Why a split exists
Finding a legitimate client is not one message. It is sourcing, screening, verifying, negotiating, following up, and sometimes walking away. A client may be unsure what he wants, unrealistic about the price, or testing whether you will accept a boundary violation. The work of turning that into a clear brief is real work, and it happens before a creator takes a single photo.
The 25% also covers the costs that make the website and the payment possible: hosting, domain, admin, payment processing, chargeback risk, and the time spent on support. It is not a monthly membership. It is not a fee to apply. It is a share of the agreed project price, and it is only charged when a project actually happens.
That alignment matters. If no brief is completed, there is no fee. If the brief is priced badly, both sides feel it. The incentive is to find work that is worth doing, not to push volume at any price.
The six steps
1. Client enquiry
A client arrives with a request. Sometimes it is detailed. Often it is vague: “I want a custom video”, “I need lingerie photos for my brand”, “I want something with a specific character”. The first job is to turn the vague request into a brief with a deliverable, a deadline, a budget, and a usage scope.
2. Screening
Before the brief goes anywhere, the client is checked. Is this a real adult? Is the request lawful? Does it involve anything prohibited? Is the budget realistic? Is the client willing to put the terms in writing? Does the client understand that the creator can say no?
Screening is not a guarantee. A client can lie. But a proper process filters the obvious time-wasters, the boundary-pushers, and the people who want something illegal or non-consensual.
3. Matching
The brief is matched to a creator who has chosen that category and whose limits fit the request. A lingerie brand is not sent to someone who only does fully clothed editorial. A fetish client is not sent to someone who has said that fetish work is a hard no. A no-face creator is not offered a brief that requires a full-face video.
Matching is not about finding “the hottest” person. It is about finding the person who can deliver the brief comfortably and consistently.
4. Creator approval
The creator sees the brief, the price, the deadline, the usage terms, and any relevant client notes. She can accept, decline, or ask for a change. The client does not get to negotiate directly with her unless she agrees to that. The point of the intermediary is to absorb the pressure, not to pass it on.
5. Creation and delivery
The creator makes the content within the agreed scope. She delivers it through a private channel. The client confirms receipt. If the brief includes a revision, the number of revisions is agreed in advance. “One small change” is not an infinite loop.
6. Payment
The client pays. The creator receives 75% of the agreed project fee. The remaining 25% stays with Aurora. The payment schedule should be in the brief before the creator starts. For a new client, a deposit or payment before final delivery is normal. A creator should not carry the entire risk of a stranger who can disappear after receiving the files.
What the 25% covers
- Client acquisition. The website, the domain, the content, the outreach, and the time spent finding people who actually buy.
- Screening and negotiation. Reading requests, asking follow-up questions, checking red flags, agreeing a price, and writing the brief.
- Admin and hosting. Email, file transfer, records, invoices, and the boring infrastructure that keeps the work moving.
- Payment processing. Transaction fees, currency conversion, and the cost of handling disputes or chargebacks.
- Support. Answering questions, managing a client who changes his mind, and handling the parts of the job that are not creative.
- Compliance. Age verification processes, record keeping, and the legal review that a legitimate adult content business needs.
What the 25% does not cover: your taxes, your props, your phone, your internet, your time, or your emotional labour. Those are yours. The split is not a promise that the work is profitable. It is a clear division of the project fee.
A simple example
A client agrees a $120 brief for a custom photo set. The creator delivers the set, the client pays, and the creator receives $90. Aurora keeps $30.
If the same brief were priced at $60, the creator would receive $45. After an hour of planning, an hour of shooting, editing, and messages, that may be less than minimum wage in your country. A low price is not automatically a good opportunity. It may simply be a cheap client.
The numbers in this article are illustrative. Actual briefs vary. There is no salary, no minimum income, and no guarantee that a client will return.
What to ask before you accept
- What exactly is being delivered? How many photos, how many minutes, what format?
- What is the deadline, including the time zone?
- What is the total fee, and what is my 75%?
- When and how will I be paid? Is there a deposit?
- Where can the client publish the content, and for how long?
- Is the licence exclusive? Can the client edit, resell, or sublicense it?
- How many revisions are included?
- What happens if the client cancels, disappears, or disputes the payment?
- Will my stage name be used? Will my face be shown?
- Can I decline a specific element without losing the whole brief?
If the answer to any of these is “we will figure it out later”, the brief is not ready. A legitimate client can answer basic questions before asking you to take your clothes off.
Payment red flags
- The client wants to pay you directly after the introduction, cutting out the agreed process.
- The client asks for free samples “to prove you are real”.
- The client wants explicit content before age verification or before a written brief.
- The client offers a large sum but wants you to pay a fee, buy equipment, or send money first.
- The client wants your bank login, your card details, or access to your payment account.
- The client refuses to use a traceable payment method or insists on gift cards.
- The client threatens a chargeback if you do not do extra work that was not in the brief.
If a payment arrangement feels designed to make you vulnerable, it probably is. A real client does not need your passwords, your ID, or your fear to pay you.
Taxes and records
You are responsible for your own taxes and records. Depending on where you live, the money may be taxable income. Keep a simple record of each project: the date, the client reference, the brief, the total fee, your share, the payment method, and any expenses. Do not assume that online income is invisible income.
If you are unsure how to declare it, ask an accountant who understands freelance or adult industry income in your country. This article is general information, not tax advice.
I run a private casting and project-matching service for adult creators. I write about the practical side of the work: money, privacy, boundaries, and the questions women ask before they decide.