Smutlancer Spotlight: Ducky DooLittle

Hey there, Smutlancers!!! 

It’s Women’s History Month (yay), so obviously I had to highlight an amazing woman. This woman has been smutlancing for decades and has a unique flair in disseminating information about sex that is relatable, fun, and intriguing. This woman has worked in pleasure marketing and sex education before it became popular and trendy. This woman is… Ducky DooLittle (she/her). 

Ducky is a pleasure-based Sex Educator and a foremost expert in the pleasure product/sex toy industry. Ducky is the author of Sex With The Lights On: 200 Illuminating Sex Questions Answered. Author Susie Bright says, “She’s one of the most insightful and original sex educators I’ve ever met.”

I learned who Ducky Doolittle was when I attended Women of SexTech’s first virtual conference on May 2, 2020. Her charming personality, authenticity, and love of the work she’s been doing for years beamed through my computer screen. After her session, I instantly sent her a DM and followed her on Instagram. 

Months later, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dirty Lola, who mentioned that Ducky was one of the amazing humans that inspired her to get into smutlancing. So, it was only right that I reached out to Ducky for an interview to give us details about her successful career. 

During our interview, we talk about how she got started, her favorite content to create, her love of candles, and much more. Enjoy! 

How do you make money as a smutlancer?

I write for my own blog and guest posts for other people’s blogs. I also have a history in pleasure product marketing, so sometimes I write packaging copy, product copy, and website copy. I also create audio, video, and live training and educational content.

How long have you been a smutlancer? When did you get interested in sex and creating content about it?

I have been writing for decades. I was an early adopter of everything. My first website went live in 1996 and my first blog went live in 2000. I’ve been at it for a long time, but I am still an early adopter. I love finding new ways to reach people. Sex became my focus in the mid-1990s. I was doing sexuality journalism and exploration pieces for print magazines. I love learning about kink, desire, history… and took my readers along for the ride.

Are you a full-time or part-time smutlancer? Do you have a day job?

I am a full-time freelancer currently. In the past, I have taken positions with sex toy companies. Mostly, I follow my heart and seek companies that understand the value of what I do.

Are you open with anyone about the work you do?

I am 1000% open about what I do for a living, loud and proud!

When and how did you realize this was what you wanted to do professionally?

I never decided to write about sexuality for a living. It was just a natural inclination that grew into a career. If I enjoy it, I just forge on.

How did you get started and how long before you felt like you had “made it”?

I started by writing erotica and publishing it myself in the form of zines. The day I felt like I had real potential as a writer was when I was awarded a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts in the category of Nonfiction Literature. When I read the award letter, I had faith that I had something valuable to share with the world for the first time.

What does a typical day look like for you when you’re smutlancing?

I get up before the sun. I work out. I shower and make a HUGE cup of tea. I review my calendar and write down my priorities for the day. I light my candle. I start stringing words together. I take little breaks to make food, answer emails, take meetings, shoot videos, check social media, and go outside to breathe [some fresh] air. I try to go for a walk every day at 2 pm when the sun is high, but it doesn’t always happen. At about 4 pm, I start closing it down for the day, start dinner and spend the evenings with my husband.

What, if anything, is your favorite content to create or type of smutlancing work to do?

I love all of it! I love writing but it can become laborious. In those times, I switch to live events and video/audio content until I get tired of seeing my own face. Thankfully, I have lots of creative projects so I can usually pick up the work that is the most fulfilling to me at any given time.

In a perfect world, what would you want your legacy to be as a smutlancer?

I hope people see me as a person with a good heart and good intentions.

What do you absolutely need to have when you’re ready to sit down and work to be productive?

I light a candle at my desk. I had my home burn once, so I have great respect for fire. When I light a candle at my desk, I tend to stay near it. The candle keeps me in my seat and writing for hours. I light the candle almost as a ritual at this point, and it keeps me tethered to my goals.

Who or what inspired you to become a smutlancer?

I was influenced by Annie Sprinkle. Her shameless approach to sex work was a shining example for me. In a time when people had a negative attitude toward sex, yet a super hypocritical desire to consume anything about the topic, I needed to see examples of other women who were brave and unapologetic in their work.

Are there any social/charitable causes that are close to your heart and connected to your work as a smutlancer?

I care deeply for foster youth, homeless youth, poverty class folx, and sex workers. Those are the causes I like to [shed] light on and share my resources with.

Name the best, strangest, funniest, wildest thing you’ve experienced as a smutlancer.

My favorite thing is when people enjoy what I do so much that they create [art] around me. For example, people draw pictures of me, write poems and songs about me, and craft characters in books or television about me. I love being someone else’s muse. It is a huge compliment.

Follow Ducky on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, or learn more about her at her website!