The discreet starter checklist
Nine blocks, one afternoon. Work down it in order, and do not skip the money section because it is dull — that is the one that keeps you anonymous and out of trouble.
Before anything else
Ten minutes here saves a very awkward conversation later.
- Turn off location sharing on the camera app you will use
- Strip photo metadata — most phones do it, check once
- Turn off syncing this account to contacts
- Decide now whether your husband, sister or best friend is told
- Two-factor app on the new email, not SMS
The alias
A handle is the easiest way to be found. Make it unsearchable to people who know you.
- New email address, unrelated to your real name
- Handle with no first name, surname or birth year
- No photos reused from your personal Instagram
- Search the handle before you commit
- Bio with zero local detail: no town, county or landmark
Rule of thumb: if a woman from the school gate could Google the handle and land on you, it is too close to your real life.
The money
Boring, unglamorous, and the part people regret skipping.
- Separate online bank account, paper statements off
- Payout method verified before your first sale
- ID verified on the platform — payouts freeze without it
- Spreadsheet started: date, sale, fee, net
- 25% of every payout moved to a tax pot immediately
The shoot
Ten frames, one sitting, one plain surface. Daylight, no flash.
- Floor or surface cleaned and cleared
- Nails trimmed, filed, one colour or bare
- Window light, mid-morning, camera between you and the window
- Ten angles from the shot list in the guide
- Check every frame for tattoos, reflections, recognisable objects
The first listing
Price in the title. Vagueness kills the sale.
- Title formula: what it is + how many + the price
- Three listings live, not thirty
- One paragraph of description, no life story
- Tags copied from the top sellers in your lane
- Buy your own listing once to see what the buyer sees
Boundaries
Write these before a buyer tests them.
- Reply hours decided and posted in the bio
- Maximum custom length and price stated
- Face or no face decided, and held to
- Payment before delivery, always, no exceptions
- A phrase ready for "can I get a discount"
The escape plan
The bit that lets you keep the tab open.
- Decoy site bookmarked — local weather, a recipe site
- Bookmark renamed to something dull
- Notifications off for the work email and the app
- Browser profile separate from your personal one
- Know the shortcut: Escape, or Ctrl+Shift+E
Red flags
If any of these appear, slow down.
- An agency wanting 40% for "management"
- Anyone asking for your password
- "Promo" accounts wanting an upfront fee
- Buyers who want to pay off-platform by transfer
- A payout that only arrives after you pay something
Week one review
Do this on day seven, not day thirty.
- Which listing got the most views, and why
- What time of day messages arrived
- Hours spent versus money made
- One thing to change, one thing to keep
- Decide: continue, change lane, or stop
quietlypaid.com — affiliate links are disclosed, nothing here is legal or financial advice.