Turning Pro: A Guide to Sex Work for the Ambitious and the Intrigued [Paperback]

Magdalene Meretrix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

An essential manual for anybody who s ever considered a career as a phone sex operator, escort, call girl, exotic dancer, adult film performer or any other kind of sex worker. The actual details of sex work; how to get a job, how to keep yourself safe, how much you can expect to make, how to plan your exit strategy, and more... as well as dozens of juicy anecdotes about life is like between the sheets.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Magdalene Meretrix has worked as a prostitute, escort, phone sex worker, professional submissive, and porn film actress. Her last full-time sex work job was in a legal Nevada brothel. She now works as a writer, paid escort and web page designer, and is an active advocate for sex workers'rights. Her articles have appeared in "Scarlet Letters" and "The Wyrmhole," and last year she chided Ann Landers in print for Ann' condescending attitude toward sex workers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Greenery Press (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890159301
• ISBN-13: 978-1890159306
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy vs IRL, July 10, 2001

By 

Tracy (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning Pro: A Guide to Sex Work for the Ambitious and the Intrigued (Paperback)

Lots of women fantasize about being hookers -- and I know some guys who would love to be professional gigolos. This book will give you a sense of whether you are truly cut out for the realities of prostitution. Or whether the most you can handle is phone sex. Or whether you're too inarticulate for phone sex but good at something more basic. Or whether you should be content to live with the fantasy of selling sex. Either way, you'll enjoy this -- it's a page turner.

The meretricious Magdalene has produced an intriguing guide to an industry that sometimes attracts the wrong people for the wrong reasons. It's good to let people know that sex work is real work, hard work and not for the faint of heart. I hope every cash-strapped grad student reads this *before* taking the plunge!

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good starting point, November 27, 2002

By 

TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Turning Pro: A Guide to Sex Work for the Ambitious and the Intrigued (Paperback)

In 16 chapters, this book, the first I could find on becoming a female sex worker in the United States, Meretrix covers a lot of different types of work from her own personal experiences. While she covers many topics ranging from disease, to burnout, to maintaining clients, a good deal of this book is rather vague. More details were needed in several areas but it is a good first attempt at such a how-to book. The types of sex work discussed focus on those that use your body (pictures, street walking, dancing, etc) or your voice (phone sex) but not producers of the written word or those who take pictures -- aren't they all involved in sex work too? Please be aware of your state's laws before ordering this book or enacting any of the advice in this book. Note that I suspect the name is created specifically for sex work -- Meretrix is a Latin term for female harlot.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! A no BS how-to guide, October 17, 2001

By 

"jennykitten" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning Pro: A Guide to Sex Work for the Ambitious and the Intrigued (Paperback)

If you've ever wanted to find out what goes own behind the closed doors of the sex industry, this book sheds some much needed light where most people don't want to look. Be prepared for an unflinching look at all aspects of of the trade from 'lot lizards' to porn. Also there's a great discussion of STDs, which gave me more information that a gyno ever did. This is a must read if you've ever even thought about doing sex work.