Just like any other field, being an NSFW artist has its risks. A prime example was Tumblr’s porn purge, which eventually escalated to all porn visuals being banned.

An artist with 100,000 followers was in the same boat as one with 100 followers: “Can I rebuild my following somewhere else? Will my current followers even care? What if my success was just a stroke of luck?”

If you’re planning to be an NSFW artist long-term, you’ll need to become platform-independent and plan for the worst. I don’t want an ambiguous ban to be the end of your NSFW career.

How Risk-Free Are You?

First, let’s evaluate your level of risk:

High Risk

• Being banned from your social media would cripple your career, meaning you need to start from scratch
• No saved contacts or records of previous client transactions
• No back ups for critical business processes (i.e. ways to receive payments from international clients)
• No alternate way to reach audience

Moderate Risk

• Being banned would be difficult, but you have access to people you know will support you
• You have records and alternate ways to reach your audience

Low Risk

• Being banned is a blow, but you have ways to receive NSFW client work and income
• You own your own platform, and don’t depend on any outside platform as a crucial part of your processes
• You know who to turn to, and who can help you rebuild your following

You can’t be 100% risk-free, but our goal is to build independence from platforms and tools, especially when an overnight policy change can screw us up.

So, here’s what you can do to start building independence, and plan for the long term.

Keep Contacts and Business Records

You might not enjoy doing it, but it pays to keep track of your clients.

Instead of using payment requests, use invoices. This will help you build a contact list you can refer to in the future, in case you lose your main method of communication.

You and Your Records
One artist asked me if it was ok to use PayPal’s payment request instead of invoices, so they would save time.

On the surface, it seems like just asking for an amount then getting paid is quick. However, you’re losing out on information you can use to stay protected. What if the client runs off on you? What if you need their info in the future?

Invoices are professional and simple to use once set up. If you’re still confused on how to use them, check out my PayPal article.

Here’s the information I collect through invoices:

• Social media handle of client
• Client email
• Details of the commission (OC name and general story)

This information tells me who buys most, and who I work well with. Those are the clients I would reach out to if ever I’m in a pinch.

Know the Rules of Your Platform

If you’re a newer artist, or migrating to a new platform, you might miss some rules about NSFW content. It sucks to get banned, only to find out it could have been prevented easily.

For example, most platforms have a rule against depicting nude or explicit adult content on profile pictures and banners. Patreon has a rule against linking to NSFW websites in your description, or having NSFW content in public posts.

There are also unsaid rules, such as certain NSFW content that is frowned upon on specific platforms. Twitter, for example, isn’t favorable with animal on human art, while that content’s alright on Pixiv.

If you’re unsure about a certain platform, consider asking artists who use it already. In case you don’t know anyone, you can drop by the NSFW Artists Guild and connect with our community.

Maintain Other Platforms

Some platforms are more NSFW-friendly than others, whether it’s for selling prints or taking donations.

Although you might have a big following on platform A, it won’t count for anything if you get banned for whatever reason. Consider maintaining other platforms, even if you aren’t growing as fast on them.

For example, even though I’ve found success on Twitter, I maintain my Deviantart and Pixiv. These are platforms I feel are less risky, and having them around will help me recover faster in case I get banned.

• 

• 

Keep Backup Accounts

Sometimes you can get banned if a specific work doesn’t sit well with the platform. Despite the ambiguity, it’s not a ban that’ll affect making a new account, and it’ll be possible to rebuild on the same platform.  

Personally, I have:

• HBeatsArt – Main Twitter
• HBeatsArt2 – SFW only Twitter
• PayPal personal account
• PayPal business account
• Payoneer & Transferwise (Alternatives to PayPal)

Though I’m careful with what I post, you never really know when things will go downhill.

If you’ve had experience being banned from a key platform, it’d be awesome if you share your story and help inform other NSFW artists.

Look to Long-term Solutions You Own

At the end of the day, we don’t really own our social media accounts. Unclear rules and overnight policy changes can mean years of work terminated.

These are called closed platforms. The service provider has control over what’s allowed and what’s not. Examples: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and pretty much all the art upload sites.

Although it’s easier to build a following on them, you don’t really have true freedom. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to write this article 🙂

It’s similar to working at a restaurant for years. You may rise to become manager, but once you’re fired, you’re screwed. You put all your time into someone else’s platform, that you have none yourself.

So, if you’re really looking to do this long-term, you need to own your platform.

As NSFW artists, this means starting your own website or newsletter. Sometimes even your own business.

It’ll cost you a bit of cash, but in the end, you’ll have the freedom of decision when it comes to:

• How you structure your visuals and content (branding and marketing is important!)
• Sharing whatever you want, as long as it doesn’t conflict with webhost’s rules
• What ads to show, and what you sell
• Transparency and trust with your audience
• Artistic control

Professional NSFW artists know the benefits of owning their platform. Reiq uses his to sell prints, stickers, and have a platform to talk directly to his audience.

Another good example is Sabu, whose website design allows him to separate art projects (his Sex Arcade series has been running since 2009!). It’s also smart how he promotes the Gumroad pack of each individual artwork.

And of course, the website you’re currently on. Owning my platform has allowed me to publish without fear of being banned, and most importantly to help the NSFW community in a way I couldn’t have on social media.  

Starting a website is a long, but simple, process. I’m planning to write about it in the future, so if you’re interested, consider subscribing to the newsletter!

Speaking of newsletter, that’s another piece of virtual real estate that you truly own. Email addresses are independent of any platform, and your audience wants to hear from you. A win-win, as long as you don’t abuse it.

I use Mailchimp for my newsletter since the free tier is enough for sending emails and tracking contacts. Even if you don’t have a website, you can make a landing page campaign that’ll collect emails, much like my commissions slot newsletter.

Conclusion

Despite the risks, being an NSFW artist is a path many choose to take. To summarize, you can protect yourself by:

1. Keeping records of your transactions and clients that you can refer to in the future.
2. Knowing the rules of your platform and avoiding unnecessary bans.
3. Maintaining other platforms (don’t keep all your eggs in one basket).
4. Keeping backup accounts so a ban won’t cripple your workflow or income.
5. Building and owning your own platform.

Do you have any tips when it comes to minimizing the risks of being an NSFW artist on SFW-oriented social media platforms? Feel free to comment, or share your story by contributing to the blog!