Mmm Mondays, Memoir, How To

Getting Paid for Trying Out Adult Only Toys

I agreed to write a few sextoy reviews, placing the product in a very personal setting, rather than penning a formal appraisal.

Have you ever written an online review after buying a product and loving it so much you couldn't wait to sing its praises? If you have, then this article may be up your street!

Over the years, I learned that loads of companies are willing to send you a product free in return for posting an honest review on a website or platform. These items can range from food to clothes, and from gadgets to sex toys!

Sex toy reviews are typically published by bloggers who are seen as lifestyle or sex bloggers, with their own site. Generally, the product is given free to the writer, who in return tests it out and publishes their findings.

As a writer or consumer, you can contact a toy company asking them to send you a product to review, or if you have a personal website, it is likely they will find you and ask to collaborate.

My Toy Story

By 2019, after having my WordPress blog — Sex Matters — for a few years, several adult product companies began to find their way into my inbox. I will admit I was not keen on carrying out the reviews. I enjoyed writing about my sexual journey and also some erotic fiction, but the idea of testing a sex toy did not really appeal. One of the main reasons being is I am the kinda gal who likes the real thing, rather than an artificial wannabe. Even if I am flying solo I would rather use my hand.

But I knew doing the occasional review could help my blog receive more views and ratings. Which in turn could also lead to other companies wanting me to write for them or favour me with a sponsored post. So the thought of my site being able to earn more money in the long run, won through.

I agreed to write a few sex toy reviews, placing the product in a very personal setting, rather than penning a formal appraisal. I did this because those I read on other sites, in the main, did not really ignite or excite me in any way. So right from the start, I decided to write in a — reader is a fly on the wall — manner while getting down and dirty with the toy I was testing.

I had fun, and got quite a lot of views. Zumio actually tweeted saying they had never had a sexier review than mine. But did I want to do more? Well, even though I had only published a couple, I decided I would knock it on the head in favour of trying to write for a bit of cash elsewhere.

However, something weird used to happen when a writer reviewed for Satisfyer. They sent you a bucket load of toys … all of them free. Fortunately, I knew one or two bloggers who wanted to get started on reviewing, so I posted them a few of these products and hosted their guest posts about how they got on with the toys. Then, they received their own parcel from Satisfyer 😉.

Money Makes the World go Around

After hosting the guest reviews, I still didn’t realise some reviewers got paid, and so basically decided I wasn’t particularly interested in featuring any more on my site. What I learned was that carrying out reviews of any kind can be fun — but — it is work too. The photos, composing and publishing… takes time and effort. The companies are keen to say you scratch my back, and we’ll scratch yours — meaning free toy for the writer giving a free review — but was that enough in return for the effort put it?

But of course, once I decided no more, precisely more arrived at my doorstep.

I did a little research and found out that a blogger friend of mine charged for reviews if the toy she was given was worth less than $100. And having hosted sponsored posts on my own blog, I was well aware that companies have a marketing budget and can choose how to use it.

For me, the change came when a company asked me to do a review and I simply wasn’t keen. I had some paid story writing elsewhere to complete, so declined their offer to send me any item I wanted — even a Doxy! But they persisted, asking me what my fee would be. Ah, money, music to my ears! So I made up a figure that I felt was fair — and I am fair. And they agreed and even threw in some lacy lingerie for me.

From then on, I always told the company from the beginning that I charged. Even if the product costs more than $100. Although, I will say the fee did differ depending on how much I wanted that work or the money or even like the look of the toy.

You have to decide what it is worth to you, and charge accordingly.

The reason companies were prepared to pay me was because I had written widely for myself on different platforms and for others, and so had a known profile with review experience. It is the experience that they are paying for.

But as already mentioned, this information was not common knowledge, and most reviewers were of the opinion the only trade-off was the toy for the article.

Fancy giving it a Go?

If you fancy giving this a go, you should do a few free reviews first. Get some of those sexy toys you have always wanted. As I mentioned above, you don’t have to wait for the company to approach you. Perhaps review a sex toy you already own and post it on your blog or medium profile, then you can pitch to a toy company armed with a published review in your portfolio.

It is wise to think about what angle you can offer where reviewing is concerned. I am sure that's another reason I got approached quite a bit, even though I had not written many, is because my take on reviewing was an individual one.

I have hung up my reviewers hat as from a few years ago as I have been busy with other writing projects, but it was a fun thing to be involved in for a short while.

Why not give it a try? 😉

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