Yes, Phone Sex Operators Still Exist

When I first became involved in sex work, there was no Twitter or Facebook. MySpace was in its infancy and Instagram was but a dream. Considering some of these platforms are a large part of sex work marketing today, it's intriguing to look back and remember how some of us found our way into sex work, especially using the internet.

If you watched late-night television in the 1990s, you were bound to see ads for naughty 1-900 phone sex operators. And I was one of them.

Chat rooms, dial-up and phone sex services

Craigslist and Backpage were prominent in the advertising of phone sex services, and in placing ads looking for operators. I found the first company I worked for under Adult Gigs in 2004. The application process was fairly simple. I spoke with a manager for the company over the phone, after sending the requested information via email, and we had an interview where they made sure I had the right voice for the job. Payment and scheduling, just like any other job, were discussed, too.

Phone sex operators were able to set their own schedule, which meant the more they worked, the more money they made. The company I worked for had a website with a chat room where clients could drop in and talk to the women available, to get a feel for what kind of services they offered over the phone. We were heavily encouraged to move the chat to a call as quickly as possible since we didn't make any money from the chatroom itself.

Amberly Rothfield, based in Pennsylvania, is one of the most well-known phone sex operators and cam models in the business—Rothfield even wrote a book about making $10,000 a month—and started as a phone sex operator in 2005. Most companies used stock photos of other women—not the chatter on the call—for men to select. When Rothfield started, xie used stock images but by 2007, xie was using xier own photos to promote xier work and has been ever since.

Getting into a phone sex operation isn't as difficult as it once was, as the growth of the internet has created a much easier way to contact an agent. Text plans, apps like Kik and camming sites have provided easier service. In 2004, although webcam models were starting to rise in popularity, most phone sex companies didn't offer any type of webcam shows through their sites. Today, camming is the main draw and phone sex is considered an add-on service.

The appeal of becoming a phone sex operator

Sex work—whether you're a phone sex operator or a cam model—is work. It requires dedication, business planning, advertising knowledge and attention to detail. You'll need to become proficient at marketing yourself and, as importantly, learn where you can and can't do so. Essentially, you're not only the employee, but you're also human resources, marketing, tech support, photographer, video/photo editor and copywriter.

Sex workers are no different than you; they just so happen to peddle sex for a living. I stopped offering phone sex calls as a service in 2010. But I still value my time in this part of the industry because it taught me how to market myself better in an online world and opened doors to different parts of sex work, where I still work proudly every day.

"Many believe we turn to this line of work as a last resort or that we are broken. While it was a last resort when I joined, I have had countless opportunities to 'get out' and always come back because I love it," Rothfield said. "I am a parent, a spouse of 10-plus years and successful, and yes, I am a sex worker. I am just like my neighbors. Sex work is simply just another profession."