Do Cosplay Models Make Money?
By Jen S.

What is a Cosplayer?

Firstly, for those who don't know what a cosplayer model is, it is a model who dresses as their favorite character from a popular game, anime, movie, tv-show, etc. The model also takes on the persona of that character. They can are hired for conventions and other events to model in costume. Models are booked for several different jobs, A few examples are, judging competitions, booth sales or interacting with fans.

Now that you know what a cosplayer is, can you really make a career of it? The answer is, maybe. Yes, there are Cosplayers at any and every convention these days, while some of them are getting paid, most are just cosplaying for the sheer joy of it. Very few cosplayers make legendary status and demand the big bucks. How successful you become depends on many factors. Some of those factors are your looks, personality, work ethic, and even your location. That is why most Cosplayers do so as a hobby or a part-time job.

Cosplay Modeling

Don't fret; there is still money to be made if you are willing to put in the time, a lot of time. It can take years, yes, you read that right, it can take years to build up your brand and following. Being a Cosplayer is hard work. It takes a special kind of personality to be a great cosplayer. It's not just getting dressed up and walking around conventions. You are there for the fans; you have to engage with these people, so it helps if you genuinely love the character you are becoming. Days are long, and the costumes are not comfortable. You can't be complacent either. You must continuously keep getting better at your craft. Work to have better costumes and props, better makeup, become a better model, work on your persona. People aren't going to keep interested if you don't keep progressing and adding new content. Having just one costume won't get you far.

We're getting ahead of ourselves, let's talk about how to get started as a Cosplayer. The first thing you need to do is get a costume; some people make them, some people buy them some do a bit of both, this is really up to you. Just know that whether you make or buy, it's going to be very expensive for a quality costume. Next, you need to build a large social media following. There's no exact number of followers you need before you are hired for appearances. You won't get paid to attend events if you have no fans who will buy tickets to see you. Your social media following is an excellent way to show your popularity to prospective clients.

How can you make money? As mentioned before, once you have a large following, you could reach out or even be approached for appearances. Some models also work as a "booth babe" to sell products for clients. Other ways to make money are through selling professional prints of you in costume, as well as other merchandise; some cosplayers sell pdf patterns and tutorials for costumes, some sell costumes and props, the possibilities are endless. A new way cosplayers are making money is through Patreon. Patreon is a crowdfunding platform that provides tools for creators to run a subscription to content. Members subscribe to an artist, in this case, a Cosplayer for access to exclusive content for subscribed patrons only. Content can be anything from prints to tutorials. Be creative. It's about community and innovation. Patreon a great way to help cover costs for your costumes and travel expenses while keeping your fans engaged.

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Don't fret; there is still money to be made if you are willing to put in the time, a lot of time. It can take years, yes, you read that right, it can take years to build up your brand and following. Being a Cosplayer is hard work. It takes a special kind of personality to be a great cosplayer. It's not just getting dressed up and walking around conventions. You are there for the fans; you have to engage with these people, so it helps if you genuinely love the character you are becoming. Days are long, and the costumes are not comfortable. You can't be complacent either. You must continuously keep getting better at your craft. Work to have better costumes and props, better makeup, become a better model, work on your persona. People aren't going to keep interested if you don't keep progressing and adding new content. Having just one costume won't get you far.

We're getting ahead of ourselves, let's talk about how to get started as a Cosplayer. The first thing you need to do is get a costume; some people make them, some people buy them some do a bit of both, this is really up to you. Just know that whether you make or buy, it's going to be very expensive for a quality costume. Next, you need to build a large social media following. There's no exact number of followers you need before you are hired for appearances. You won't get paid to attend events if you have no fans who will buy tickets to see you. Your social media following is an excellent way to show your popularity to prospective clients.

How can you make money? As mentioned before, once you have a large following, you could reach out or even be approached for appearances. Some models also work as a "booth babe" to sell products for clients. Other ways to make money are through selling professional prints of you in costume, as well as other merchandise; some cosplayers sell pdf patterns and tutorials for costumes, some sell costumes and props, the possibilities are endless. A new way cosplayers are making money is through Patreon. Patreon is a crowdfunding platform that provides tools for creators to run a subscription to content. Members subscribe to an artist, in this case, a Cosplayer for access to exclusive content for subscribed patrons only. Content can be anything from prints to tutorials. Be creative. It's about community and innovation. Patreon a great way to help cover costs for your costumes and travel expenses while keeping your fans engaged.

Just like any other modeling job, you have to be passionate and work hard. Networking within the community is the key, be super active with your updates and interact with fans, other cosplayers, and companies. Good luck, you sexy nerds!