Becoming Something from Nothing:

This IS possible, and I am proof. Your first and most important task: get a few pictures taken of yourself, that you think do you some justice but also do not hide anything. These can be taken by a friend, a boyfriend, etc. These should include: headshot, side of face, full back, full frontal, side view and a few others you think work for you. Experimentation is the best way to learn!
Now that you have images, you can begin your search for work. The internet is an amazing place in terms of modeling. There are millions of forums and model listing sites. You can begin by posting your pictures on portfolio sites, most recommended www.onemodelplace.com and other sites which can be found here. It is very important that when you are starting out that you get professional or semi-professional images done. These days, there are many good photographers who are offering TFP (time for prints). This is an exchange where you both put your time into making images and in turn you both receive rights to use the images for your portfolio. Make sure you work with a variety of photographers under a TFP agreement at first, so that you have a wide range of different images to choose from. These images will be use to sell your look, so try to get different looks, the more versatile you are, the more work you will get. Once you have completed this, you can go back and re-post these professional and better images on your online portfolio. These images need to show the variety of styles you are comfortable shooting, as well as your appearance. Do not post a nude image, if you are not interested in shooting nudes, and so on. Try to stay away from home photos, or get rid of them as soon as you get better images.

Agencies:

I have stayed away from agencies for most of my work so I do not have much guidence or wisdom in this area. I am not against them, I just haven't had much experience or interest in them. They are needed to open some doors, so depending what your goals are, you should ask around for some information on the agency that could suit you AND that is not a scam.

Model's Bag:

This is a decent sized bag that you should bring with you to all shoots. It is just the necessities. You also need to bring what is required for the shoot in terms of clothing. Be sure to always bring at least 3 different outfits per idea for the shoot, because it will give the photographer a better selection to choose from.
You must have:
Hair: elastic bands, hair pins, brush, hair products, a razor, accessories
Face: cleanser, moisturizer, makeup, lip balm, Vaseline, makeup remover, eye drops to prevent redness
Nails: nail polish remover and remover pads, 1 natural nail polish, 1 other nail polish colour and 1 clear polish
Clothing: skin tone thong and bra, strapless bra, robe, 1 little black dress, pair of jeans, plain white shirt, various belts and accessories
Shoes: heels, sandals, boots and a comfortable pair of running shoes
Legs: a good variety of pantyhose & thigh highs in different colours and styles (I carry mine in a Ziploc bag to prevent then getting caught in the zippers of my bag)
Other: pins for clothing, q-tips, baby oil for skin, necklaces, earrings, accessories, Band-Aids, Advil, ID, pen
Additional Options:
- Head scarf if you are wearing someone else clothing, such as a designer's, to prevent getting makeup on it
- Always bring sets of lingerie, never loners, unless exceptional
* try to stay away from clothing with large logos and cut the tags out of EVERYTHING

Advertising:

The forums that I referred to earlier are also VERY important. Here you can put a little posting that will be read by many photographers/webmaster/videographers/casting agents. Usually you should include your name, stats (age, height, weight, measurements, tattoos, piercings, etc.), location and a link to some images. It is also helpful to state what types of work you are looking for. You can find many forums related to your area and your line of modeling.

Organization:

Keeping organized is very important. You need to start a good database from day one. I use Microsoft Works.. I now have over 100 pages of stuff stored on my computer (back it up on floppy or cd's often). Things you may want to keep on hand: stats, rates, type of work available for, limitations, contacts, general posting message. The reason, I suggest all of these things, is you will find the industry very repetitive. So it is MUCH easier to cut and paste many things than to right them out in full. When I am on my computer, I always have my little database open, so that I am prepared for everything. The basics of the most important files can be found below.

Stats:

This would include: Model Name, Location, Age, Height, Weight, Measurements, Ethnic Background, Hair color, Eye color
I also keep this info in the same file: Main Portfolio Link, Types of work available for, Limitations, Tattoos, Piercings, Contact email address, Website
Basically everything that sums up who you are, what you look like and what work you are suited for. These will be the main questions you are asked to answer on a constant basis. You should learn these by heart or else keep this file in a very handy place.

Rates:

Once you start working more often you will develop you own rates and wage scale. Be flexible but firm with your rates. You need to set your rates for the general areas that you shoot, but then you can modify them per shoot. Do not get stuck in a situation where you have to come up with a rate on the spot, this may lead you to either under or over quote a job. For more details on how to set your rates, take a look here.

Contact List:

This will vary depending how active you are in pursuing work. Mine is over 80 pages long. I document every person I talk to about work. It is not important to keep the whole email. The main things to note about the person include: their name, their email address, their phone number and address if you know, their website and/or their online portfolio site, their location, the type of work they do and their pay scale. At first you will not need this as much, but trust me you will come to rely on this, because you will not be able to identify most people by only their email address.

Other Things to Keep Track Of:

If you own a website: release forms (of many kinds)
A listing of your references and achievements
A note of websites and forums you find useful and want to remember to visit often
Model listing sites you are on, so that you can find time to update them
Anything else that may be in connection to your work

Keep In Mind:

You should begin a love affair with your computer. The more time spent on the computer actively looking for work = the more work you will get. The more emails you send, forums you post on, portfolio listing sites you are on = the more contacts you will make = the more $ you will make. This does become a vicious cycle and I currently spend about 8-10 hrs a day on the computer, but because of it, I also shoot almost everyday and sometimes twice to three times a day. Be as prompt as possible with replying to your emails.

Speaking of prompt: BE PROFESSIONAL. When you begin modeling, it may seem like a lot of fun, but it is a very competitive and professional industry. Show up to your appointments on time, maintain good hygiene, put your all into it, be respectful, etc. If you don't, there are a million other girls out there, and you will soon develop a bad name. Your reputation is everything in this business and everybody knows everybody somehow. Other models are co-workers, not competition; never bad mouth any of them, and if you just cannot resist, be sure never to use any names. Have fun though, because the minute it becomes a dreaded job, it will show in the quality of your work. I have never taken modeling school, but I defiantly recommend it at some point. If you cannot afford it right away, start saving slowly. I actually am now planning on taking a few classes just to learn a little more. That is the beauty of this industry, you can NEVER know enough as there is always more to learn. Look through magazines, experiment with makeup, buy a variety of clothing, try mixing styles together, practice in the mirror, etc, because the more you can play with your image and your style, the better you are prepared for a photo shoot.

Respect yourself. Never compromise yourself or your morals. I do adult work because I enjoy it, but it may not be for you, hell being nude may also not be for you. Do only what you are comfortable with for two reasons: 1: because you must face yourself everyday and 2: if you are uncomfortable it will show in the images. Also, if you feel comfortable bringing an escort DO it. I suggest it because there is much scum out there, but it is about your opinion. I do not usually bring an escort anymore but I look into the people I am working with. IF someone says no to bringing an escort, do not take the assignment!!! The reason I say this is, it is better to lose one gig and not risk getting raped, or worse. Most professionals will allow an escort, although sometimes in another room because they want a closed set.

Other things to keep in mind:

A portfolio may become important to your career. It is composed of 12-30 9x11 images. These images must be the best of the best, because you are 'only as good as your weakest image'. If you only have 5 amazing images, then only put 5 in, till you get more.

When planning a shoot, try to make as much plans in advance as possible. The more set out your plans, the more prepared you are and the better the images will turn out. This is incredibly important for TFP shoots.

Remember those you have worked with and offer help, even if it is referring jobs to others when you are too busy to take them. It makes everyone look better

Some other helpful Link for Models:

http://www.net-mael.com/Forums/ReadThread.asp?ForumID=1&ThreadID=364624&p=2
http://www.hitechmodels.com/info/index.htm - outline of different area of modeling & other tidbits of info
http://www.r-lmodels.com/works.html
http://www.modelheaven.com/guide.shtml - long but very informative
http://www.themakeupartist.com/portfolios.qa.php
http://www.zerotopia.com/resources/models/index.html - huge amount of info on various areas of interest
http://www.newmodels.com/ 
http://www.mattsmodelnetwork.com/?p=articles - directed more towards adult talent, but still very useful for anyone
http://www.adultindustryresources.com/drupal2/node/237 - straight forward advice for the adult industry
http://www.sexyjobs.com/jobseekertips.asp - additional info on promotion within the online adult industry

Lastly:

I do hope this is helpful and any questions you may have, Ill always be around (remember 8-10 hrs on my computer) to help.

Hugz and Good Luck,
Monika Maple