM Zachary Prince]

In particular I liked the get a second job statement. Is this a new variation on trickle down economics?

 

If most escorts wanted to participate in a hobby that involved spending $200 a week on entertainment, they would have to get a 2nd job. Why is it ridiculous to suggest that clients should do the same? A lot of the clients who complain about rates above $X hire frequently.

 

(In fact many escorts already do have to work two or more jobs to make ends meet.)

[+ tassojunior]

There already is a harsh downturn in clients on MassuerFinder just from the "no shirtless photos" policy last week. Demand has dropped.

 

Supply and demand matters even in escorting because most clients assume they have to "try out" a certain number to find one or a couple they want to repeat a lot. A client is much more likely to "try out" someone at 200 than 300. After someone is a regular the financial benefits can rise rapidly.

[+ purplekow]

If most escorts wanted to participate in a hobby that involved spending $200 a week on entertainment, they would have to get a 2nd job. Why is it ridiculous to suggest that clients should do the same? A lot of the clients who complain about rates above $X hire frequently.

 

(In fact many escorts already do have to work two or more jobs to make ends meet.)

" I’m not gonna raise my rates because I feel like I’m already ahead of the curve on this one. That said, my rate is already hundreds above average. "

 

Or perhaps, sir, if one wanted to be involved in a hobby which for which they willing paid $200 a week, rather than get a second job to support that hobby when it now costs significantly more than that, they would simply find a cheaper hobby. Believe me sir, there are always cheaper hobbies.

 

As to you already being ahead of the curve, if anything it seems to me you should be leading the parade to raise rates because there are always going to be those willing to pay more when there is a niche market.

Why would you encourage others to raise their rates and not raise your own? Why deny yourself the extra income? Or perhaps there are issues speaking against doing so that you have not delineated in your stated rationale.

[biggerbilly]

If you as a client can’t afford to book as often due to increased rates- here’s an idea: book less often. Here’s another idea: get a 2nd job. Make an investment into something income-generating so you can use the proceeds to supplement your escort budget. These are all things that people have to do when they participate in any expensive hobby on a limited budget.

 

There’s also the option of not being a client anymore. It’s very much a hobby in my case. I have no issues finding companionship. The only reason I ever started hiring was because I stumbled on the profile of someone I was interested in meeting on another dating app, and thought, “well that’s kind of easier.” I’ve always viewed it as cooking a meal, and going out to eat.

 

With more spending money, I can completely stop eating out, and I’ll invest in cooking lessons. As a pretty good cook already, I can now focus on getting abs... I mean more recipes.

[MiamiLooker]

Several years ago, $500 was considered to be low end for a providers hourly rate.

When was this?

[nsguy45]

A

When was this?

And on which planet???

[nsguy45]

There’s also the option of not being a client anymore. It’s very much a hobby in my case. I have no issues finding companionship. The only reason I ever started hiring was because I stumbled on the profile of someone I was interested in meeting on another dating app, and thought, “well that’s kind of easier.” I’ve always viewed it as cooking a meal, and going out to eat.

 

With more spending money, I can completely stop eating out, and I’ll invest in cooking lessons. As a pretty good cook already, I can now focus on getting abs... I mean more recipes.

Totally agree. As one who, fortunately, can still score quality hook ups on Grindr and a couple of other similar sites, I'm often asked by friends why I sometimes bother to hire escorts. First of all, because I'm financially able to, secondly if I'm attracted by an escort's profile and thirdly because I find it hot to arrange to have an attractive stranger visit me for a couple of hours of fun and then send him on his way. I got what I wanted and he got what he wanted.

[+ stevenkesslar]

Anyone who thinks demand is going to decrease with SESTA/FOSTA is very mistaken. We are not in an acute economic crisis, nor are clients being more heavily criminalised by this law. Clients will ALWAYS want sex as long as they have money. What’s decreasing is the SUPPLY in this case, the availability of escort ads. The demand is not going ANYWHERE. We have seen this pattern over and over again as various escort ad venues have been shut. Clients stick with their regulars and look for new ways to find escorts. Escorts who have their shit together and keep a mailing list or are constantly finding new ways to advertise are going to be fine.

 

And I encourage clients to stand up against ideas being spread by other clients that its ridiculous for a gay male escort to charge more than $X amount. Vote with your dollars in the free market economy that is capitalism. Don’t spread propaganda that is ultimately based in the devaluation of our sexual labor or the disregard for our economic well being. And stand up against it if you see someone else doing the same...

 

I just got a good laugh out of the juxtaposition of these two paragraphs. And I'm not even sure I can explain why. And I'm not even sure if it's comedy or tragedy.

 

The first paragraph is brilliant. I've been an escort for a long time, and it rings true to my experience. There's a very simple story that makes the point to me. Very early on I told a guy my hourly rate, and he said all he needed was 15 minutes. So how about if I pay you a quarter of what you want? I said no. It was a defining moment for me, about my self worth. We all get to define who we are. And I guess I just felt like I wasn't going to be that kind of cheap girl.

 

Maybe there are actually idiots in Congress who think they are going to get rid of certain forms of behavior they find morally objectionable. Hell, they tried to get rid of Gay sex for thousands of years. So you sure have to give 'em credit for persistence, I guess. But the laws of supply and demand do apply. Even when people got stoned or turned into a pillar of salt, people still managed to be Gay and get their needs met. So I don't think demand is going away. And yeah, in this kind of environment certain escorts can not only do fine - they can do better than ever. You could nickname FOSTA the "Get Backpage" bill, but you could also nickname it the "Hire An Escort You Know And Trust" bill. And Zachary is right. There is a premium in that service.

 

Before I became an escort, I was a paid political activist. So when I filter the second paragraph I quoted through that part of me, it doesn't sound brilliant. It sounds more like politically illiterate. FOSTA is a stunning repudiation of a certain kind of labor. It shows overwhelming contempt for our economic well being. On an emotional level, it actually does make me feel like we are back to the bad old days, of stoning people and turning them into pillars of salt. Granted, you can say the people who did it are idiots, or hypocrites, or corrupt. But they do happen to also be the people who write the laws that govern this country. So, actually, it still kind of matters. Ask the millionaire owners at Backpage about it, if you're wondering whether Congress actually has any power.

 

Both parts of what Zachary said are true, and both parts of my response are true. I think the way this discussion is going confirms what I said earlier. Most escorts are not particularly interested in overt political activism. However, they are all pretty much entrepreneurs who are going to figure it out, and try to survive, and thrive. I love that response. It sort of goes with the territory that you have to be able to take rejection and move on.

 

And in it's own way, even though this response has pretty much nothing to do with politics, it actually is going to have a political impact. Because in three years when Congress gets their nice little GAO report about how well FOSTA worked, guess what? Escorting in America is going to be alive and well, because of people doing exactly what is being described here. And Congress is going to have to deal with the fact that they were about as successful at getting rid of escorting as the moral warriors were at getting rid of Gays.

 

The last thing I'll say is that it doesn't surprise me that this is not a unifying response. It makes complete sense to me that this is one way a lot of escorts could choose to respond to FOSTA, and survive. And Blake's first impulse was completely right: if it were me, I wouldn't be discussing a rate increase with clients, or asking permission. I'd just do it. I can relate to that on another level. I'm a landlord. I don't ask permission to raise the rent. I just do it. And my tenants don't ask permission when they need a new refrigerator or furnace because the old one broke down. They just expect me to replace it, so they have one that works. You get what you pay for. Supply and demand.

 

The thing I'm trying to judge, and that actually belongs in the politics forum, is whether there is going to be any attempt at a unifying response that is actually political. This forum - Ask An Escort - is not the place for that discussion. I'm commenting here simply to say that, if past experience is a guide, an organized political response is probably going to be an uphill climb. For a lot of people, maybe most people, the idea that you can speak up, fight back, and win when it comes to political power is pretty much outside their experience. Blake already said that's not his interest, and I completely respect that. We all get to choose how we do our thing.

 

If this is what most escorts end up doing, I'm actually grateful for this response. Because, like it or not, the message being sent by Congress here really is that your labor sucks, and we really don't care about about your well being, and we are going to exterminate you. And it just turns out that a lot of resourceful young people are saying, "Yeah? Really? Well just you wait and see, you prick." :oops:

 

And the escorts saying this are actually right. Three years from now, if Portman and Blumenthal are still in Congress, they are going to have to deal with the fact that their fancy, pretty new law just didn't work as planned. Aw. Ain't that just a shame?

 

This is resistance, pure and simple. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Edited April 7, 2018 by stevenkesslar

[FTM Zachary Prince]

Why would you encourage others to raise their rates and not raise your own? Why deny yourself the extra income? Or perhaps there are issues speaking against doing so that you have not delineated in your stated rationale.

 

Because my rates were already raised. Again and again and again. The majority of gay escorts would also raise their rates if they thought they could. Many feel like there is a glass ceiling regarding what gay escorts can charge. Honestly many straight female escorts feel the same, mostly because of the vast amount of messaging from society and the budget end of the client pool devaluing sexual labor (I’m not saying that all clients on a budget devalue our labor, but unfortunately many of them do). My rates are already adjusted to compensate me for what I need to be compensated for, and cultivate a client base that strongly values my labor, which is why I’m still going strong in the industry 8 years after getting started (at $200 an hour, by the way).

 

I personally started making a lot more money and ended up with much more loyal clients and a higher quality of life/work when I raised my rates from market average to above market average. That’s why I encourage others to do the same.

 

I could raise my rates by $100, sure, my clients are going to book me whether I’m charging $900 or $1000 or $1100. Maybe I will be even more political than suggested and literally tack on a $100 FOSTA/SESTA surcharge just to make a point! (But not for the extra income. Most of my clients tip generously already.)

Edited April 7, 2018 by FTM Zachary Prince

[MiamiLooker]

This is only possible if everyone does it. We must stand together in unison as sex-workers.

Good luck with your agenda, but the chances of "everyone" doing this are zero.

[thickornotatall]

A

 

And on which planet???

Streaming video....a good computer screen...and imagination..PLUS Pornhub etc....and maybe 15 minutes saves me $$$$

[Courage]

Ah, to be young and know everything! I remember that feeling. Enjoy it.

[Guest RBmont-real]

The value of a personal service, of living over having, experience versus materialism, is all an abstraction. Sexual consumerism poses a unique paradox for the service user. In few areas do purchased experiences whet the appetite at a potentially obsessive level.

 

A proportion of clients evidence a corollary paradox, paying a vastly inflated fee to psychologically manage the experience ... to me, it seems neurotic and paraphilic-leaning, even if part of the mentalized justification is perceived economic fairness. Ceiling or not, the higher price ranges are an artefact of client pathology, if not 1-2 percenter staggering wealth. This anomaly trickles down to overall central tendency cost inflation, unlike for licensed therapeutic massage that, say, promotes professional repetitive strain injury that is not easily compensated. Or hairdressing, accounting, personal training, what have you.

 

I do not have to devalue something to place a limit on its inherent worth. The instant I assign a monetary token I am aligned with the value side of the binary. I just have to be psychologically differentiated and exercise common cents. Yes, I am an ass, to be sure, but thinking this way is not one of those things that makes me an ass. Perhaps it is disingenuous of them, but I offer lower-end payment to apparently satisfied top-drawer providers. The sole thing I might be inclined to stigmatize is their reticence to wear dissatisfaction on their sleeves, as I appreciate candor.

 

The experiences I like have to be paid for, but that does not obligate me to fix perceived, even real, societal inequity. I do not intend to conflate libidinal exigencies with a call to philanthropy.

 

The value for the client is experience, for the provider is material, notwithstanding cost of life necessities. Providers are worth what compensation they receive, consumers are worth what they pay. I am evidently not worth that much ... the beauty is the prerogative to take it or leave it on both sides. As far as human value goes, equidistant from zero-sum, no differential between the two sides the of the equation.

[+ overeasy]

To put it plainly. Providers of any service have the right to set their rates at whatever level they want and feel they need. Blake and Zachary have stated their favor for higher rates and the correspondingly fewer clients to pay those rates. Raise your rates 25%, lose 20% of your new clientele, you work less and make 5% more logic? Ok. I for one would move on, respecting their rights to do so, wondering about their logic, but moving on nonetheless. Economics pure and simple - nothing to do with politics. Blake takes it one step farther...seeking to have all of his competitors also raise their rates in order to protect his position in the pack...and having a lesser overall effect on his local earnings position. Marketplace will fix that notion in the long run.

Edited April 7, 2018 by overeasy

[+ Tarte Gogo]

Maybe @BlakeBenz has enough rich clients and a price rise will make no difference to his overall income, or increase it.

I don't have any problem with class actions like this, they have helped groups of people before gain rights and grow their income.

 

I also agree with those who say that it has nothing to do with the law changes, this is pure economics calculations.

 

I myself have a budget for companionship and I will NOT, because I cannot, go over that budget.

So the most expensive escorts will loose my business, and if every single one of them is more expensive, I will save my money for when I am abroad.

I mean, I like spending time with local guys, but only to a point.

 

If you as a client can’t afford to book as often due to increased rates- here’s an idea: book less often.

 

Yeah, let's especially book you less often.

 

Here’s another idea: get a 2nd job.

 

Thank you for telling me how to lead my own life, but no, thank you.

[MiamiLooker]

Here are some tips to help justify your price raise:

 

● Update your photos with higher quality images. If you don’t have immediate funds for this, go tomodelmayhem.com. Find a photographer that will do a trade shoot with you. That means they take your photos for free but can use the images forwhatever purpose they want.

 

● Consider revamping your website to showcaseyour personality including a blog.

 

● Replace your 1 hour option with a 90 minuteminimum.

 

● Build your social media presence to generate some buzz around your brand, but be aware that

 

sites like Instagram and Twitter are increasingly banning accounts that look like obvious

 

sex-workers.

 

● Work on self-care to boost your confidence level. Not only is it good for your mental and physical

 

health, but your clients will find your new found glow more attractive.

 

● Read the free Ebook on www.thecompleteguidetoescorting.com for moretips.

 

None of your tips mention quality of service to the client, much less providing the agreed upon service or not having a “bad day,” yet still asking for the full fee. How about a money-back guarantee?

[+ SundayZip]

If this was a proposal for a coordinated rate increase independent of SESTA/FOSTA, my reaction would be, great! More power to you! As entrepreneurs, you should do what it takes to get the most that the market will pay. But attempting to use SESTA/FOSTA as justification comes across as opportunistic in way that is deceitful and exploitative. @stevenkesslar posted that the move to increase rates seems like an act of resistance. I agree. The problem is, the resistance is directed at paying clients instead of the new legislation (it's easier to protest to your clients than to legislators). @FTM Zachary Prince goes as far as saying that maybe he'll "tack on a $100 FOSTA/SESTA surcharge just to make a point." My question is, to whom are you making the point?

[+ stevenkesslar]

So is $130,000 too much money to ask for? :confused:

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2018/04/06/how-much-money-is-stormy-daniels-making-from-her-alleged-affair-with-trump/#6a7d7d23290f

 

I couldn't resist throwing this one in.

 

How's this for irony, speaking of fees? A bill that equates prostitution with sex trafficking is about to be signed into law by the first President of the United States who is alleged to have paid a prostitute six figures.

 

And even more ironic. The service that was worth $130,000 was basically this: "Just keep your pretty mouth shut."

 

Which should communicate something about the potential economic value of discretion and confidentiality for people who value it.

 

That Forbes article is an interesting take on what this thread is partly about - the economics of supply and demand for people like Stormy Daniels.

 

I mostly threw this in because the whole thing is funny. But I also think maybe there's a few lessons you can draw from it.

 

It certainly does suggest there is a premium that some people will pay in an environment where discretion is important. If there are people thinking that FOSTA raises the risk premium for escorts you know and trust, they are not wrong.

 

The other thing that is just weird as hell about the Stormy Daniels thing is that it seems to have had no apparent impact on Trump's popularity with the "pillars of salt" community - like the evangelicals. Shouldn't they be shocked, and leading a call to go back to a time when prostitutes and the Presidents who hired them were turned into pillars of salt?

 

I really don't have a clue. But I have to wonder if beneath the surface this kind of behavior isn't gradually eroding support for the puritanical vision of America. FOSTA itself is in part a misdirected attempt at repression that is 100 % certain to fail. POTUS himself, if he chose to really be honest, could have a nice little fireside chat with America about why prostitution ain't exactly about to go away, and how hiring Stormy Daniels and paying her to shut up doesn't make POTUS a sex trafficker.

 

It's just all way too weird, isn't it?

 

Back to this thread, it is understandable to me that in this environment a lot of escorts are going to sweep the politics of it under the rug and just focus on hunkering down and surviving. And Trump and Stormy are a perfect example of how some people will pay a hell of a lot of money to get something they value.

[Guest RBmont-real]

Lovelust is blind inside the eye of the Storm. A pretty good severance package for one of the hired and fired. Oh but would that this normalization could benefit more of us. Now he gets to 'pologize with his John Henry or just staying mum.

[YoungAD]

Maybe @BlakeBenz has enough rich clients...

 

The reviews are not exactly pouring in for Blake.

[MiamiLooker]

And Trump and Stormy are a perfect example of how some people will pay a hell of a lot of money to get something they value.

Why do you think $130,000 is "a hell of a lot of money" to Trump?