Me, duh. (I am a classy dame!) But seriously, this is one of many questions asked by the wonderful Wilson Garret over at XXX Chronicles. He was kind enough to interview me and I am just vain enough to share the love!

My Interview for XXX Chronicles

Sophie Delancey is a publicist, blogger, sexuality writer and porn reviewer. She is as thoughtful and elegant as she is sexy and driven. This interview came about because I wanted to present a voice seldom heard from in adult entertainment. I learned a lot, and I am counting on you doing the same.

Wilson: What does your work as a publicist in the world of adult entertainment involve?

Sophie: Since I’m working for a smaller operation, I wear a lot of hats. I write press releases, get press for our sites, represent the company in print, radio and in person, write content, edit everything that goes out, assist with setting up affiliates and tend to their needs, work on brand strategy, social media strategy, find new places to share our content online, make deals to expand our brand to other mediums, deal with forums and tube sites, assorted grunt work… Whatever needs doing, I do it.

Wilson: What is a typical day at work like?

Sophie: There really isn’t too much of a typical day. Because I work with other people so integrally, my day entirely depends on what people need and what’s thrown at me. I technically work 9-5, but 5 is often really much later. I love it, though. Every day is a new adventure and challenge. I start the day by brewing some tea, opening my e-mail and seeing what’s in store.

Wilson: What are some common misconceptions about adult entertainment?

Sophie: I think a lot of people assume that we’re all in this for some desperate reason. That assumption is most often ascribed to performers, but it transfers to behind the scenes types as well. The truth is, working in adult is interesting and there’s a lot more opportunity for growth, especially for young upstarts such as myself. I have learned more and done more in 2 years than many people get to do in their first decade in comparable jobs outside the adult
industry.

Wilson: What are 3 key skills every great publicist needs?

Sophie: You need to be a people person, you need to deeply know (and hopefully care about) your company and you need to be very flexible. The rules don’t necessarily apply, so you can’t be holding onto your marketing 101 textbook for dear life, especially in porn.

Wilson: Do you see significant differences in PR for adult entertainment as opposed to PR for Disney?

Sophie: I think the biggest difference when speaking directly about my work is that we’re not selling a business, we’re selling people. Every facet of the content, the social media, the outreach to other mediums… It’s all predicated on personality, so nothing can be dry or canned. That’s still often done in porn, but that’s why some porn companies just aren’t interesting. To be fair, Disney does have a “voice” all its own, but I just mean that in general, being “corporate” doesn’t fly.

Wilson: What do you like the most about your job?

Sophie: The porn I represent is genre-defying and it feels intensely political. The idea that sex can be respectful, full of pleasure and beautiful is a radical thought. Being a part of sharing that this IS possible is an unbelievable motivation for going to work every day.

Wilson: Tell me about the companies you currently work for? How did that happen?

Sophie: I work for a small group of sites, most notably for The Art of Blowjob and Pornographic Love. It’s based on getting people who have a deep connection to make a site that reflects their sexual interests and showcases their personalities. The look of the sites are clean, the photography is sumptuous and the videos are nothing short of cinematic.

When I was done my final exam in university, I started looking for a job. I was just checking around Craigslist and I found the listing for an adult PR/Marketing person. I had taken some marketing classes and had done branding and social media for some non-profits and arts organizations, so I figured I’d try it out. I had always cared about porn in a political sense, and the stuff looked great. I got the job and started a week later.

Wilson: Does one have to be open sexually to be a great publicist in adult entertainment?

Sophie: It’s not necessary, but you can’t be a prude. You’re going to see a whole lot of porn. I think it’s an asset to be enthusiastic about sex, because sex is your industry and that enthusiasm will translate through your work. It’s important to be careful of TMI, though. I am also a porn blogger and have my own site/social media, and I need to walk the line between appreciating sex, sharing my own views on sexuality and sharing certain elements of my personal sexual side without crossing any lines and being creepy.

Wilson: What are you doing in social media? How integral is social media to the work that you do?

Sophie: Social media is the biggest thing in porn marketing, as far as I’m concerned. Fans are voracious in porn, and they want to connect with the performers so much. For us, it’s all about the individual performers (and even me) having distinct social media accounts. You’re not talking to a company, you’re talking to a person.

Wilson: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see adult entertainers making in social media? What are some of the best moves you are seeing?

Sophie: The biggest mistake is to not have social media accounts at all, honestly. A close second would be people who use it strictly to promote without ever conversing. It’s unrealistic to expect many people to be answering every comment, but when you can, it’s best to make the effort. Even if it’s just a general tweet/post of appreciation, it means so much to let people know that you appreciate them and you are reading what they say.

Any performer who is out there sharing a healthy mix of personal and professional, engaging people, asking questions and being genuine gets my seal of approval!

Wilson: With social media growing and the tools becoming more successful, will there still be a need for a publicist 5 years from now?

Sophie: I think so. Social media is great, but only if you know how to use it. You can do a lot of good for yourself with it, but you can just as easily damage your reputation. It’s more than just writing and pressing a button. You need to know your audience, play to your strengths, adapt over time, create a more broad plan… Some people can handle it themselves, but especially for a company, it’s always important to have someone to lead the way.

Wilson: What are your final thoughts?

I hope that the personal aspect of porn continues to develop, both in social media and in the content itself. We’re on the precipice of something really great in the industry.

Sophie is coming back to talk about her personal views on sex and her personal writing about sex and sexuality, particularly those writings in the adult entertainment world.