Are you new? What do you know already? Do you HTML? Are you familiar with search engine optimization or how to create a fast-loading, saleable webpage? Do you understand how to appeal to your target audience? Do you have a target audience? Will you be able to draw that desired traffic to your adult page? Will you be able to walk that fine line which divides effective marketing from spam? Can you adapt to changes in this business? If you start to sink, you'll have to be your own lifeguard. Can you stay afloat in troubled waters?

"Like a smart swimmer, a smart adult webmaster learns to tread in any type of water. They come to realize that the best way to navigate the waters is to build a boat. They augment on what works until they've got a structure airtight enough to keep them on top of the pond."

Look, the water's fine. Jump right in. If you swim right, you'll never drown. A successful adult webmaster is a smart swimmer. The pool is pretty clearly marked. The deep end is for the paysite owners, affiliate sponsors, hosting providers, design gurus, traffic brokers, script makers, billers and major content providers. The shallow end buoys all the others who have not yet conquered the backstroke. If all you can do is the dog paddle, then you'd be a fool to take your first plunge off the high dive.

There's a nasty truth about this business or any business. That truth is you're on your own. When the water rises above your head, don't expect anyone to throw you a lifeline. Swim if you can, float if you have to because you're in charge of your survival. If you're not already making a living at this, don't quit your day job. If you have money, save it until you're certain you know what you're spending it on. If you've made a little money doing one thing, don't trick yourself into believing you can take on anything. Examine the waters around you and keep your eye out for sharks.

For example, say you've built that cool free site with the killer domain name. You optimized it for search engines. You designed it so it's legally compliant and easily navigable. You found sponsor programs that convert well with your surfers. You've begun to get fairly decent traffic to your page. You're making nice cash. Then one day, the sign-ups and the traffic flow stop short. What happened?

Will you be able to discern if someone was stealing your traffic or if you just fell off the search engines? If you do find the cause of the stalemate, will you know how to protect yourself? Will you be able to reclaim your good SE listing? Will you have the stamina to maintain a constant state of flotation?

Like a smart swimmer, a smart adult webmaster learns to tread in any type of water. They come to realize that the best way to navigate the waters is to build a boat. They augment on what works until they've got a structure airtight enough to keep them on top of the pond. If you want to do this crazy porn thing for a long time you'll eventually want a compilation of sure-fire moneymaking sources. You will want to be able to keep making money even when there's a storm with billing or a flood of competitors in your niche. You'll want a cache of sites and sponsors and skills that will insure flotation just like a boat.

The irony is you can't build a boat until you learn how to swim. It doesn't matter about your skill level. It doesn't matter what you know. When you're a newbie to the adult Internet, you belong in the shallow end.

I've seen too many poor souls go belly up because they underestimated the currents lurking the dark, murky waters of this industry. I've seen normal Joe's bullshit their way right into the hungry mouths of bigger fish. I've seen flashy pros from print porn who drowned from the pressure of competition they never knew they had. I've watched displaced IT geeks literally pulled under by their inability to sell themselves. I've watched in disbelief as the savviest sailor slowly sank from the weight of too much responsibility.

If you want to make it, you have to learn to take it one stroke at a time. Swim too fast, you'll get the bends. Take your boat too far out and you might never return.