Don’t overspend on costumes
If you already have costumes, start with those. If not, start cheap. Mercy from Overwatch does not have to be your first cosplay! Characters like Catwoman, Velma, Tina from Bob’s Burgers, and Misty from Pokemon, all have simpler costumes that are relatively inexpensive. You may also find that cosplay really isn’t your niche, so don’t go crazy spending hundreds of dollars up front. Keep your costume budget in mind as you start to make money. Are you making enough to justify buying another one? If not, you may want to try a different niche.
Speaking of costumes. . .
This includes lingerie and undergarments. Plan what panties you’re gonna wear!
Your fans are everything
Pay attention to what your fans like. My fans actually got me into cosplay when they bought me a Catwoman costume for my first Halloween as a camgirl! This doesn’t mean stepping out of your comfort zone! As your following grows, you’ll probably have some fans who want to buy you costumes. This is a great opportunity for you and your fans to do something special for each other! They get to treat a model they adore, and it’s a pretty cool feeling knowing that you helped make a character come to life. I always send gift givers pics of me in costume and whatever videos I create wearing the costume in the future. Sometimes I’ll run fundraisers or special deals for costume contributors, and sometimes people will contact me about doing specific costumes. Don’t count on it happening, but have a wishlist prepared for when it does.
Be relevant
Some characters will never grow old - Princess Leia, Harley Quinn, Lara Croft - but there are character trends! PornHub does an annual insights report that shows how trends have changed over the previous year along with regular updates on their blog highlighting interesting recent trends. Most of these trends are related to specific holidays, events or popular media release dates (movies, video games, anime, etc.).
We see a similar pattern with Avengers: Endgame. Searches began to climb a week and a half before opening weekend, peaking on Sunday, April 28th.
Plan ahead for media releases and debut your new costumes or drop new content a week or two before the release dates. This has its risks, especially when you're just starting. If the film or game has a poor reception, the costume might not pay for itself for a long, long time. For instance, my Birds of Prey Harley (poor BOP Harley. . .) hasn’t been as popular as I’d hoped she’d be (which sucks because her outfit is awesome!), but that’s just how business goes.
Sidenote: Cosplay was actually one of 2019’s trends of the year, so there’s no better time to get into it!
Love your characters
Research, research, research!
Do your homework! Learn your characters’ stories and histories if you don’t know them well, especially if you do cam shows. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of a roleplay and not remember your sworn enemy! Familiarize yourself with behind-the-scenes details about the entertainment industry specific to your genres, and keep up to date on news about your characters’ franchises. This gives you more to talk about with your fans, and I personally enjoy learning about stuff like the history of the DC-Marvel rivalry and how Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth reconceptualized post-Ragnarok Thor.
Keep improving your craft
Cosplay is a competitive niche, and fans notice good costumes (though it’s often subconsciously). Keep trying to improve your makeup skills, and learn how to alter wigs. Learn basic sewing/crafts if you don't know how to already. Costumes don’t always fit right, especially if you bought them online, and sometimes the accessories you want don’t exist. The internet is your oyster, and there are plenty of tutorials on how to make costume pieces and props.