I love how Adriana qualifies her blog as being “of sex and love…but mostly sex.” She opens up about her own life while at the same time providing writing great reviews and articles. No qualifiers there!
How did you get into sex blogging?
I specifically wanted to get into trying more sex toys and reviewing, and there was a few programs that popped up with a simple Google search. It was a no-brainer to set up my own blog—I have plenty of other ones—and new projects are super exciting. At the time, sex positivity wasn’t something so widely talked about, and I wanted to help people become more happy and healthy with their sex lives and relationships.
Your reviews stand out in a crowded genre. What are the key elements to a good sex toy review?
I think it’s a delicate balance between the facts and personality. Don’t drone on about numbers, but don’t forget them, either. Know what’s going to matter to the readers to help them make their shopping decision. What’s absolutely necessary and what is just going to bore the reader? I’ve written hundreds of reviews and typically start most of them with a story about why I chose the product, even if it’s something that most people would overlook.
One thing I try to do is to help other bloggers and reviewers with my reviews of affiliate programs. I’ve got a lot of commentary on advertiser and other business relationships in addition to some posts about blogging and WordPress because that’s the background I have.
Are you the type of writer who plots out articles in advance, or are they based more on current situations in your own life?
I probably fall more into the second category. When inspiration strikes, I like to write or at least start a draft so that I can use that fuel at some point. Like I said, I own many blogs so I have to budget my time, and this means that many things stay in draft form longer than I’d like. However, I can completely lose inspiration if I don’t get them out in a timely manner.
Right now, if you had to pick one or the other, would you prefer to focus on writing articles or writing sex toy reviews?
I feel like I can offer a more unique point of view when it comes to toy reviews than I can with articles. It’s much harder to stand out when writing about sex toy materials, safety and how to shop for sex toys or to give relationship advice because most people have done that already—and many of those articles are outside of the sex blogging world. However, if I could only write anything on Of Sex and Love, it would be personal posts as those are the most cathartic for me.
What are your favourite toys so far this year?
So far, I’ve enjoyed the Lelo Ora and Bettie Page Spanking Paddle. 2014 has been a bit slow because I’ve been so busy, but I have many toys in my queue right now. You can expect a positive review for the Minna Limon, though.
Who are your sex blogging inspirations?
I am super envious of the numbers and relationships that Epiphora is built. Building stronger relationships with the companies I work with is something I definitely need to work on. However, I started Of Sex and Love around the same time that many others did, so I always felt more like their peers than someone who idolizes them. Many of the people who I looked up to—Essin Em/Shanna Katz, Scarlet Lotus and so many more who I can no longer name but remember in that nostalgic part of my heart—no longer blog or blog in this part of the Internet.
You clearly state that your blog is about your personal life, but do you ever worry about being too open?
I have always taken steps to keep my identity anonymous. Although, there have been a few mishaps along the way, I’ve done a decent job. I’ve never been “discovered,” but at the end of the day, it wouldn’t be my ruin if I were. I was worried more about this when I was still married to my ex-husband, who was in the military. Many of my close friends know that I have a sex blog, and a few even read it. I’ve also made friends in this corner of the Internet who now know all sides of me.
What aspects of sexuality have you not yet explored that you are most looking forward to checking out?
I suppose there’s more of a submissive side of me to explore than I realized before. Group situations are also not out of the question, but I’ve also reached a point where I am no longer dying to do things. Reviewing and my divorce have given me the freedom to truly find myself sexually, but you can never say never!
What can we look forward to from you and your blog in the future?
Like I said, there’s a lot more reviews coming up. I hope to catch up with some affiliate program posts, and it’s been far too long since I’ve written any articles. I’m still looking for my niche when it comes to that. I’ve been trying to work on interpersonal relationships with other bloggers, reviewers and my readers. I’m also trying to get back in touch with the personal aspect of my blog, and my current partner provides pretty good blog fodder so you can expect more posts about “The Bartender,” too.
