Interviews are really important to your career, whether you’re a performer, director or other industry professional. But, a bad interview can be detrimental to your career. Many people are clueless when it comes to interviewing. Here are a few tips we give our clients.

Be On Time

With anything in life, it’s important to be on time. Whether, it’s a phone, Skype or in-person interview, always make sure to be on time. It’s just professional an will set you apart from others. If it’s a written interview, make sure to do it as soon as possible and return it in a timely manner.

Speak Slowly

Yes, we all get nervous and somehow this speeds up the rate at which we speak. Try and remind yourself to speak at a slower rate, kind of how you would speak to a friend–casual, confident and not a million miles a minute. Also, make sure you sound upbeat and awake, even if you just woke up 10 minutes ago.

Think Positively

Fans want to hear positive aspects about your life—they have a fantasy that you have a perfect life. While this may or may not be true, go with it. Don’t talk about negative things such as bad breakups, health issues, family problems and/or things along those lines. Also don’t bash others—it will only make you look bad. Your agent, manager, webmaster, publicist and lawyer work hard for you and don’t need to see libelous things written about them. We’re all on the same team here—yours.

Practice & Be Prepared

If you don’t have lot of experience interviewing, look at other interviews, write the questions down and practice answering them. A lot of times, you will get the same questions or types of questions. Be ready to answer questions about your career, who you like working with and what you have coming up. I do run-throughs with my clients who need the practice.

Same Question, Different Interviewer

You may find yourself answering the same question over and over. That’s how it is and part of your job as a public figure or celebrity. Not every fan will read every interview and interviewers don’t always do their homework. Even Tom Cruise gets asked the same questions over and over during an interview or at a press conference, but he answers them with style and finesse, like it’s the first time he’s answered that question—same should go for you.

Questions You Won’t Answer

Some questions should never be asked like about your family, boyfriend and/or kids. If you want to talk about these things, that’s fine. I advise against it. Tell the interviewer what you won’t answer—include these things and anything else you’re uncomfortable answering. Make sure you don’t come off as rude when telling him or her. If during the interview, they ask a question you didn’t think they would and it’s not cool with you, politely decline to answer. If it’s a written interview, answer under the question that you can’t answer it.

Thank You

Show some gratitude and say thank you. The interviewer has gone out of their way to come up with the questions and taken the time to interview you. Be genuine yet polite during the interview and after. A nasty attitude won’t score you points and may keep you from getting interviews in the future—the media does talk to each other.

After the interview can also be crucial. Make sure you do these things:

• Thank the interviewer again and make sure to Tweet out a link to the interview or places to buy the magazine (if it’s something in print). Use other social media to promote the interview, as well.

• Treat the media with respect—if they print something that’s not exactly correct or a horrible picture, let them know personally or have your publicist contact them. Always treat the media with respect and don’t harass, bully, threaten and/or be rude to them. You need them more than they need you.

• Listen to interview and see what you could have done better for next time. Ask others what they think and see if they have constructive criticism and/or kudos. Also, listen to other people’s interviews to see what they’re doing that’s good and bad and apply it to you.

• And, if your publicist scored you that interview, thank them, too. Sometimes, we feel like we have a thankless job and we like kudos, too.

As a performer, director or even a studio, you might ask what’s in a name. I’ve got a two-word answer for you—your career. Many people, specifically performers, don’t do their research when it comes to picking their porn names. Your porn name is something you will have for awhile, so you need to choose wisely.

Here are a few tips if you’re new to the game and trying to find the perfect name, so you can be a true original and build your brand:

Make Sure That No One Already Has Your Name

Your name needs to be a true original. You can use the traditional means of your first pet and street you lived on, if you’re not feeling that creative. But make sure no one already has your name.

When I did PR for Shane’s World, there was a contract girl named Casey Parker—she was a cute, bubbly, blonde, surfer girl who looked like the hot, yet kinky, girl next door. She made a decent name for herself, but exited the industry after a year or two in the game. About two years after she left, another girl named Kacey Parker started her career—she was nothing like the original Casey except she had blonde hair. When she first started, I told her about the name and that it could be confusing. She went with the name and is a successful BBW performer on Plumper Pass and other sites. If people look her up and spell her first name with a “C” instead of a “K”, they won’t find her.

I was speaking with another publicist in the industry and he told me a current client of his came up with a name for their studio. He informed him that the name they wanted was already being used, and they choose to not heed his warning and went with the name. With less than a month in the business, they got a Cease and Desist Order telling them they could not use the name, and that it was already being used. They had to change the name and redo their business cards, website, business licenses, etc.—what a hassle that could have been avoided.

Does Your Name Sound Like Someone Else’s?

About a year ago, I had a client whose name sounded a lot like Zoey Holloway. She had the same first name and a very similar sounding last name that also started with an “H”. I informed her of this and she decided to keep the name. Every time I scheduled an interview for her, people would say “Zoey Holloway” and I would have to correct them. This led to a lot of confusion and explanations. If she would have spent some time on Google, she might have avoided the confusion with her brand and giving another performer more attention.

Don’t Use Your Real Name

Come up with a porn name. Why? For security. If you use your real name, stalkers and fans will be able to find out where you live and your phone number. You need your privacy and to be safe. Come up with a name that is different from your own, but if you have to use your same first name, use a different last name. Yes, there are performers who use their real first and last names—I won’t list them, but they do have people showing up on their doorsteps…no joke.

Another reason to have a different name is to build a persona. Maybe you’re shy or withdrawn, but when you’re living the life of you new name, you’re sexy, a seductress and full of confidence. You can be what you want to be and be a character, just like actors and actresses in the mainstream entertainment world, and it can be very empowering.

And if you end up going back to the real working world, you can keep your identity separate and be able to go back to being a “regular person”. If you make the decision to do porn, realize that you could be found out and fired.

Two Words, Not One

I used to work for an online adult website. We had girls who had one-word names. I can’t tell you how many Cherokees there were (and other girls with one word names). This was so confusing when we were trying to figure out which Cherokee was in each movie. And when we tried to guess and guessed wrong, some girl named Cherokee would get pissed off. If you have a one-word name and unless it’s highly original, be prepared to be lost in the crowd. Yes, there is only one Belladonna—it’s a highly original name that is a brand and has been trademarked. She is the exception, not the rule.

And While We’re on the Subject…

Trademarking is always a good idea. At the very least, make sure to buy your URLs. If your porn name is Betty Crocker, buy BettyCrocker.com, BettyCrocker.net, BettyCrockerxxx.com, etc. Even if you’re not ready to make your paysite or blog, make sure you buy the domains, so you will have them. If not, someone could buy them and you will potentially have to pay a huge ransom to get your URL back, unless you do trademark your name and the owner of the domain has to turn it over to you. Some girls end up getting variations of their name, if they can’s afford to buy their URLs from the owners or paying a lawyer. Consult a veteran adult attorney like Greg Piccionelli for more details on the process of trademarking and legally protecting your brand.

Having a Hard Time Coming Up With a Name?

Ask your agent. They may come up with a name. I have sat in while agents have come up with names for girls. They usually tell the girls to come up with a name that sounds like a real name. A few examples of this would be Ashlynn Leigh, Katie Summers, Gillian Sloan, Desiree Deluca, Taylor Wane, etc. A common name with a last name with a little kick, like Anastasia Pierce, Candy Mason or Alex Chance can work. Or, even go for an exotic first name with a common last name like Nyomi Banxxx, Amanda Blow, or Charity Bangs.

Changing Your Name Can Cause Confusion & Weaken Your Brand

A few years back, Katsuni had to change her name, since it was similar to a main- stream performer’s name. She became Katsumi and people still know it’s her. But, imagine if she had to completely change her name and start over. All the work she had previously done could be forgotten, and she would have to start fresh and rebuild her brand.

Other girls get sick of their name, want to change a bad image or just re-enter the biz with a fresh start. This is like starting over and while your fans might recognize and still support you, this isn’t always the case. And changing your name doesn’t guarantee you can change your image, especially if you don’t change your attitude or behavior.

Many contract girls have had to leave their names behind with their old studios and reinvent themselves and they see their careers fall flat on their face. If you are working on a contract, ask to retain the rights to your name if it all doesn’t work out.

Lots of things to thing about, but there’s a lot in a name. So, choose wisely.

Joan Jett used to sing that she “didn’t give a damn about her reputation”. Although she was a rock ‘n’ roll chick, a lot of people seem to think this is how they should live lives by—they’re wrong. Your reputation is the most important thing you have.

Reputation generally comes from perception. Perception is how people view you in the adult industry and in the “real world”—it’s detrimental to your career as a porn star, director, or whatever you do in the industry. It can be positive or negative. If you’re trying to figure out where you stand, ask yourself “what do people think of me”. Be honest. If you’re not sure, here are a few hints.

What People Are Saying on the Studio Boards About You

Your fans perception can be the most important, and so are people who comment on studios’ boards. If people are saying you’re hot, then studios will hire you. If they’re saying you’re not…well, you might not be working for them. The same goes for your performance. Studios, directors and producers are in the biz to give people what they want—in order to make money, they have to use the performers fans and customers want to see in their productions. Of course, we all have haters, but if the majority doesn’t think you’re cutting it, this definitely no bueno.

Check the studio boards and see what people are saying about you. If they complain about your appearance, take steps to change it. If fans think your performances suck, watch your videos and see what you can do better—football players watch their plays, and so can porn stars. And if you are perceived as a bitch, well it might be time to start being nice at conventions, on Twitter, via email or anywhere else you encounter fans.

What People in the Industry Think of You

If you’re known as a performer who’s difficult to work with, has an attitude, shows up late or not at all, or other negative behaviors aren’t good, you won’t be working, and if you are, it won’t be for long. However, if you’re easy to work with, show up on time and are professional and pleasant, that is what sticks in peoples’ minds. And next time they need to hire someone, they will think of you, they will go to that happy place in their minds and you could be hired. It definitely betters your chance.

Another place both industry and fans/the public get their perception about you is on social media. Are you on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or even your blog starting fights, being negative, talking about drugs, complaining about your agent, manager, publicist and/or the director you worked with yesterday, or being mean to your fans? Social media has heightened perceptions and lead further to the demise of people’s reputations. Daily, I see porn girls saying things on Twitter covering all these topics. The studios, directors and producers are all on Twitter and watching what you are saying—this might lead them to think you’re difficult, a troublemaker or a drug addict, if you’re saying things you shouldn’t be. It can even affect the talent you work with—you might end up on someone’s (or multiple people’s)“no list”. Social media is to promote yourself and a way for fans to get to know you, but there is such a thing as too much information and the wrong kind of information.

Interviews

Interviews are your time to shine. Unfortunately, many girls don’t take them seriously enough—they blow them off and don’t do them (written and audio ones), say negative and/or troubling things or are rude to the person interviewing them. Even if you’re interviewing for what you think is a “little website” or “little Internet show”, you can’t take an attitude. You never know who is listening (fans, industry, etc.), and how big that site or show might become. This is why it’s a good idea to be nice to everyone. New sites hit me up all the time wanting to interview my clients, and I’m happy to chat with them and set things up. A good example of this would be Porn Life Magazine—other publicists and performers blew him off at first, but not me. And now, his site is blowing up and everyone wants an interview. Luckily, the editor is a forgiving sort and doesn’t hold grudges for past behavior, but other people will. Make it a point to be as nice/kind as you can to people whenever you deal with your fans or the industry because you just never know.

How You Can Fix This

I have worked with clients who came to me with bad reputations, and I’ve worked with clients who did the opposite of what I told them and made a bad rep for themselves. Our industry and the fans are actually quite forgiving and are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, if you show that you really want to change. Your agents, managers and publicists are working hard to make your career successful, but they can’t do it without you. To truly have a bad reputation, you have to seriously screw up and continue to do so. And changing your name won’t erase it, and people will find out what your former name was.

You have to want to change and really look at how people view you, and not how you think people perceive you. Ask someone you really trust like your publicist how people see you, and more than likely they’ll be honest with you, if they’re looking out for your career and you. When my clients are doing things to potentially damage their reputation, I let them know. After awhile, if they continue down this destructive path, I either quit saying something and/or potentially drop them. I can’t make anyone change; all I can do is advise. Agents and managers work the same way. We want our clients and/or talent to do well and are willing to work with them—we just need you to show us you’re trying to change and we’ll be there for you every step of the way.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy. My clients have a lot going on and I’m glad to be able to promote and get them a lot of those events, interviews, etc. There are a few announcements that need to be made.

First off, I have been nominated for the third year in a row for Publicist of the Year from the Fame Registry Awards. I liked what they say about about the importance of a publicist. “Any popular porn star will tell you they couldn’t have gotten where they are without their publicist. A good publicist will work tirelessly to promote what his (or her) client’s latest projects are including their movies, feature dancing performances and appearances at special events.” I’m hoping that three will be the lucky number or it will be a case of the third time being the charm. The Fame Registry and Night Moves are the only awards for publicists. Although the love of our clients mean a lot, an award would be really cool…one or both of these.

And speaking of awards…Nikki Delano was nominated for an Exotic Dancer Award for Adult Movie Feature Entertainer of the Year, along with three Night Moves Award Nominations for Best Feature Dancer, Best Latino Performer and Best Ass. And, new comer Alex Chance was nominated for a Night Moves Award for Best New Starlet. Vote for both of the ladies by going to  http://www.nightmoves-online.com/voting/ from now until September 15^th, 2012.

Last week, I got a huge amount of Twitter action about my blog—many people enjoyed it and even reTweeted it, while others were shocked that people didn’t already know these things. A colleague, Pete Housley, reminded me about another huge Twitter violation—buying followers. And, he’s right—this has become a giant problem in our industry with top name porn stars and brand spanking new starlets. This is a violation that will not just ruin your rep, it will also get you thrown off of Twitter forever—no joke.

To Buy or Not to Buy Imaginary Friends

If you do a Google search for buying followers, you will see many companies specialize in this. You can buy 1,000 followers for just $12. There have been studies that talk about how there is no value in buying Twitter followers. Unless you have real followers, what is the point of having a Twitter account? Real social media experts know this is a very bad idea. You want your Tweets to not only be effective, but to reach actual followers and an actual audience—the total number of followers has little value to you as a performer, studio or adult-oriented company. It’s bad business, bad PR when people find out and really bad for the industry as whole. Pete Housley, Naughty Tweet Network’s CEO, says it best:

“Twitter has been a great resource to the adult industry while other networks have censored and blocked adult; Twitter has rules that are simple and straightforward. It is our responsibility as an industry to not sabotage ourselves and adhere to the spirit and purpose of social media.”

How You Know Someone Is Buying Followers

It you know the clues, it’s really obvious who is buying followers. It won’t make you more influential or even appear to be. Here are a few tell tale signs:

• They follow you, and then unfollow when you don’t follow back.
• They pick up 1,000 new followers in a day.
• They have 20,000+ followers and haven’t Tweeted for over 6 months.
• They’re brand new to the biz and already have 24,000+ followers.
• You review their followers and they all appear to be bots or egg icons.
• If the person is a performer, they’re not working more (or at all) because “real fans” aren’t requesting them for scenes or buying their movies.
• They have 38 million followers and not even close to 30 million people bought your last album—ask Lady Gaga about this one.

The Right Way to Get Followers

There are many ways to pick up followers that won’t cost you anything but a little time. Here are just a few:

• Engage with others—many times you can pick up followers by someone else seeing something you Tweeted or something reTweeted.
• Make sure your Tweets are informative and interesting, not mundane things like you’re going to the bathroom or buying socks. My account is usually used to promote my clients, but every now and again, I Tweet something I know will get comments from others.
• Start following more people. Twitter has a section on who they suggest to follow. Sometimes, it’s Justin Beiber or Carrot Top (and I’m not making this up), but other times it will be a new porn performer or an online magazine I’ve never heard of, and both these things are useful.
• Put up a great photo of yourself and write an interesting bio that will pique people’s interest. Also, make sure you pick a great Twitter name that’s really reflective of you.
• Really understand how Twitter works and get a tutorial about it, if needed. Spending time and playing around on it works, too.
• Realize Twitter is great self-promotion/free advertising, but don’t abuse it by spamming people or Tweeting the same thing over and over (or using an app to do that). Be consistent and Tweet daily and multiple times.
• Be consistent and Tweet daily and multiple times.
• Retweet (RT) Tweets and do Follow Friday (#FF), but in moderation.
• Reply to big adult stars. One day, Tera Patrick reTweeted me, I responded and she Tweeted back—I picked up almost 50 followers that day.
• Use hashtags (#hashtags) when applicable. People can find you through those, as well. If you look at trending topics on your page, you will find many are actual hashtags.
• Mention your Twitter account everywhere—business cards, on your Facebook, website, etc.
• If you’re a studio or an adult-oriented company, mention your location and you will find others will find you that way.
• Spend the money on a publicist or social media expert to help you organically grow your followers and raise your popularity.

Just remember, it’s not worth it to buy Twitter followers. Earn them and be proud…and you’ll also keep your rep and Twitter account intact.

At some point, there could be tickets issued for Tweets. People have definitely been sued over them. Even Alec Baldwin is in the news today for his Twitter tantrums and going too far with his assaults on the paparazzi. As a publicist and somewhat of a social media expert, I spend a lot of time on Twitter not just Tweeting, but also watching. If you follow my blogs, you know that I keep an eye on what my clients say because image is everything. And nine out of ten times, they will remove a Tweet if they get “the call” from me. But what about everyone else in the adult biz? I see a lot of performers (mainly girls) committing some huge violations. I hope they will read this blog, realize it needs to stop and also get that Twitter isn’t a place to vent. In my professional opinion, these are the seven worst violations:

Assaulting the Media

I have seen performers fight with websites and magazines that run press about them. What they don’t realize is that the media is doing them a HUGE favor by running the PR their publicists send them and/or covering them/writing stories about them. Even a simple Tweet from a website can bring a performer tons of new followers. Just remember we need the press, NOT the other way around. And, not all press is good press. They can attack back by writing an article that will put you in a bad light, refuse to run press releases about you and/or talk to other people and let them know what you’ve been doing—bad news travels fast and can ruin your rep and ultimately your career in the biz. If you have gotten into it with the media, apologize and really mean it—you might be able to mend a few fences.

Getting into Fights with Your Fans

Your fans buy your movies and request you on the studio boards so you can get more work. They tell their friends about you and that one fan could lead to another 20 or more. Yes, fans can sometimes Tweet things that are offensive, upsetting and embarrassing. You can’t stop them, but you can change your reaction. If it’s one Tweet, ignore it. If it turns into many Tweets block and report them for spam. Fighting with them and/or making snarky comments about them makes you look like the bad person. Your fans might think they will be next and/or lose interest in you. Arguing with anyone on Twitter is a bad idea. Be a class act and just don’t go there.

Slamming Your Agent, Publicist, Manager, Etc.

Your agents, managers, publicists, handlers, etc. work very hard for you. At some point, they will probably make a mistake or do something to make you mad and/or upset—it’s just a fact of life. These things should be kept private (between you and them) and not available for public broadcast. These types of things don’t help your image. Let’s say you go on a Twitter rant, drop your agent and look for a new one. Agents talk to other agents, just like publicists and managers talk to each other. If you leave one agent and go to another, the prospective agent will more than likely call the old agent to see what happened. They will either say “no comment” or let them know exactly what happened. This will make it incredibly hard for you to get another agent and could potentially ruin your career. Sit down and talk with whomever you have a problem with—don’t bring everyone in Twitter Land into the discussion.

Bad Mouthing Studios, Directors, Producers, Club Owners, Promoters, Etc.

Do you want to do scenes and/or feature dance? Don’t ever slam a studio, director, producer, club owner, promoter, etc. These people hire you! And even if you don’t talk about them by name, it is easy enough to figure out where you worked yesterday and/or whom you’re talking about. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! You could be potential branded “difficult” or worse. Enough said.

Talking About Drugs

You want to smoke pot? Don’t talk about it or any other drug usage on Twitter. Some studios won’t hire you if you use drugs. This can mean missing a big opportunity to get that role that can take your career to the next level and/or to make some cash. Keep it to yourself. And, when you’re out at industry events make sure you’re not high and/or sloppy drunk. It’s bad for your image and never a good idea in general.

Putting Your Personal Life Out There

It’s called “personal” for a reason. No one needs to know you got a DUI, your fiancée is in jail, you have a STD, your girlfriend cheated on you, etc. This is one way to become known as a Drama Queen, and that will turn off fans, directors, producers, etc. There are certain aspects of your life that are OK to talk about. Your fans do want to know what you do off set…well, within reason. Talk about going out to lunch, buying new shoes, your dog, etc. Keep it positive and not too personal.

Begging Fans for Money, Items Off Wish Lists or to Buy Your DVDs

You have a wish list and that’s great. Put it in your Twitter bio and Tweet about it from time to time. Don’t Tweet about it multiple times a day and beg for a computer because yours is broken or a dress for the AVN Awards. Telling your fans to buy your movies because you’re broke and/or they need to support you isn’t smart either. And, asking for money is classless. All these things will have the reverse affect, and your fans definitely won’t be interested in showing how much they love you.

You want to take your career to the next level. Why wait until awards season? Start now and get a jump on the competition. This summer, we’re offering a special. Sign up for PR in June, July or August and you’ll get a free photo session with a professional photographer with a value of $300+. These are photos you can use for your website, to get work on your agency site or for magazines and other coverage about you.

Email us at info@therubpr.com to see what we can do for you.

In my last blog about keeping it professional, I covered performers and gave some insight into how new performers should conduct themselves in the biz. This blog will cover the industry professionals who are mainly behind the scenes.  In the world of adult you have quite a few types behind the scenes—agents, managers, lawyers, affiliates, social media experts, publicists…and the list goes on and on. I know the most about agents/agencies and PR firms/publicists, so I’m only going to deal with these people in this blog. To have a working understanding of the other groups of people is not enough to discuss them intelligently.

Agencies provide an important service—they get the girls work and when they get paid (and do well), they can hire people like me. Many production companies, studios and directors, go through agencies to book scenes because they know the girls they rep are reliable and will show up and do a good job…well, in most cases. There are a lot of agencies out there, but there are probably only maybe 5 top agencies, and they’re licensed and bonded. Licensed and bonded means the girls are covered no matter what, along with the agency. I had a client who was with an agency that wasn’t licensed and bonded and she got cheated and railroaded. Now, she’s with a great agency, but almost left the industry based on her prior experiences. The funny thing is that same agency changed their name and put the old name with the bad association on the current website. Even just changing your company’s name won’t help—with the informational age people can find out anything.

PR firms are a whole other ball of wax. New ones seem to crop up everyday—many of them don’t have contact information on their site, a professional- looking site or even the names of the owners and/or the people working for the company. There are other publicists who work with two firms with one under someone else’s name to try to corner the market and/or gain big name clients. All these things aren’t professional, and as we say in California…no bueno. If you look at our website, it’s neat and clean and the information is easy to access—there are no flashing images or things to overwhelm you, our contact information is easy to find, you can see the services we offer and even read our blogs which are informational, and at times, educational. Most of The Rub PR’s business comes from referrals from past or current clients. We list many of our clients and all the ones listed can be contacted for referrals. We produce results and are constantly worried about our clients’ reputations and how they are perceived—this is why I’m the Twitter Police and also watch how my clients conduct themselves at parties and other industry events. Many publicists forget how important reputation and perception are and don’t realize their clients are talking about things they shouldn’t be or posting photos on social media and/or being photographed at events drunk, naked or even worse.

So, the bottom line is not everyone who is a professional always acts professional. Do your homework. When choosing an agency/agent check out their site, find out what they reputation is with their talent, find out which studios and directors will or won’t work with them and if they are in fact getting work for their talent. With a publicist/PR firm, check out their site, their reputation, what they have done for clients, and if what they’re charging parallels their work, basically are you getting your money’s worth is another way to say this.

Although we work in the porn industry, professionalism is definitely king–and, this goes for the performers, as well as companies. Bottom line…no matter what industry you work in, you should conduct yourself as a professional. This blog will give the performers a few tips on “keeping it professional”, and my next installment will cover other industry professionals.

If you’re a performer, it goes without saying that you should arrive on time to set, give your best performance and be gracious or pleasant to everyone (yes, everyone, even the janitor). Some girls (and guys) who have been unable to grasp this concept, find that their careers take a turn for the worse and could get to the point of being salvageable, and to a point where no PR can turn this around—and, I’ve seen it happen.

Another tricky situation to remain professional is industry parties and award shows. Many girls seem to let a little too loose at parties—they get naked or flash on the red carpet and during the night, and they get drunk, which can lead to them saying things they shouldn’t or even worse, getting into a fight. Keep in mind directors and studio peeps attend events and will remember your behavior—and this could affect the amount of work you get. It could also establish you with the rep of a troublemaker or even worse. Try and limit the amount of alcohol you consume so you can stay in control. You may want to totally just skip drinking at any industry event.

Trade shows are another place you’ll want to be professional at all times. Not only will you be among industry, but your fans and potential new fans will be there, too. Again, don’t get naked or flash, and try to wear a classy outfit, like a dress—if you must do short shorts or a bikini you can, but skip the pasties. If your fans want to see you sans clothes, they can buy your video, join your site or spend their money to watch you on webcam—this is your job and you should be paid to be naked. Always be polite and smile. If the fans try and touch you and/or get out of control, call security, your agent or someone to help you out. Then, they’re the bad guy, not you. Fans aren’t always polite, but you should be. If they start talking smack about you on the boards based on how you’ve acted in a public arena, this could change perception about you and you could get less work. And everything that I’ve talked about regarding trade shows, goes for meeting fans while you’re out in the world (on the street, at the store, etc.).

Another public forum that you should be professional on is Twitter. Why? Because the studios and directors are really paying attention to Twitter these days so it can not only affect your rep but how much and if you work. Don’t talk about drugs, start fights or be negative. Tweet pics from the set or while you’re out shoe shopping. Let the fans know about what you do off camera, but limit it to a certain extent. There is a thing as too much information. Yes, I’ve seen girls Tweet about getting STDs, their fiancée being arrested, being beaten up by their boyfriends and much, much more! If you don’t have a publicist that’s the Twitter Police (like myself), you will need to be aware of what you’re Tweeting. Think of Twitter as an interview for “Fox Magazine”. Be selective and really think about what kind of information you put out there.

Perception is everything—so let your fans, directors, studios and other performers view you as a class act that treats others with respect. It will go farther than you could ever imagine. That’s how stars are made!