Literature On Sex Work

Whether you are a sex worker or a sex worker ally, these books may be of interest to you.

Self help for industry workers:

Thriving in Sex Work by Lola Davis.

A heartfelt read lending advice and tips for staying safe and sane as a sex worker. The author is a former stripper, dominatrix, porn actor and escort so all corners of the sex trade are covered. Erotic labour is often emotionally draining, demanding and exhausting and it helps to have self help tools that are specific to those of us in the industry. She relays anecdotes from her decades of experience in the industry and provides real and practical advice for accepting your body, creating financial freedom, cutting out bad habits, avoiding burnout, cultivating boundaries and damage control if someone outs you. This manual is for all genders.

Sex worker rights:

Revolting Prostitutes by Molly Smith and Juno Mac.

A modern read exploring the correlations of anti sex work dogma with white supremacy, classism, immigration laws and misogyny. It challenges sex worker exclusionary radical feminist ideologies and examines the truth behind human trafficking without bias.

For those outside the industry:

Playing The Whore by Melissa Gira Grant.

A must read for those outside the industry who seek a better understanding, this work dispells the harmful myths surrounding sex work while educating on the real issues and dangers sex workers of today face. Covering topics such as police brutality and intimidation, the failings of the legal system toward sex workers, the everyday stigma from the media and the hypocrisy of sex worker exclusionary radical feminists.

Coming out:

Coming Out Like A Porn Star by Jiz Lee.

Insightful and endearing, this book culls the stereotypes surrounding porn through writings by generations of porn stars relaying their experiences of coming out to their family and friends as an adult performer and coming to terms with themselves in a complex and taboo industry. Moving and humorous it is a testament to the importance of porn performers telling their own stories freely and openly.

Sex workers stories:

A Whore's Manifesto by Kay Kassirer.

A visceral and provocative collection of poetry, visual art, storytelling and theories by sex workers of all genders, races, abilities and cultures. Unabashed and uncensored these are the poignant workings of those often overlooked and stigmatized by society. "We may dance on the table but we still demand our seat at it."

For witchy bitches:

The Satanic Witch by Anton LaVey.

The follow up to the Satanic Bible this book gives practical advice and spells for women who wish to connect to their divine feminine energy and hone their skills of seduction through sex magick, seduction spells, applied psychology and good old fashioned glamour.

Studies of sex work:

The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure by Tristan Taormino.

Compiled by a sex educator and feminist pornographer, The Feminist Porn Book is a quirky collection of essays written by feminist porn performers, directors and producers examining porn's place in modern feminism, the impact of pornography on the fight for women's rights and how feminists view and consume porn. A great piece of work for those unsure as to whether feminism and the adult industry can ever truly converge.